The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-08-14

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENrs

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
constituted by grouping the distric,
judges into circuits. and composing the
circuit court of tho 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 Is ltlO,) exclusive of interest.
and does not exceed FIVE hundred dol
lars (S50O,) exclusive of interest. The
| General Assembly shall have power,
by two-tlirds 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 Isl ,O00,) 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 tie dis
trict courts shall be elected by the
qualified voters of their respective par
ishes, and shall hold their Office for
four years.
(strike out article eighty threc.)
NUMBER THIRTEEN.
Each of the district judges shall re-
ceive salary, to be fixed by law,
which, except in tile 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 be Increased nor diminished dur
ing his term of Office. He must be q
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 lis 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 as above
provided.
(strike out article eighty -four.) j
NUMBER FOURTEEN.
In lieu of the 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 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 aanum, to be provided by
law upon the basis of representation in
The House of Representatives, and pay
able quarterly on his own variant.
He shall be ex ofiicio attorney of the
Parish, and receive stlcl, salary there
from as may he fixed by the paroclial
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
the city, in addition to the salary
above provided, as may be established
by law. He shall he elected at the
same time with the judges Of the dis
trict courts, and shall hold his office
for the term of four years.
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, lie shall select lawyer, hay-
ing the necessary qualifications re-
quired for judge of his court, to try
sncl, 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 lie may
be absent or refuses to act.
Strike out article ninety.)
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 ain interregnum, it is
hereby ordained by the people of Lou
isiana:
First--That the General Assembly,
which meets the first Monday in Jann-
airy, 1879, shall, in 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-That as soon as the Legis-
lature shall have acted al 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
existing judicial district, and for State
Attorneys, as above provided, except
in the parish of Orleans, where the dis
trict attorney for the parish shall be.
State attorney. This election shall be
held on the same day throughout the
State, which day shall not be less than
sixty nor more than ninety days after
the passage of said act. The terms Of
the officers elected at said election
shall expire at the general election OF
1880, and the limitation on the change
of districts, oftener than once every