The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-10-02
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 az 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,. Untilotherwise provided by law,
the district courts now existing in the
parish of Orleans shall have the jnris-
diction at present conferred by law; no
redistricting or change shall be made
so as to take effect during the incum
bency of any judge. The number of
districts in tile State shall not be less
than thirty nor more than fortyfive.
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 ($lO0,) exclusive of interest,
and does not exceed FIVE hundred dol
lars $780, exclusive ofinterest. The
General Assembly shall have power,
by two-thirds vote of all the mem
bers elected to both houses, to restrict
the appellate jurisdiction of the su-
preme Court to causes where the
amount involved exceeds one thou
sand dollars tSl,O00,) exclusive of in
terest;, and in case of snch 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 the
qualified voters of their respective par
ishes, and shall hold their Office for
four years. ..l3 y.-sos rtsr-
(Strike out article eighty-three.)
go NUMBER THIRTEEN. s.ss;j.
Each Of the district judges shall re-
ceive salary, to be fixed by law,
which, except in the Parish of Orleans,
shall not be less than two thousand
dollars, nor more than three thousand
dollars per annum, payable quarterly
on his own warrant, and which shall
not he increased nor diminished dur
ing his term Of office. He must be a
citizen of the United States, over the
age of twenty five years, and have re-
sided in the State and practiced law
therein for the space of two years next
preceding his election. The judges OF
the district courts shall hold their of.
flee 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 lis above
provided. aFft. -lzE
Strike out article eighty -four.)
Is. af; NUMBER FOURTEEN.
In lien of tile office of district attor.
.ney, established by article ninety-two
of the Constitution of 1868, there shall
be elected, by the qualified voters OF
each Parish, a States attorney there
for, who shall be citizen of the Uni
ted States, and who shall have been a
resident of the State, and a practicing
and duly licensed attorney at law, for
at least two years. He shall receive a
salary from the State of not less than
three nor more than seven hundred
dollars per annum, to be provided by
law upon the basis of representation 10
the House Of Representatives, and pay
able quarterly on his own warrant.
He shall be ex- oficio attorney of the
Parish, and receive such salary there
from as may be fixed by the parocl,ial
authorities, not to exceed seven hun
dred dollars per annum. He shall,
moreover, receive such fees of Office as
may be allowed by law. In the city
of New Orleans the States attorney
shall receive such compensation from
tie Getty, 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
trict courts, and shall hold his Office
for the term of four years. ''s
NUMBER FIFTEEN. ....
In every case where the Judge may
be reused, and when he is not person
ally interested in the matters in con-
testation, he shall select a lawyer, hav-
ing the necessary qualifications re-
quired for judge of his court, to try
such cases; and the General Assembly
shall provide by law for the trial of
those cases in which the judge may be
personally interested, or when he may
be absent or refuses to act. -
(Strike out article ninety)
...f, NUMBER SIXTEEN.
In order to provide for the estab-
lishment of the judicial system created
by the above amendments, and to pre-.
vent the evils Of an interregnum, it is
hereby ordained BY the people of Lou
isiana "aF 49,
First-Tllat the General Assembly,
which meets the first Monday in Janu.
airy, 1879, shall, lin accordance with the
foregoing amendments, Immediately
.redistrict the State, and provide for
the authority of clerks, and the cleo
ton and criminal jurisdiction, of JUS
tices Of the peace.
Second-Tbat as soon as the Legis-
lature shall have acted as aforesaid,
the Governor shall by proclamation
call an election for justices of the
peace for each parish, except the par,
ish of Orleans, and for district judges,
in each district created by the redis-
tricting, where one or more parishes
have been added, or taken from the
r..