The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-07-24
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.
.xrxnutNr NUMBER TWELVE.

Each OF the QfStrlCt JuuSo9 r.
Give a salary, to be fixed oy iaw' Ii
which, except in the Parish OF orleans; n
hall not be less than two thousand "
dollars. nor more than three thousand I'll
iollars Der annum, payable quarterly r
m his own warrant, and which shall
not he increased nor diminished dur u
;no his term of office. He must De a o
citiz en- of the United States, over tile =,
ace of twenty-five years, and have re- r
sided in the State and practiced law IL
therein for the space of two years neAs '
preceding his election The Judges 90 o' q
the district courts shall hold their OIL
ces for the term of four years. In the II
Parish of Orleans the annual salary Of q
the district Judges shall not exceed ave
thousand dollars, to be paid as above
provided.
This Amendment, fixing the sala-
ries of the District Judges, is very
importaut one. Taken in connec-
tion with Number Eleven, which nix +
es the number of judges at not less
than thirty, nor more than forty: i've
and leaving out the courts in New
Orleans, whose judges may receive
five thousand dollars, this Amend
meut provides for an annual saving
of at least fifty thousand dollars.
With the Parish courts abolished
and about seventy thousand dollars
saved in the salaries now paid to the
Parish judges, there will follow from
the adoption of Amendments Mum
her Nine and Twelve an annual re-
, duction of one hundred and twenty
thousand dollars per annum on the
! item of salaries to judges alone
!. This is pretty good showing for
q our much abused Legislature, which
II has been so loudly accused of having
It done nothing in the way OF reform.
}, But it is to be remembered that the
g same system of reducing salaries is
d to be applied to all State officers, and
N the aggregate saving will be large
& sum and will by just 80 much light
ID en- the burden of taxation upon th'
III people. at@
n AMENDMENT NUMBER THIRTEEN.
In lieu of the Office of district attor
4. new. established by article ninety -tw
Of the Constitution of 1868, there shal
pe be elected, by the qualified voters Q
n each Parish, a States attorney there
ia for: who shall be citizen of the Uni
" ted States, and who shall have been
at resident of the State, and practlcln
'rk and duly licensed attorney at law, fo
at least two years. He shall receive
salary from the State OF not less tina
IN three nor more than seven hundre
nd dollars per aanum, to be provided q
Ill law upon the basis of representation
'o' the House of Representatives, and pa!
net able quarterly on his own warran
HE He shall be ex offici0 attorney OF I'll
Parish, and receive such salary Their
'no from az may be fixed by the parocl'l
sty authorities, not to exceed seven hu
the bred dollars per annum He si't'
-. moreover, receive suci. fees of office
a''c may be allowed by law. In the CT
red of New Orleans the States attorn
and shall receive such compensation frd
the city, in addition to the sala
we above provided, as may he establish
for by law. He shall he elected at t
same time with the judges OF the q
trict courts, and shall hold his OH
~ q for the term of four years. ...-
ain, If this Amendment is adopted
With will, in our opinion, make one of I
up most needed changes in our VIII
lei, system of State government. Ev'
all Parish ought to have its own pro
the cutting officer, under its own cont
'oud and to be elected by The people
Than that Parish. This Amendment a
our aboiishes the Office of Parish At
old ney or district Attorney pro tempe
fair and as under q good State COVE
the ment, like the present one, crime
y do not likely to be so rife as it has b
the salary provided will be an am
remuneration for the services to
wv. :, rendered by the States Attorney
Wy each Parish. As is the case '
MASS the Circuit Courts, it will be try
'l'"' an experiment, and room is left
= 'ns the wise discretion of the Legisla
OH as to the salary to be paid the Sta
'n"' Attorney. The leaving it to
l anu Parishes to fix and regulate pa
the salary is most excellent prt
writes ions and one which cannot fail o
,e in curing substantial advantages
rleaps the present system. If the lab
homie any Parish is great the Police
store, can give adequate compensation,
$ the if in any Parish it is advisab
es the procure the best talent as pros
' ing officer they can fix the sala1
the highest figure as an inducel
y hav- We hone to see this Amend
= pre- adopted.
settle -~~..-e-..-~~>>-
airs if The crops Of the Parish
should now be pronounced most exec
beyond average ones, and that c
scourge, the caterpillar, is not
led on dreaded; cotton is opening in
attend places, and if needed badly,
ervices than one bale of new cotton cot
Bishop picked by the end of the month