The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-02-20
TUESDAY, January 27th, 1874.

4 at ~ tlUGh a. Ne
TUESDAY, January 9th, 1874.
The Police Jury mel p~ursuantto adjournment.
Present: John Roy, President; Theodule FOn.
tenet, 7. G. ChachGre, T. s. Fontenot and III,
Durio. Ea5as# z
The Police Jury having instructed the Parish
Attorney at the last meeting to prepare q me-
m moral 70 the deglsiad4reI Suggesting and petl-
costs III criminal cases, and the Parish Attorney
having been called upon, reportedth following
draft of a memorial, which was unanimously
adopted and signed by the Police Jury:
To the Senate and House of Representatives of
the State of Louisiana, In General Assembly
Convened v --T-
The undersigned, President and members of
the Police Jury of the Parish of ST. Landry, with
the concurrence of their constituency, respect
fully ask that the Taxpayers of said parish he
relieved by appropriate legislation of a part of
the burden imposed on them by payment of the
enormous fees and costs arising from criminal
prosecutions to this end they request that the
act No. LOO, approved March 10th, 1860, being an
act to increase the salaries of the Sheriff and
Clerk of the Parish of St.Landry, be repealed
in so far as the said Sheriff is eoncerned:
Further, that the fees of the SAID Sheriff be re-
duced SO as to allow him the sum of forty cents
per day for maintenance of prisoners, and that
his compensation for milage in criminal eases
shall. be redueedt to five cents per mile.
To the same end they ask that all Justices of
the Peace, of the parish of st. Landry, be invest
ed with authority to examine into, and to take
bond in all criminal cases in which the law adj
mlbS paTli6s accused Co give Dali, f
And further that all Witnesses summoned to
attend the courts IN criminal cases shall receive
no more than five cents milage in Lieu OF six and
q quarter cents now allowed.
Your petitioners further requests that an act
be passed that the right of compulsory process
to cause the attendance of witnesses In the pre-
liminarY examination of criminal cases. except
said cases be capital, shall be restricted to six
witnesses, provided that the prosecution and
defence shall each have the Ugh to summon
that number, and provided further that in case
of the voluntary attendance OF other witnesses
pit such tTiials, their Evidence shall be heard, If
either party request 1t.
Your netftinnfiTs fIrthSf ask that Police Ju-
riestbe empowered to levy and assess upon the
inhabitants of incorporated towns within their
several parishes, their adyalnrum prnpnTtiOn of
taxes levied and assessed for the pnrpbse Of de
fpaying the expenses of criminal prosecutions,
there being no reason why this class of citizens
of the several parishes should be exempt from
their due share of this cDmmDn burthen.
Your petitioners respectfully ask the fayora-
bic consideration of the foregoing recommends
tons which they hnye caused to be incorporated
IN drafts of appropriate. bills for said purposes,
and which they have forwarded to their several
Representatives in the Senate and the Lower
House.
Aud as in duty bound they will ever pray, etc.
On motion Of Mr.. Ileodule Fontenot, the
Parish Attorney was instructed to i~nebPnOrate
the recommendations in said memorial into
drafts OF bills, and to forward the same with the
said memorial to our Representatives in the
Legislature without delay.
On motion, the Police Jury adjourned until
JOHN ROY, President.
Attest. e.. Marc. Clerk