The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-09-25

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.
rality of qualified electors thereof. For
each district there shall be one district
court, except in the parish of Orleans,
in which the General Assembly may es-
tablish as many district courts as the
public interest may require, not to ex-
coed the number now authorized by
existing laws, except by two.thirds
vote Of all the members elected to
both branches of the General Assem-
bly,. Until otherwise provided by law;
the district courts now existing in the
parish of Orleans shall have, the, juris-
diction at present conferred by law; no
.redistricting or change shall be. made
so as to take effect during the iDcnm-
bency of any Judge. The number of
districts in the State shall not be less
than thirty nor more than forty-fve.
The General Assembly shall provide
by law for at least four terms annually
of the district court in every parish.
The General Assembly shall have
power to create circuit courts, to be
constituted by grouping the district
judges into circuits, and composing the
circuit court of the judges of the dis
trict courts within such circuits. To
direct the place or places of meeting of
said circuit courts so constituted :, and
to vest said circuit courts with, appel
late jurisdiction from the district
courts within the circuit where the
amount involved exceeds one hundred
dollars (Slt)0,) exclusive of interest,
and does not exceed five hundred dol
lars $780, exclusive ofinterest. The
General, Assembly shall have power,
by two thirds vote Uf all the mem
hers elected to both houses, to restrict
the appellate jurisdiction of the SUI
Epreme Court to- causes where the
amount involved exceeds one thou
sand dollars $l,0O0,) exclusive of in
terest; and in case of such restriction,
the circuit courts so to be created shall
have appellate jurisdiction Of the class
of cases thus excluded from the ap.
"pellate jurisdiction of the Supreme
Court. The clerks of the dis-
trict courts shall be elected by rthe
qualified voters. of their respective par
ishes, and shall hold their Office for
four years. ''3rs' -" i-i'o'ss ia!
Strike out article eighty-three.) ezqx
81" NUMBER THIRTEEN. "fMsi7a9
Each of the district judges shall re-
ceive a salary. to. be fixed. by law,
which, except in the Parish of Orleans,
shall not be; Jess than, two, thousand
dollars. nor more than, three. thousand
dollars per ahnpm, payable Quarterly
on his own warrant, and which slial!
not be INCREASED nor diminished dur
ing his termlof office. He must be a
citizen of9tlle United. States, over the
age of twenty-five years, and have re-
sided in the. State and practjced, law
therein for the space of two years next
preceding his election. The judges Of
the district courts shall hold their Of
fee for the!term of four years.. In the
Parish of Orleans. the annual salary OF
the district judges shall not exceed five
thousand dollars, to be paid as above
provided. =. :
(Strike ont article eishty-four9s u"
NUMBER FOURTEEN. ~ s''o
Tn lien OF the office of district attor-
ney, established by article ninety t. We
of the Constitution of 1868, therelshall
be elected by, the qualified, voters Of
each Parish, a States attorney there,
for, who shall be a citizen Of the Uni.
ted States, and who shall ha'v been a
resident of the State, and a practicing
and duly licensed attorney at law, fol
mt least two years. He shall receive a
salary from tile State of not less than
three nor more than seven hundred
dollars per anntiln, to be provided by
law upon the basis Of representation in
the House of Rspres tatiVes, and pay
able quarterly on his .ownaW aFrant
He shah lie. ax. officio attbrney-pf the
Parish, and receive such salary there.
from as may be fixed BY the, parochia1
authorities, not to exceed seven, hun
dred sdollars,I7per annum. He shall.
moreover, sreceive such fees ofoffice as
may be allowed by law. In the, city
of New Orleans the States attorney
shalt receive such compensati6n from
the city, IN addition to- the SALARY
above provided, as may be established
| by, law He shall be elected at the
same time with the judges, Of the dis.
i trict courts, and shall hold his office
for the term Of four years. 7's I'D L
NUMBER FIFTEEN. ~ -
In every case where the judge may
| be Reused, and when he is not person.
ally interested in the matters lin con.
testation, tie shall select a lawyer, ihav'
ing the necessary: qualifications re-
CURED for a judge of his court, to, try
suct, cases; and the General Assembly
shall provide by law for the trial 'o1
those cases in which the judge may be
personally interested, or 'wlIenThe may
be absent orrefuses to act. slt Q suis liia
tStrike out article ninety,)dsq ad. a
NUMBER sIxTEEN.yiiEgof 81.
In order to provide for the estab
lishment of the judicial system createe
by the above amendments, and to pre-
vent the evils of an interregnum, it il
hereby ordained by the people Of Lou
isiana: s''Naisl 'i.N.3
-First-Tllat the General Assembly
which, meets the first Monday'in Janu
airy, 1879, shall, in accordance with tn,
foregoing amendments, immediatel,
redistrict the State, and provide fo
the authority of clerks, and the cleo
| ton and criminal jurisdiction of Jus
tees of the peace. renJ4 y9g sitiag i.
Second-That as soon as the Legis
lature shall have acted as aforesaid
the Governor shall by proclamation
call an election for justices of thu
peace for each parish, except che par
ish of Orleans. and for district judges
in each district created by the redis
] tricting, where one or more parishe
have been added, or taken from tn