The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-02-12
No TOT JO1NT RESOLUTION.


A true copy:
II. S. Adams, Secretary of State.
No. 1877. JOINT RESOLUTION.
Proposing amendments to Articles Z, 81
100, III, 116, 125, 1S and 127. ant
abrogatins Articles 12S and 129 o.
the Constitution of the State o.
Louisiana.
Section l. BE it resolved by the Genera
Assembly of the State of Louisiana, two
thirds Of all the members elected to eacl
house concurring, that article seven ~ Of
the Constitution of the State of 1touisiana
be so amended as to read as follows:
Article T. In all criminal prosecutions
the accused shall enjoy the right to 4
speedy public trial by an impartial jury
of the parish wherein the offense shall
have been committed, except in cases OF
change of venue; provided, that in cases
where the penalty is not necessarily i'm
prisonment at hard labor, or death the
General Assembly shall provide for tra
thereof before a jury of six in number OF
hy the court at any regular or special
term.
socc. Z. De IL itftutf ftooffeby Ctt.
That article 81 of the Constitution of the
State of Louisiana shall be so amended
us to read as follows:
Article 81 The Supreme Court, except
In cases hereinafter provided, shall have
appellate jurisdiction only, which juris-
tliction shall extend to all cases when the
matter in dispute or the fund to be dis.
tributed, whatever may be the amount
therein claimed, shall exceed two thous-
and dollars, exclusive of interest, to suits
for divorce and separation from bed and
board, to suits for the nullity of marriage,
to suits involving the rights of home
steads, to suits for, Introduction, and to
all cases arising under the Constitution,
Treatise and Laws of the United States,
or under the Constitution of the State,
and to all cases in which the constitu-
tio1ality or legality of any tax, toll or
impost whatever, or any fine. forfeiture
penalty imposed by a municipal cor
poration shall be in condensation, or in
which the legality Of costs, fees, charges
or allowances shall be in dispute, what
soeYer may be the amount thereof: and
in such cases the appeal on the law and
the facts shall be directly from the court
in which the case originated to the SD
preme Court; and to criminal cases on
questions of law alone whenever the pun
ishment of death or imprisonment at hard
labor may be inflicted, or fine exceed
ing three hundred dollars is actually I'M
posed. The Supreme Court shall have
original exclusive Jurisdiction in all mat
tiers touching professional misconduct of
members of the bar, with power to disbar,
and infct such other punishment as may
be provided by law. The General As
sembly shall enact laws to enforce the
foregoing provisions.
Sec. 3. Be it further resolved, ETC..
That article one hundred and nine of
the Constitution of the State of Louisiana
be so amended as to read as follows:
Article 100. The District Courts shall
have original jurisdiction in all matters
civil, probate and criminal not vested in
the Supreme Court or exclusively in some
other court by the Constitution and laws
made in pursuance thereof. They shall
have unlimited original jurisdiction in all
criminal, probate and succession mat
tiers, and when succession is q party
defendant. The district judges shall be
elected by plurality of the qualified vot-
ers of their respective districts, in which
they shall have been actual residents for
two years next proceeding their election.
They shall be learned in the law, and
shall have practiced law in the State for
five years previous to their election. They
shall be elected for the term of four years.
All elections to fill vacancies occasioned
hu Loot =, Il "
be for the uneXpired term, and the Gov
ernor shall ill the vacancy until an cleo
ton can be held. The judges of the dis
trict court shall each receive q salary Of
three thousand dollars per annum, paya-
BILE monthly on their respective warrants
Sec. t. BE it further resolved, ETC.,
That article one hundred and eleven of
the Constitution of the State of Louisiana
be SO amended as to read as follows:
Article III. The District Courts shall
have jurisdiction of appeals from justices
of the peace in all civil matters regardless
of the amount in dispute.
Sec, .. Be it further resolved, ETC..
That Article one hundred and twenty
FIVE of the Constitution of the State of
Louisiana be so amended as to read as
follows:
Article 125. In each parish, the parish
of Orleans excepted, there shall be as
many justices of the peace as may be
provided by law. The present number
OF justices of the peace shall remain as
now fixed until otherwise provided. They
shall be elected for the term of four
years by the qualified voters within the
territorial limits of their jurisdiction, and
their qualifications shall be fixed by law
They shall have exclusive original juris-
diction in all civil matters when the
amount in dispute shall not exceed fifty
dollars, exclusive of interest, and original
jurisdiction concurrent with the District
Court, when the amount in dispute shall
exceed fifty dollars exclusive of interest
and shall not exceed one hundred
dollars exclusive of interest They
shall have 10 Jurisdiction in succession or
probate matters, or when a succession is
defendant, or when the State or any par
ish is party. They shall receive such
fees in civil matters as may be fixed by
law.
if-~further resolved, etc.
That Article one hundred and twenty-six
of the Constitution of the State of Louis
lana shall be SO amended as TO read as
follows
Article 126. They shall have criminal
jurisdiction rs committing magistrates.
and shall have power to bail or discharge
in cases not capital or necessarily punish
able at hard labor. They shall receive
no fees in criminal matters including
peace bond cases, but in lieu thereof such
salary as may be fixed annually by the
Police jury to be paid by the parish.
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