The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1875-07-03
Report Of the Grand Jury, Z
June Term Of the. District Court, Parish

Parish Of ASCENSION: F4.Jts a..
s The Grand Jurors having completed their
labOrs, respectfully submit this, their final
report to hour honor. We have endeavored
faithfully, us required of by law, to investi-
gate all matters brought before u.s. and we
/ believe that We have fulfilled our duties to
the best OF our abilities. n# -
Public Offices and Buildings. =
We have examined the Jail and find It in
q clean and we'll kept condition tieprison-
ers expressed themselves well satisfied with
their food and treatment, and made no COM
plant Of any kind to us. The floor Id two
different places requires repairing, hut in
the impoverished condition Of tile parish
treasury. it would be idle for us to recolll-
mend improvements which could not be
paid for. ~
Recorders Office. 81
This Office seems to be well and systemat-
ically kept. An iron fire-proof safe is need
ed for the safe keeping OF the records, but
here again we do not feel justified in offering
any recommendations for the same reasons
given above in relation to the Jail.
Sheriff's and Clerks Offices, s.,
These Offices are as well kept as cicuu,-
stances admit Ut, there being no safe in the
Clerks office.
Parish Treasurer.
While the financial condition of the par
ish, judging from the first glance at the
Trcasurer's report, which we found fled in
the Recorders office according to law, would
seem to be prosperous, yet it is not SO. The
report shows an amount OF SIS, 1913 734 in
favor Of the parish; but this is entirely fic-
tlt1ous and exists only on paper. When we
come to sift the matter, we find a large nor
ton OF the assets Of the parish to be totally
worthless, viz: all the back taxes from 1866
to 1873, together with judgments of ALSO
lutely no value, amounting altogether to
about S33,OO0. Tho recent action Of the Po-
lice Jury i'll making all old warrants RECEIVE
able for taxes We deem to have been a very
unwise measure, as the finances of the par
lsh were already in a sufficiently hopeless
condition. We find by the Treasurer's re-
port that the sum due by the parish, repre-
sented by registered claims, amounts to
$3S, sol o., and that the amount due the par-
ish for current taxes, licenses and fines az
Sl3.90l 10. Now if all the taxes,
licenses, ETC.. be collected in their entirety,
as they should be, the debt of the parish, ex-
elusive OF current expenses, would be re-
tluced to Ss4,599 "a. This calculation is
based upon the assumption that all the back
taxes are valueless ), and we would III this
place call the attention at, your honor to the
very large delinquent lists which we find in
the report, running from the year 1866 to |
1874, and we would ask whether nothing
can be done to enforce the collection of said
delinquent taxes and to prevent the recur- |
renee OF such enormous deficits III the annual |
collection ofsparish taxes, as your honor |
must see that the situation in which the par
Ssh finds itself is truly depIorable i.t5
we would venture to suggest, ii the plan |
be legally feasible, that the indebtedness OF |
ne parish, now represented by registered
claims Tor so-c;llled scrip, be funded at so I
cents on the dollar, to be issued in coupon
bonds, payable III from one to twenty years. /
somewhat on the premium bond plan re
;ently adopted by the city of New Orleans
With slgnal success: us an evidence of which /
'ity securities have materially advanced |
'ince the adoption OF this measure A COM
nittee composed of say two members of the I
'ollce Jury and three competent tax PAYERS
o be appointed by the President of the Po-
. pass on the legality of all claims present
ID and could also arrange all the details of
his scheme. 1t is with much ditfidence that
We advance the above suggestions, and are
thereto by the almost if not totally
condition III which we find the
PARISH
On examination of the Treasurer's books.
We ma them, with the exception of two
rlfilng clerical errors not worthy OF note,
o be on the whole correct, but we would
dvlse a little more system and care in the
manner OF registering the claims against the
'arlsh. We find registered u witness war;
ant originally approved by the Clerk Of the
court in figures for 81 SO, and subsequently
ltered and raised by some unknown party
. 81 so, registered for the latter amount,
nd i'll this connection We take OCCASION to |
ensure the Clerk of the Court for approving
i'll figures instead of writing the
mount i'll full All officers whose duty it is
o approve parish warrants should he re-
uired to write out i'll full the amount for
.hch each is approved. ff+ |
On examining tho warrants which have
cen pad INTO the treasury, We find many
npcrfeetly and some not at all cancelled,
nd we therefore call upon the Police Jury
D make 1t the imperative duty Of the Treas
rer to properly and thoroughly cancel all
arlsli Obligations as soon AS they are paid
|; we would insist OH this measure us we
Gem it OF grave Importance.
We fina the following appropriations made
y the Police Jury for the current year end
* December 3ist, 1873, to be already over
rs,wn and registered; and here the question
resents itself to us as to whether the Treas
rer is empowered to register claims against
Il already overdrawn appropriation We
i've your honor the accounts, and amounts /
} overdrawn, and which the Treasurer has
'glstered i'll excess Of the appropriations:
CORONER.
mt. OF appropriations $3.50 90
. registered to date (for l875),. SAG 90
mt. registered over appropriation, 1896 90 .
SHERIFF.
mt. of appropriation. ..... $500 90
registered to date flor 1870, - 1890 Is
mt registered over appropriation, $3.50 %
, JAILOR. II
mt. OF appropriation, $1,000 90
. registered to date (for 1879, 1850 20 ,
mt. registered over appropriations. $50 20
GRAND AND PETTY JURIEs
mt OF appropriation, $500 90
" registered, S35 IS
mt. registered over appropriation. $50 IS
We would call your honors attention to
e fact that only half the current year has
apsed. and the amounts which will be due
e Sheriff and the jurors for the present .
TIN OF court are not included on the above J.
t. 1t must be apparent to your honor how
OF solution are the financial problems
the parish presented for our consideration,
yya n |