The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-30

ngDOaT 10 CUHIbE. Ill CItmfHttl NefBH iA5 JUL lf-
diction shall extend to such minor offenses az
the Legislature may designate Ill this court
The process shall be by Information, and the
penalties IL may denounce are 10 DO pre-
scribed In d system Of summary punishmentH,
by which convicted criminals shall be sem
fenced to servitude 10 the parish upon which
falls the expense Of the trial and sustenanee
of The prisoner.
This we regard as most admirable ar
rangement. IL possesses Two conspicuous
merits; first, its eeonomyr and second. the
greatar certainty and promptness with which
punishment shnii follow tho criminal net.
These are both very grave considerations.
The expenses of criminal prosecutions have
heretofore, been enormous, altogether dis
prupurtioned to the nctual wrong and loss In
ilIcted upon tho community by the criminal
acts that are sought TO DO punished. These
expenses all fall On the parish. and II ~ but
right that It should. as far as possible. be on
abled 10 recompense itself out Of the fines ltl-
poned on convicted criminals, on, III default uf
payment, out OF their labor.
Auain. experience demonstrates the fact
That the prevention Of crime, which should DO
the sole purpose Of penal legislation, depends
more upon the certainty and promptness Of
punishment than upon It's severity. We have
d very peculiar population In this State, the
negroes. who supply the body Of minor oifend-
ers III the country, and u - Lof the utmost
Importance that they should be made to see
the immediate relation between cause and
effect In the summary punishment Of their
offendingH. Taking this view Of tho question
| we believe that many oifenses which are now
punishable by imprisonment at hard labor In
Tho State peniteDtiary can be be brought
within the Jurisdiction OF these courts and
submitted to summary punishment Within
the parish.
| This system OF punishment can be mos
effectively utilized by the parishes for the i'm
provement Of tho public highways. The pres
ont road laws are nothing more than deat
letters on the statute books. The best proc
| Of this is that II has never been found practi
cable 10 enforce them, and the consequence
Ia, TINT there Is not n parish In the State II
which tho most used highways are not I'm
paasable for months during the busiest peri
DDS of the year. The parish tribunal pro
vided for In Judge Lands plan, by reason 9
its police jury powers, would be enabled t
use this labor to the very best advantage.
The presiding Justice Of this tribunal wi
be the parish Judge. who must be q lawyer
In addition TO the duties incident to bis pos
ton as presiding justice and president Of tn
police jury, he shall have exclusive jurlsdit
! tion In all probate matters.
| Judge Land Ia enphatieally opposed I
merging the probate jurisdiction with the o.
binary jurisdiction OF the higher civil court
Of original jurisdiction. He thinks that thea
Jurisdictions should be kept separate for I'll
protection Of successions and In order to Of
, tain settlements of them with come degree {
4 promptltude and mt the least possible COS
! This IL d question upon which we prefer
4 reserve our opinion: but we are already pr,
, pared to heartily indorse the main features
] the plan, 10 far az 1t goes to getting rid of I'll
). Justices courts and the Investment of Il
y parish courts with jurisdiction In tho largel
! possible number of criminal cases.
@ In the city the difficulty will be easier
: solution Tho establishment OF two eli
courts with the jurisdiction now confided
i. the Justices courts will be oil that ID nece
/ unrv