The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-10-10
Reform IN THE JUDICIARY DE-
PARTMEar.

particularly 10 South Carolina and
Louisiana. was to multiply offices
and increase salaries TO reward their
partisans. In this State they male
small dietricis so as 10 increase the
number of judges. and in the Consti
tuition of 1868 they re adopted the
Parish Judge system which had heen
abolished by the Constitution OF
1882 aud which even they left out of
the Constitution made bv them in
lsG4 We are not opposed to the
Parish Courts and think that under
conditions they may he made yer,
beneficial to the interests of the PEG,
pie. The first step in that direc-
ton, it seems to usswould be to look
rather at the amount of business to
he done by the Parish Judges than
to parish lines. There are parishes
in the State with enough business to
keep Parish Judge busy the greater
part of the year, and there are hume.
rous others where the united bust.
ness Of four parishes would not oecu-
ply one Parish Judge for six months
in the year. Caddo, Natchitoches,
Rapides, St. Landry and Baton
Rouge are instances of the former
class. Vernon, Sabine, Calcasieu and
Cameron we take it are illustrations
of the latter. If the Clerks of the
Courts were authorized, as they for
merly were, to grant preliminary or
ders, we see no reason why Parish
Judge should not have three or four
parishes, when after all he would not
probably have twenty cases in each
parish during the year. It is true
that he would then cease to be prop,
erIv Parish" Judge, and would he
more properly District Judge.
The District Judges should have
at least six parishes with two terms
a year in each, where the business to
be done, will justify, it. Many dis
Etiicts can be so arranged that one
District Judge can do all the bust
ness OF as many as eight parishes.
The Ninth judicial District which
now comprises only the parishes Of
,Rapides. Grant and Vernon does not
keep the District Judge employed
more than four months in the wear.
and during the other eight he has
nothing to do. This is not the only
district in that situation. One term
of Court year in Grant and Vernon
's all they require, and to give them
more is to put them to the useless
expense of jurors, witnesses, etc. ~
We see no reason why this District
should not he made to include the
parishes Of Sabine, Calcasieu, Avoy-
Giles, Catalonia and VIM in addi
ton to the three now composing it.
Give Rap!des, Avoyelles and Gaia
honla two terms year, which would
occupy at the most, six months of
the time of the Judge; and one term
each for Grant, Sabine, Calcasieu and
VIM would occupy five months
more, if they had busines to keep the
Court open the whole month, and
still leave the Judge one month for
holiday and rest. The Seventeenth
or Natch'toches district just above
us, is just as bad as the Ninth, and
comprises only Natchitoches, Red
Riv r, Sabine and De Soto if our re.
collection of the law is correct. Here
we have then two District Judges for
seven parishes, when one could do all
the business Of both and have four
months leisure. Probably the hest
thing the Legislature could do
would be to abolish one of them
entirely, and we understand the law
to be that the formation Of the Dis
trcts is left entirely to the Legisla-
ture, and that the necessary changes
can be made without recourse to any
Constitutional Amendment.
The early and prompt dispatch OF
law business, civil and criminal
should he provided for, by law, but
that object can be attained at much
less expense than it at present coste
tue State, and the people look to the
Legislature for early measures Of re.
form in the Judiciary Department
Hit ---~-~-~---..-sA. 49, : rs
| -THE new Pool liner, Alexandria
named in honor ofour Town, reached
here on her maiden trip, on Friday
and has ever since been engaged con
structing jetties across the had hal
below Town. Up to the present wri
ting very little good in that way ha.
| been effected. The bar is now Wors,