The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-31
IBERVILLE PARISH,
Cane and Corn Crops Threatened Loss Of
the Rice Crop-Needed Improve
ments in our Judiciary System.

| tSpeclal correspondence of the DemocratI
PLAQUEMINEs, May %, 1879.
cane and corn crops In our section are pag-
SADLY good, though the weather Is getting
rather dry.
The rice crop-and quite an extensive area
was sOwn In rice In this parish this season.
are suffering, and we fear will be partially
lost, although number Of pumps are at
work trying to flood the fields.
| Our old river is lower at this season than
have ever seen It. and old people tell me they
do not remember its being so low in May be-
fore.
OUR CONVENTION
seems to be moving carefully with It's work,
and we trust will succeed In ACCOMPLISHING
the good intended. l see some people and pa-
| pers are getting restive because full-fiedped
| constitution is not already before the peonie.
II Is well to do some things quickly, but peo-
pie here think little careful consideration
given to the making of our organic law will
prove beneficial In the end 49,
Two questions before the Convention shouId
be well weighed and carefully and clearly laid
doWn, ana these are the question Of limita-
tions and the Judiciary. IL Is not enough to
say the State shall do only this. but ali cor
porate bodies organized under the cOnstitll-
tion should have their powers limited as well
as defined. ~
The importance OF
A JUDICIARY
cannot be too frequently referred to- and If wa
do hear as much about it as we do, 1t is be-
cause we have suffered and still suffer many
gross outFages under the present system A
young friend was telling me to-day OF case
In point:
Some time last fall young colored woman.
near Bayou Gonla, went to fair. While
there she ate some cake and was taken sick. /
believe the next day, and she attributed her
sickness to eating the cake. AT any rate, she
went into rapid decline and soon died. Her
mother mentioned on several occasions that
her daughter had said that the cakes given
her at the fair by q woman, whom she named.
had caused her sickness. This was considered
slander, and the woman who gave the cakes.
and another connected with the fair, pro-
ceeded to sue the dead girls mother for
defamation OF character, laying the damages
TO the two In the full sum OF ninety-five dol
lars and proceeded In the Justices court OF
the ward, presided over by q colored Justice
by the name OF johnson.
The defendant thought 1t we'll to have eoun-
FL and % q came here and employed Wales N
HeDert. Ihe latter, rising young lawyer.
soon saw the drift for plaintiff Justice
moved apace In that direction, when one 81
the witnesses, woman, declined to answer q
question, put evidently for the purpose upper
most In the Justices mind, saving she had
told all she knew and had come to tell what
she knew and not to make up testimony. rjs-
Ing at the same time to leave the stand. His
honor here put 1t and ordered Witness to
take that chair, or Ill take 1t to Won. y
Young Hebert here took matters In hand and
gave the court q lecture which left Ii ,lnenrs
ain AZ whether 1T knew itself" or not
without Mr.. Hebert's presence there ID no
ioubt the witness would have been brow
leaten into some statement deemed eontra-
ifctory, and a judgment for plaintiff would
lave been given, and probably com promised
ome way. as very many Of them are In ss.et -
.ases between the colored people, and the
Ions share In the way of costs given to the
ustlce. These things are not uncommon as
nese colored justices, cOlOred constables and
olored lltigants generally have 1t all to thern-
elves. When white man Is sued his reme-
~, unless he has the cieanest kind of a case.
8 to take an appeal In due time and have his
ase tried over in the parish court.
IN CRIMINAL MATTERS
hings are much worse. This same Justice
ohnson was sentenced here to-day to three
ays' jail, or pay costs famounting to $g71 for
xtortion in office, and has been before the
ourts once or twice before. If he could be
listed or suspended it would be satisfaction
D black and white In his ward, but under ol1r
resent system we must only bear 1t as best
re can.
The store Of Mrs. Bulger here was entered
lst night, her safe-a wooden one. believe
pened and a thousand dollars stolen. A col
red man named Chapman has been arrested
nder suspicion and held in default OF bail.
DIR