The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-04-01


President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
A true copy: 80
T. S. Adams, Secretary Of State.
No. 1917. JOINT RESOLUTION.
Proposing amendments TO Articles Z, 81,
100. i'll, ZIG, 125, 126 and 1877, and
ahrogating Articles 12S and l29 OF
the Constitution of the State OF
Louisiana.
Section /. Be it resolved by the General
Assembly of the State of Louisiana, TWO
thirds of oil the members elected 10 each
house concurring, that article seven to OF
the Constitution of the State Of LOUISIANA
be so amended us to read rs follows:
Article Z. In all criminal prosecutions
the accused shall enjoy the right to n
speedy public trial by an impartial jury
of the parish wherein the olense shall
have been committed, except IN cases Oh
change of venue; provided, that III cases
where the penalty is not necessarily I'M
prisonment at hard labor, or death the
General Assembly shall provide for t7ai
thereof before n jury Of six in number or
nv the court at any regular or special
term.
Sec Q. Be it further resolved, etc,
That article 81 of the Constitution of the
State of Louisiana shall be 80 amended
as to read as follows
Article 81 The Supreme Court, except
In cases hereinafter provided, shall nave
appellate jurisdiction only, which Jur!s-
dictiop shall extend to ali cases when the
matter in dispute or the fund to be dis
tributed whatever may be the amount
therein claimed, shall exceed two ihous-
and dollars, exclusive of interest, to suits
for divorce and separation from bed and
board, to suits for the nu!lity 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 tine Constitution Of the state,
and to all cases in which the constitu-
tio7ality or legality of any tax, toll or
impost whatever, or any fine, forfeiture
or penalty imposed BY municipal cor
poration shall be in condensation, or in
which the legality of costs, fees, charges
or allowances shall be in dispute, what
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 ulogG whenever the pun
ishment of death or Imprisonment at hard
labor m&J be inflicted, or fine exceed
ing three hundred dollars is actually ill.,
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 inflict 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 30 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 aid succession mat
tiers, and when q succession is a 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.
AL elections to fill vacancies oecasioned
By death, resignation CT removal, shall
be for the nnexpirea term and the Gov
ernor shall fill the vacancy until nn cleo
ton can be held. The judges Of the dis
trict court shall each receive q salary Of
three thousand dollars per annum, payn-
bic 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 Ill. The District Courts shall
have jurisdiction of appeals from justices
of the peace in all civil matters regardless
of the amount in dispute.
Sec. 5. Be it further resolved. etc.
That Article one hundred and twenty
FIVE of the Constitution of the State OF
Louisiana be 80 amended as to read as
follows:
Article 125, In each parish, the parish
of Orleans excepted, there shall ba u
many justices of the peace az mag bt
provided by law. The present number
of justices of the peace sha" remain al
now fixed until otherwise provided. The!
shall he elected for the term Of foul
years by the qualified voters within IL,
territorial limits of their jurisdiction, ant
their qualifications shall be Fixed by law
They shall have exclusive original juris
diction in ali civil matters when III,
amount in dispute shall not exceed ift!
dollars, exclusive Of interest. and origina
jurisdiction concurrent with the Distric
Court, when the amount In dispute shall
exceed fifty dollars exclusive of interest
and shall not exceed one hundre,
dollars exclusive of interest Ths,
shall have 10 jurisdiction in IN. cession o.
probate matters, Ut when succession is
defendant, or when the State or any par
ish is a party. They shall receive sucl
fees in civil matters rs may be fixed b.
law.
Sec, q. BE II further resolved, etc.
That Article one hundred and twenty-si,
of the Constitution of the State of Louis
lana shall be 30 amended as to rcad al
follows:
Article 12G. They shall have crilnina
jurisdiction us committing magistrates
and shnll have power to bail or discharg.
in cases not capital or necessarily punish
able at hard labor. They shah receiv,
no fees in criminal matters inc,udin:
peace bond eases, hut in lieu thereof sucl