St. Landry democrat., 1881-08-27
How 1t Works.
fAlexandri Democrat, July 90.

How 1t Works.
TAlexandri Democrat, July 20.1
The Circuit Court met here on last
Monday. One of the Judges was not
here and Court adjourned until . a. m.
Tuesday. It met then and tired cases
until o'clock. 1t then adjourned until
Ga. Wednesday. 1t met again, tried
cases until 2 o'clock, when it had COM
pleted the docket OF seven cases, and
adjourned until next morning. Thurs
flay morning they read their opinions,
adjourned until six in the evening and
finally adjourned. They go to Colfax
next Monday, where there are we learn,
about four cases on their docket, and
that comprises their duty for the entire
month of July. Now let us see what
the decision of these eleven cases Will
cost the State. They get $4,000 each Or
5000 per annum. This is $6G6,G6 salary
paid them per month. This divided
by the eleven cases they will have tried
this month, gives us $6O,60 as the actual
costs for salaries alone, for each case
tried and decided by them. We sup
pose that this months work is fair
average, $500 is about an average of
the amounts involved, we suppose !;
$4,000, besides the other costs, charge
able directly to the litigants themselves,
and the fees Of the Sheriff, which we
believe is SIS per day, is a very nice
little sum to pay for $500 case. The
Circuit Court system is a very expen-
sive luxury. Let us get rid OF 1t as soon
as we can.
The above, from the Alexandria
Democrat, presents no doubt a fair
sample of the working Of the Circuit
Court system throughout the entire
State. st. Landry has an immense
territorial area, and a population OF
more than forty thousand souls. There
is a great deal OF litigation, and one
would naturally suppose that here, at
least, the Circuit Court would have a
great deal of business to attend to.
Such is not the case however. There
have been three terms Of that Court
here since June, 1879, yet the docket
and minutes show only eighteen cases
all told, or an average of six cases, at
each term. of these only seven or
eight in all, could have been appealed
to the Supreme Court, under the con-
stitution Of 1868. In the other eases
decided by the court, there was less
than an average Of $4O0 at issue in
each case. During this time the Dis
frict Court has been crowded with
business. Ithas rendered great many
decisions, from which twenty ty-five or
thirty appeals have been taken to the
Supreme Court. Hence, while the
District and Supreme Courts are over
worked, the Circuit Courts have almost
nothing to do. From what we can
learn such is the case all over the State.
With our contemporary we say, Cir
cuit Courts are expensive luxuries and
let us get rid Of them as soon as we can.
We hope every paper in the State will
turn it's attention to this matter, and let
the people know what these Circuit
Courts are doing'in all the parishes of
the State. With State obligations at
discount, taxpayers cannot conveniently
support these expensive luxuries "any
longer than it is possible to get rid of
them.
But while in favor of getting rid of
Circuit Courts, we are not in favor Of
another constitutional convention at
present. The last one is a sufficient
dose for ten years, at least. Let us
proceed by amendment; for bad as may
be some Of the features Of the consti-
tuition Of 1879, it would not be wise to
risk having another .ene made under
the,same influences, and probably by
the leading statesmen whose genius
framed the last. We should wait for a
more convenient season, when nature
shall have released themfrom the public
service.
Mr.<C. B. Whitford, one of the most