The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-27

court in which the applicant was convicted
In the offices Of Auditor, Secretary Of State
and Treasurer no serious changes are
made, save In emoluments. The Au
d1tor Is salaried at twenty-five hundred
and the Treasurer at two Thousand dollars
All fees are prohibited, and the expenses Of
their offices are limited, for the Auditor at
five thousand dollars the Treasurer ut two
Thousand, and the Secretary of State at one
| thousand dollars. In our opinion, 1t will be
found that the sums are inadequate for cler.
ical force and other expenses. These offices
embrace the Executive Department.
The judicial Department..
| The Attorney General, who has heretofore
been regarded ms attached to the Executive De.
partment, has beer by this constitution trans
ferred to the Judicial Department. He, with
the executive officers before named, ID to be
elected by the people. His salary Is fixed at
three thousand dollars. and he must be
| learned in the law, and have resided five
years in the State preceding his election.
| It is III this department that the most radical
and extensive changes have been made. Here
tofore, ever since the organization of the State
government, the judicial power has been
vested In q supreme, in district and parish
| courts, and In justices Of the peace.
This power Is now distributed in Supreme
Court. Court Of Appeals, in district courts
and In justices Of the peace In New Orleans
the latter cannot exist under this constitu-
ton, two city courts of jurisdiction CORE
spending to that OF justices OF the peace SUI
persedfng them.
The Supreme Court has only appellate
Jurisdiction In suits involving one Thousand
dollars and with this limitation its jurisdic-
tion is not greatly changed from that which
1t possessed under the old system. It will
consist Of one chief and four associate JUS
tices, with salaries OF five thousand dollars.
They are to be appointed by the Governor,
the chief Justice for twelve years, one aseo-
ciate for ten years. one for eight, one for six
and one for four years; the Governor to des-
ignate the terms In their several commits
sions. They must be citizens, over thirty
five years, learned In the law, and OF ten
years practice. There are to be four SUI
preme Court districts, from each of which
one associate justice must be appointed.
Sessions Of the court are to be regulated by the
Legislature; until then they are to be held as
at present.
The other provisions as to this court are
In the main similar to those now existing.
There Is q provision not contained In the
preceding constitution, which secures to par
ties the right of appealing only on questions
OF law, when the parties desire such appeal.
Next to the Supreme Court we are to have
an entirely new tribunal In the State. This
Is Court OF Appeals, with appellate iurisdc-
ton only from the district courts In cases
where the matter in dispute shall exceed two
hundred and fifty dollars and not over one
Thousand dollars.
These courts are to consist OF two judges
each, to be elected by the General Assembly,
to be assigned to five circuits. The Judges ere
required to be learned in the law, of six years
practice and two years residence In the cir
cult for which they are appointed They arc
to hold two terms per annum In each parish
comprising their circuit. There must be
concurrence OF the two judges to make q final
Judgment. In case Of division the Judgment
OF the court below stands.
These judges are to receive four thousand
dollars salary.
There are to be not less than twenty nor
more than thirty district COURTS Their judges
in the country are to be elected by plural
ity of the voters of their district. Their sala-
ries are fixed at three thousand dollars Their
original Jurisdiction is extended to all cases
over fifty dollars, and appellate jurisdiction
from justices in cases Of ten dollars.
Sheriffs and coroners are elected by the
qualified voters Of the parishes. They are
to receive stated salaries, and the coroners
are required to be licensed physicians.
These, with district attorneys for each dis
trict elected by the qualified voters Of the
district justices of the peace elected by
the voters Of the parishes, and the consta-
bles with q somewhat reduced but similar
jurisdiction to those at present exercised,
make up the judicial department provided
for the State excepting the city of New Or
leans, for which q different system has been
provided, which will be elsewhere described.
This completes the organization OF the three
departments Of our State government pro.
vided by the new constitution.
This is the machinery with which are to be
put in operation the many wholesome changes
and beneficial reforms which have been SO
carefully and wisely provided in the general
provisions and limitations OF this instru-
ment, and the discussion OF which we must
reserve for another article.