The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-07-15
TIE PARISH MOME Y.


Che 9Th inst. there appeared an edi-
eorial bitterly complaining of the
refusal of the Police Jury to accept
the offer of the Peoples State Bank
TO- take the parish funds on deposit
and to pay therefore two per cent.
interest on daily balances.
The editor seems quite surprised
that the proposition was "rcgarded
by some of our people entirely new
and possibly inimical to the parish. :"
He seems little irritatcd. He
attempts to create the impression
that the Police Jury, in its desire to
subserve some individual benefit,
lost sigh: of the interest of the pub
lie in the matter-the amount re-
suleing from the per cent.
The statement is made "that the
custom of banks being made the
repositories of public funds, and
paying interest upon them prevails
throughout the length and breath of
this land"
In his endeaver to substantiate
his position that that custom pre-
walls he refers to Article IFS of the
Revised Civil Code. But from his
sions are, he forgets that this is
special statute. referring to special
funds held by administrators, cura-
tors, etc. They are not b~bLic. /~H0s.
He also refers to the law creating
a fiscal agent for the SAFE. This
also does not apply. 1t refers to
the State funds, and not to parish
funds.
1t is well known that parishes are
political corporations with powers
limited to those expressly delegated
to them by the legislature.
We venture the assertion that he
will look in vain for any law Great
ing or authorizing the creation of fis-
cal agents for parishes.or towns in
this State.
Police Juries, as stated above, have
limited powers.
They are especially restricted in
matters concerning the levy of taxes,
and the Reimbursement of public
!. funds. The law very zealously
guards the interest of the people in
t'sese respects. world, indeed,
be poor government, which boasts
of being government ''by the peo-
pie and for the people" if the~pub-
lie funds, taken from the toll of
the citizen, could be raised without
limit, and not protected and kept
sacred.
The law which gives the powers
to Police Juries is very plain. Sec.
z743 of the Revised Statutes defin-
ing the powers of the Police Juries,
provides:
Tenth-To appoint a treasurer for the
parish
Certainly, NO one will deny that
from the nature of that proposition,
the Police Jury naturally came to the
conclusion, that if the funds had
been deposited the bank was to use
it in its business that the PROPOSE
ton of the bank to pay per cent.
interest On thC dCpoSit, was AAct
made for glory; that the object was
to use in loans on satisfactory, in
dorsements or on mortgages at
higher rate of interest, and that it
was business proposition, carry
ing with Is the privilege of specula-
ting upon, and using, the public
funds in its manifold money tran
actions as practiced in the business
of State banks.
The power to inauguratc system
of speculation with public funds is
not expressly delegated in the pro-
vision of law contained in section
S743, above referred to.
Public office is public trust and
public funds levied for specified
purposes, and wrested from the
citizen to- defray the expenses of
government, should not and cannot
be diverted from its legitimate uses
for private gain, or to jingle in the
Golfers of institutions established for
speculation.
As matter of power or right to