New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-12
Court Items.

Court ltcmSs
Now that the vacation of the courts has |
fairly commenced, Administrator Fifteen
reiter has an opportunity to make the civil
courtrooms of this parish places tit for the
assemblage of respectable citizens. During
the past year Judge Abell's courtroom has
been, at his request renovated and made
we'll ventilated and respect able place. Inc
Superior Criminal Court has been assigned
quarters worthy of it, and such as are
source OF pride to the citizens and credit
to Mr.. Fitzenreiter. But the civil court
rooms are exactly the reverse. inere
should be an immediate renovation OF the
old courthouse, or an entire change IN the
locality OF the courts, for rhere Is ho1 d
really decent courtroom IN the Dulid-
ing. That of the Fifth is absolutely
uncomfortable. Decay is visible nearly
everywhere about it. The schools kept un-
der it are a source of constant annoyance
to the officers of the court. The boys make
such a noise during the recesses Of the
schools that the crier of the court ls kept
continually on the qui vive to order them
away. The church music and the occasional
Ginning of the bells all contribute to in
crease the annoyance. The bench is as hot
almost as an oven during the summer, and
as cold as a refrigerator in the winter. 1t
should be changed SO that the judge might
have the benefit of the breezes in the spring
and summer, and of the light of heaven all
the time. Such an arrangement would add
vastly to the comfort and convenience OF
lawyers, jurors, witnesses and Others. 1t
would cost but little, and add very much to
the ease and comfort of all who oficiate in
the court. There is cert ainly room for i'm
provement in the appearance which might
be subserved by the same changes.
The seat on which the judge is com pelled
to sit for four or five hours nearly every
day, has twice given way and deposited
him on the floor. 1t is held together by
nails and cords, and is exceedingly uncom
Portable at best Is he not entitled to a
chair that will afford him ease during the
tedious hours he must sit in one place, hear
evidence, eloquence, wrangling, and bor-
ing9 Our city fathers should 60 and ex-
anime for themselves, and at least, keep up
the reputation of the city for common de-
,cency, if not tor elega nee and taste. Be-
sides this, there is no room in any of the
courts into which the juries can be sent for
their deliberations. There is spiral stair
leading up very narrow way from the
Fifth Court into a garrett room, immedi.
ately above the court, which was intended
for this purpose, but no one who has ever
examined it, will venture to deny the fact
that it is entirely unsuited to the purpose.
1t is absolutely filthy, and there is no way
of materially changing it's condition.
The dust is almost half an inch thick on
the floor. The records of the court are
scattered promiscuously in heaps, and it
would require the work of a score Of men
accustomed to handling papers for period
of months to assort and arrange them. Ex-
posure and other causes have decomposed
them until it is difficult to keep them intact
when you find them. Records bearing the
date of A. d. 1915 are to be found thus
scattered around and about over the
floor in promiscuous disorder and confu-
sion, and that is bad commentary for
large city. Probably the evidence
of thousands of titles to proper
ty situated here, so far as it is
ever found in court records, is decaying in
the dust Of this jury room. The Admins.
traitor should 60 and examine these matters
for himself. 1t is shame that the public
records should be thus thrown away; that
courts can have no comfortable room for
Ja1;l of hot bo
room itself should be crumbliDg over the
heads of officers and litigants; that the
Judge should have no ease, no comfort, and
still worse, if they must be continued after
the vacation of the court.
A suit has been commenced in the Supe-
srior Criminal Court, which will test the
legality of certain contracts which some of
the city Administrators have been leased
to make. By the twenty third section OF
the city charter all contracts involving an
expenditure of over $500, are to be award
ed by competition to the bidder offering the
most advantage to the city. This was in
consequence of feeling on the part of the
legislators, so justified by subsequent facts
as to be considered at this time prophetic,
that unless some such restriction were i'm
posed, some Administrators, under some
circumstances, might at some time do some
acts which would cause some injury to the
treasury of the city. Those contingencies.
at the time of the enactment of the charter
deemed remote, have become certainties.
But the condition the Legislature estab-
lished has proved too slight bar to some
city officials. Did one of them require
$4,000 worth of ballast he did not burden
the treasury with the expense of advertise
ments for the highest bidder of ballast for
city scrip, but he selected his friend and
purchased lots of $iOO worth at lamp, to
the number of twenty three of twenty four
and thus avoided the law. In this case the
petition alleges the contract of erecting
posts or clusters for $75 each, when they
can not cost more than $50 each, to the
amount of $4,000, but the Administrator has
illegally divided it, SO that each subdivision
is less than $780,
The Globe Theatre.
The quantity and quality of amusements
for the coming season promises to be good
and equal to the demand. Manager j..
&.