The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-06-05
THE PARISH COURTS.
TIEWs or TyE COUNTRY PiRIsHEs ON
THEIR ABOLITION.
A Constitutional Convention ana New
Constitution.


Editor Democrni--As the time for The
meeting of the Baton Rouge Convention
draws near. ii would not be improper fol
your able journal to discuss the proposed
amendments to the Constitution of Lou
isiana, which will be submitted 10 the
people in November The convention
will, doubtless. take action on these
amendments. and it should do SO intel
ligently and discreetly. There is no
material objection to four OF the pro.
posed amendments, except profound
conviction that 1t lis useless to doctor
and patch up by piecemeal the mlsera-
BILE Radical figure head which passes for
constitution in this State. We are
under no obligations TO rectify the errors
Of our enemies. We expect to have an
honest Governor. Attorney General.
Auditor, etc. after the first of Novem
ber next. and. therefore. are not SO much
concerned about the provisions relating
to them. But one of the proposed amend
meDts Is particularly obnoxious to the
people Of the country parishes; 1t Is that
which abolshes Parish Courts. This
amendment must be defeated. 1t is
admitted, Mr.. Editor. that the judicial
system in this State is cumbersome and
unnecessarily expensive. II Is admitted
that oil the evils which pertained to
4
ing thick around them again. IT is we'll
known that these courts, under tho black
regime, have been the vantage ground Of
judges, corrupt, incompetent. more
ignorant than Dogberry, more unscru-
pulous than Scroggs. who have formed
rings with public administrators and
gobbled up many u scanty patrlmony.
unheeding the opportunities OF the
orphan and the widow. We hope to
have better judges in the future. We
prefer TO risk that to dispensing with.
by far, the most important court IN
the country parishes. It is absurd
to delegate judicial functions to
n mere clerk. The business OF success
sions, minors, interdiots and the large
amount Of litigation, involving tho use
OF the conservatory writs, render the
constant presence OF judge, and ut
least four terms OF court u year I'm each
parish, almost absolutely necessary
Our parishes are so large, and go diff
cult OF access. that public convenience
demands that the judge should reside
In the parish for which he holds court
We would not object to the abolition Of
the District Courts in the country par
ishes. Many of them are humbugs any
way. The system is unfair, too. For
instance. the Judge OF the Fourteenth
District. who could not earn his salt ut
the bar, and does not do three months
honest work in tho year, is paid the
same salary as the learned and labori-
Gus Judge Of the Fifth District Court in
New Orleans. The Parish Judge should
be n lawyer, and n sound one. His juris-
diction should be unlimited civil, pro
bate and criminal. He should hold six
terms year. should be an old resident
OF the parish for which he sits, and
should be paid good salary. This plan
would simplify our judiciary. and some
thing of the kind will doubtless be
adopted Mt the next constitutional con
vention. We hope such n convention
will be called IA early rs possible. For
many reasons it is needful. The con
stitution of 1868 should be amended by n
new one, out and out. We might well
pay for such u convention.
Until such n convention meets. Mr..
Editor, the country parishes desire to
retain their parish courts, and we
ask that you will oppose
with all your strength the amendment
which proposes to abolish said courts.
LEX