The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-04-19

Of warrants by our government against the
general fund OF 1876 and 1876 IN settlement OF
claims which cannot be established would have
damaging effect on tho warrants for the CUR.
rent year. In order to relieve one individual
thousands wou d be made to suffer.
4. The act is uIleOnStltu' lUnal.
Nespe'''uii' S'0 HENRY TaEMoULET.
LEVI SPILLER.
Mr.. Kidd, chairman. ON behalf of the Com
mitt on Enrolment. reported the following
bills properly enrolled. to wit
House bills Nos. 294. 21s, 237, 261, ESQ., 27o 3o1.
BOT, 500. $50, 1872. 1888 and GAG.
Mr., Fitzpatrick, in pursuance of notice given
yesterday. presented minority report OF the
Committee of Conference on the Senate's
amendments TO House bill No. 29s. IAN act to
create recorders courts in the city of New
Orleans"
The report was read as follows:
To the Senate and House of Representatives OF
the State of louisiana:
The undersigned members Of Joint Commit
tee of Conference on House bill No. 29s dissent
from the majority of said committee, SO far as
cations Of Recorders for the city of New Orleans,
and which section reads as follows: Shall D9
learned In the law who shall have been Ct Il, lea
two years practitioner thereof in this State at
the time of his SAID election.
When The. right is given to the people to de-
clare their choice by an election 1t is not wise
n
class OF citizens, from which class only they
have the right to select. unless In those depart
ments of the government where qualifications
are expressed in the constitution OF the State.
The office of Recorder of the city of New Or
leans is In no proper sense Judicial office: the
powers of these officers are very limited, and
renuire more of common s. nse, practical knoWl-
edge of human nature, than either too much or
too little knowledge of the technicalities of law
or pleading Their orders are in no manner
Anal. and are at all times subject to revision by
the courts of the First Judicial District. In
most cities the duty is discharged by the mayor,
and it will not be denied that the duties of the
office in this city were as faithfully discharged
by Joshua Baldwin. Stith, Ahern and others, as
ii they had been lawyers. The duties of he
corders are to examine into all circumstances
connected with criminal matters. to facilitate the
law officers and preserve the dispositions of
witnesses for the purpose of affOrding tnforma-
ton to the District Attorney or Attorney Gen
eraI They are not courts Of record, and the
testimony taken before them amounts to
coroner's jury, in legal point. They should
be honest and faithful workers with the admin :.
istration of the city, and strive to correct
abuses of municipal authority as prudent, fair
men, they have nothing to do with legal
bubbles, Lawyers may be chosen, but let the
people declare who among their fellow citizens
they are willing to trus- with the performance
of the simple yet imp ortant functions OF recor-
ders. 1t can be urged with Just as much proprl-
ETY. that the members of the grand and petit
juries should be lawyers Of three years prac-
the judges of b tn law and fact. their judgments
give freedom, or consign to Imprisonment or
DEATH We think the section should be stricken