The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1886-05-29
RAPPlNG The JURY

RAPPING The ATEGRAND JURY.
Defense Of the Psiise Jury's Appropriate
to AscenAon ACADEMY.
New RIvER. La. May q. 1885.
DEAR CHIEF: S..
It has been some time sinceI knocked at the
door OF your sanctun with my meagre c0ntri-
button, but although silent for the past three
OF four years. I have been an interested reader
OF your valuable paSer and have looked for
ward to its weekly visits with isnpatieaee when
it Jagged in its appearance
| What has become IF yonr numerous corps of
correspondents in this section? / have been
looking in vain to SEP something from the pen
Of some one of yourpld contributors, but they
seem to have abandoned the field. You can
better answer than any one else, what has be-
come Of N. w. Orb, shrimp, New River, P. K.
| n, alias Pro Re Natt. ct al. Their protracted
silence is certainly MT for want of interesting
| subject matter to write of.
| It is far from any desire of mine to play the
role Of critic or fault finder. but cannot help
but mention the recent report of our Grand
| Jury as production that does our parish more
harm than good. Ithere was any one that had
any doubts about the wisdom Of the Governors
| suggestion in recommending the doing away
with Grand Juries,' that portion Of their re-
port relative to the Academy funds was con-
| vincing proof that the system had outlived it's
| usefulness I am at loss to know the motive
that prompted that eensure when Contemplate
that it is universally known that the Academy
| is parish institution and was designated as q
| higher grade school for both sexes, where every
white child in the parish is admitted free. Now
with regard to that pertion of the report that
| says, I" Ne cannot see how the Police Jury can
| appropriate from the parish treasury sum for
to the detriment of the other public schools of
the parish when that school has already rev.
enue Of its own Independent of the allotment it
receives of the State and perish as all the other
schools" the superstition is that the revenue
here referred to means the fund arising from
the sale of government square, and il the au-
gust inquisltion had made thorough research
or the source through which they gained infor-
nation had been reliable they would have dis
to credit of the Academy out of government
square fund was appropriated as building and
repair fund and could not be used for the pur.
pose of paying salaries of teachers. Again, if
they had studied the history of the donation, or
the source from which this fund was derived
they would have found that the Police Juries
for quite number of years have been diverting
the revenues that rightly belonged to to public
schools by using the ground rents of govern
ment and school square as common fund of
the parish, apd this appropriation to the Acad-
envy was only repaying in part the money due
the school fund. Being practical and intelli-
gent business men our Police Jurors believed
in making the Academy useful as we'll as orna-
mental. and the only way to do SO was to appro-
pirate money sufficient to make the institution
practical reality. / consider the greatest Or
nament about the Academy is on the inside of
that building, which embraces the learned
principal and his able corps of assistants, sur
rounded by a battalion of bright, intelligent
and progressing girls and boys. who are enjoy
ing and being lastingly benefited by nine
months schooling during the year (Which bene-
tit lnures to the advantage of the parish at large)
owing to the pubic spirit of our parochial
Legislature. WE naturally conclude that if our
law makers were composed of the same mate.
rial as our late Grand Jury we would go beg
ging for the fund necessary to keep the Acade-
my open.
admit that our Police Jury are liable to be
arraigned for their stewardship, but more for
acts of omission than commission. If our late
Grand Jury had upbraided them for falling to
provide this parish with commodious and
respectable Courthouse and converting the
present makeshift intoa Jail, thereby affording
more room for prison cells. Ia want mentioned
in their report) then I would say amen to the
reprimand, and these suggestions would have
been readily seconded by every thinking and
progressive tax payer and citizen. Even if they
had hauled the Jury up for failure to provide u
passable road for us aud called attention to IT. a
terrible condition of New River Lane, partic-
ularly during the fall and winter season, and
the absolute claims that demand some action
relative to Keeping that thoroughfare in at
least passable condition, this suggestion
would have met with general favor. Again, I
think that If the Jury had called the attention
OF the people to the vices of drinking and gam
bling and carrying pistols in a semi-concealed
manner on the highways on the holy Sabbath
day. greatly to the detrlsAent and annoyance of
better disposed citizens. even this would have
echoed the sentiments of quite host of the
people Of the parish. The embodiment of the
above recommendations of reformatory meas
nres would have been fayoratly received and
commented on, and it would have furnished a
counter proof of the representations OF his ex-
cellency. when he says. In several localities in
the State, the Grand Jnries seem to understand
lnstlnctlyely that they are only ceremonious
parts of the court and they pass beyond the
legitimate duties that they were empanelled to
perform and find ample time to display super
fetal learning expressed in ineleg.ut language
and IL no way commensurate as literary produc-
the reading portion Of our people TO say; but it
is to be hoped and expected that, if the wisdom
Of the present session Of the General Assembly
does not decide to do away with Grand Juries,
the next body empanelled will make some
amends by recommending changes and finding
errors Of management in our parochial affairs
more III keeping with the thoughts interests
and desires of the people.
NOUS VERRONS.
nyTEElyIyTS IL NJ II N1gH,,