New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-31
Reform NIeasures.

| hcIOrm measures
The House Committee on Retrenchment
and Reform, Of which Judge Levisee, oi
Caddo, 10 chairman, has before it some very
important bills, which, if passed, will have
most excellent effect. One of these is an
act to fix the salary and fees of parish
Judges, and to direct the manner of paying
the same, and repeating all laws in conflict
with the act
This bill has been intro duced BY Hon. L..
w. Baker, Of Bossier, and will be reported
back favorably by the Committee on Re.
trenchment and Reform. The bill provides
that the parish judges shall have salary
payable quarterly on their own warrants
| on the State Treasurer, graduated as fol-
lows: In parishes having one member in
the House OF Represent atives, $1,000; in
parishes having two or more members in
the House Of Representa- tives, 81 $50; and
they are to be entitled to the fees which are
provided for clerks of courts in all cases Of
appeal from courts of justices Of the peace
to parish courts lin VIII ich cases said Judges
shall do the clerical work, and such judges
are also to be entitled to the following fees,
to wit:
For probating each will, s.; for granting
each order for writs OF habeas corpus. man.
damus, prohibition, injunction, attachment,
representation or provisional seizure, 81: for
each judgment on preliminary trial in
criminal cases, 81; for each final Judgment
in criminal or civil cases, 81; for each ce.
rtlflcate to record to be sent out of the
State, 81.
The bill further provides that these hes
shall be taxed as costs by the clerk of the
court, and collected by him, together with
such clerks own fees, and are made paya-
bic to the judge on demand
1t is estimated that the passage of this bill
will be an annual saving to the State cf at
least Sc, 900.
Another important reform bill that will be
reported favorably on by this committee, is
an act to defer the assessing and collecting
OF the tax known as the park tax of the
city of New Orleans, tor period of Ave
years. and to repeal SEQ tion eighteen Of act
No. 81. approved March 16, 1879.
This act empowers and di irects the Mayor
and Administrators of the city Of New Or
leans to defer the assessment and collection
OF this tax for the period of five years from
January l, 1875. AS this tax, amounting to
about sl5o.ooo yearly, has been regarded
as great burden, its suspension for five
years will certainly prove matter of relief
to taxpayers, and to that extent must DO
regarded as q reform measure.
House bill No. 81, already reported favor
ably on by the Commit ee on Retrench-
ment and Reform, and made the special
order for Tuesday, is alss another step in
the direction of reform. This bill ia in
tended to amend sections one, two and |
three Of an act establishing four municipal |
courts in the city of New Orleans, and de |
fining the jurisdiction and officers thereof |
and to abolish the Third and Fourth NUM-. |!
cipA Police Courts created and established |
by said act, and to transfer to the First and |
Second Municipal Police Courts of the city
OF New Orleans all cases. business and re- \
cords of whatever kind now pending in the h
Third and Fourth Police Courts of said city.
and for other purposes
House bill No. 81 provides that there /
shall be established two municipal courts II
in the city of New Orleans, which shall do
all the business Of the four municipal courts II
now in existence in said city. The First II
Municipal Police Court is to have jurisdic-
ton over the First, Fourth and Sixth Dis
tricts, and the Second Municipal Police
Court over the Second, Third and Fifth
Districts. The bill further provides that
the Governor shall appoint two suitable
persons as judges of these courts, who are
to hold their Office for four years; and on
'he nomination Of the judge of each court,
'ne chief clerk and two assistant clerks.
Who are to hold their Offices respectively for
our years, subject to removal at any time
or cause by the judge.
The judges of these courts are 10 receive
salary OF $4,000 each, the chief clerk $500,
nd the assistant clerks each a salary of
l2cO; to be paid monthly by the city of
Jew Orleans. r.
The bill also provides that all caees now
ending in the Fourth Mum icipal Court be
ra nsferred to the First Municipal Court,
here to be proceeded with according to
aw; all cases pending in the Third Munich
al Court to be transferred to the Second
luniclpal Court, it being the intention of
le new act to abolish the Third and Fourth
(unicipal Police Courts of the city of New
rleans, and to confer the jurisdiction now
kercised by said courts upon the First and
ocond Municipal Courts of New Orleans,
The passage of this bill, it is estimated,
i'll be saving of at least SIS, 600 a year :
the city. y,
Mr.. Drury presented the bill. In connec- n
IN with this subject, we night az we'll
Ate that it has been suggested that if the o,
'mmittee on Retrenchment and Reform Il
ally mean reform, 1t should 60 to work | ci
.ht, and instead of abolishing two police 81
urts. abolish five, and leave two-oue in
Q First and one in the Second Districts. q,
support of this suggestion it is stated III
1t the city Of st. Louis, with a population III
$4,000, has but one police court, ths HI
ige Of which receives salary of $4,000
r annum, while New Orleans, with q :,
pulation of 225,OoO, pays $500 year in
police courts. And loo king still further ~
reform, it is suggested that St. Louis has
t one coroner at 6 salary Of $4,000, ve
3 clerk of criminal court at q
ary of S25OO year, while New Orleans
id $4,000 coroners' fees for 1879, and to he
} clerk of the Criminal Court for the Ii
ne year $2i 900. 1t is also asserted that
Louis county paid the sheriff, for the =,
Ar 1873, $4,000, covering all expenses, IL
iie this city paid for the same year VI