The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-02-05
The Circuit Court System.
Baton Rouge Advocate.

! We see in our exchanges some ex.
press1ons OF complaint against that
portion OF the new constitution which
provides an Intermediary Appellate
Court. The main ground OF criticism
seems to res! on the expense attend.
ant on the new system and the small
amount OF business which, in some
OF the parishes, comes before that
court. The whole expense In the
country parishes amounts to forty
thousand dollars. Forty thousand
dollars per annum Is q goodly sum
10 fact that expenditure would bank
rupt the Advocate In month or So
but We are now considering this
amount In relation to the provision
by the great State OF Louisiana Of
the machinery Of justice for Its citi-
zens, and the single question before
Us Is whether that expenditure IL &C.
companied by compromising advant-
ages.
In the FIRST place 1t affords a cheap
appeal to that class of cases where
the question Of cheapness ts most
considered, that is to say, where the
amount involved Is under one thou
sand dollars. We have seen SUBJ
stantial rights sacrificed because
the parties litigant were not able to
have the record made out, pay for
fling In the Supreme Court. and hire
lawyer to go to New Orleana-to
represent the case there. Under the
new system the case is tried on the
original papers 10 the local court
house. The poor man can afford to
seek q revision of his case a. we'll as
the rich man, and at little cost. The
first duty OF the State is to afford JUS
ttce to Its citizens and a. cheap as
possible. No expedient could be de-
vised that satisfies this demand bet
ter than the present system.
Again, 1t gives an expeditions
means Of revision: The guarantees
Of private credit rest not only on ul-
innate security but on tho speedy ad-
justment OF rights. This court meets
In each parish twice q year, and eve
~ cause IL rapidly disposed Of. Fic-
tftious appeals for delay do not en-
cumber the docket and consume the
time Of tho courts. The creation Of
this court 10 an assurance to capital
that 1t can safely trust to the process.
eee OF our courts. Forty thousand
dollars year 10 but q bagatelle II 1t
affords o means Of creating conf
dence by inducing capitalists at homo
and abroad to put their means into
enterprises In Louisiana. Usury Is
eating up the substance OF the land
for the reason that capital Is distrust-
ful because the risk has been 90 great
under the slow forms OF procedure
hitherto prevailing. Millions Of IN
employed capital now boarded will
pour Into Louisiana as soon as the
fact becomes known that under the
new judicial organization debtors
cannot postpone the just claims upon
them.
It must be further considered that
the Supreme Court has been 80 over.
burdened with business that another
court was absolutely indispensable.
It Is OF the first moment that the
highest appellate court In the land
should have time for the mature con-
sideration Of causes. The most pre-.
cious rights OF the citizen are involv-
ed In it8 deliberations. The unifor-
nifty OF our jurisprudence Is depend
ent on it's wise circumspection. By
narrowing the limits Of its jurisdic.
ton it Is required to take oognizance
Of the more important cases and 1t
can now do its work more carefully
and therefore better.
In conclusion it must be remember.
ed that tho judicial organization just
created 10 expected to last tor many
years. Provision must be made tor
the expanding commerce and multi
piled transactions fthe future which
we all expect to be prosperous. In
that prosperous future causes vii!
multiply and the great majority Of
causes will involve less than one
thousand dollars. The Circuit Court
will then have plenty to do In eli the
parishes and the wisdom and proprie-
~ OF it's creation will be generally
conceded.