The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-02-26
United States Court.
shreveport Times. |

we are locally ana IN a generai
sense much interested in the pros
pect of having an additional United
States court established in Louisi
ana. Our interest locally is in the
fact that we want the new court to
hold sessions in Shreveport, and to
have our city put in the line of pro
motion for securing public buildings
for postofiice and court purposes
Tue general interest we have is that,
such a court is actually necessary
for the dispatch and economy of
public business; the Importance of
the latter interest is generally con-
ceded and has been favoIably and
sufficiently discussed by the press in
North Louisiana. In the press dis
patches of day or two ago we learn
that Senator Jonas bill was reported
from the judiciary committee unfa-
vorably. This action was a great
surprise to US, for we had been very
confident of a favorable report and
a speedy passage of the hill. We
can not account for the unfavorable
report submitted by Senator Conk-
ling unless it grew out of the clause,
in the Jonas bill, which provides for
the transfer of all criminal eases now
pending in Judge Billings Court, in
which the offences were committed
in the territory comprehended in the
new district, to the jurisdiction of
the new court. The lawyers, or some
of them, in the judiciary committee,
we understand, oppose that clause
of jonas bill because they say I'M
der article six of the constitution
such a transfer would operate in law
as a dismissal of all such cases as
are now pending in the old court
This article, in amendment to the
constitution, provides that all &C
cused persons shall be tried "by an
impartial jury of the State and dis
tricJ wherein the crime shall have
been committed, which district shall
have been previously ascertained by
law.' 1t is thought by Judges Davis
and Edmunds, of the Senate com
mittee, that if jonas bill becomes a
law all persons now under indict-
ment for crimes committed in the
territory comprehended in the West
ern District will be released as they
cannot then be tried in either of the
two courts. Ifsuch is the legal effect
of the bill now pending, of course
we cannot expect the President te
sign the bill if it should be passed
over the report of the committee
We do not know if the same clause
is in Judge Elam's bill. If it is h
cannot get it through the Senate
and we hope he will avoid an obiec
ton which seems to be fatal to tn,
attainment Of the new court which
we think public necessity.
| AS far as the political cases nov
pending in New Orleans are concern
ed, we do not believe the passage O
the new court bill will effect then
one way or the other, because W,
have no idea the courts will ever at
tempt renewal of such a farce a
was perpetrated last winter in New
Orleans. These cases of our friend
can not be effected and we want til,
court for the general and local inter
ests we have mentioned.
| Let us have the court with a com
plete outfit fol the despatch an,
economy of our public business.
The duty on white paper ough
to be reduced, of course, but it look
a little inconsistent to us that pro
tectionist organs that growl abou
the duty on paper, particularly har,
upon the country press, have not
word to say against the unduly an,
outrageous heavy imposts of on