St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-02-19
CONVENTION NOTES.

A plan that will perhaps attract
more attention and receive more
than any article SO
far submitted was offered by Hon.
I. J. Herman. This plan has been
very carefully prepared and the
main provisions have been given
serious consideration by some OF
the most thoughtful men in the
Convention.
The leading provisions of Mr..
Kernan's proposed ordinance are,
that every voter shall be able to
read or write the English or French
language, and the test Of his ability
to do so is a requirement that he
shall write out his application for
registration certificate. AS an al
tentative prerequisite, the voter
must possess property valued
at $500. The registration of 1897
is to form a permanent registration
roll, and those who registered dur
ing that year are to be permitted
to vote at all elections irrespective
ne tho qualifications named in the
ordinance.
Judge Jas. NJ. Thompson, dele
gate at large from St. Tammany
Parish, has given notice that he
| will introduce the following ordi-
nances:
An ordinance for the trial of
misdemeanors without a jury. The
bill provides: No misdemeanors
shall be tried by jury in the dis
trict court. The Legislature may
provide for trial of misdemeanors
before Justice of the peace, with a
Jury OF five from the vicinity.
Also an ordinance to provide for
a majority verdict in trials OF felo-
MES. This bill provides that here
after it shall not be necessary in
trial of felonies, not capital, for
the jury to render a unanimous
verdict. Nine of the twelve shall
be sufficient to render verdict OF
guilty or not guilty.
i Also an ordinance for commit
tee to frame code of criminal pro-
cedure. This will provide that a
committee of three members shall
be appointed who shall proceed to
draft code of criminal procedure,
said code to be presented at the
> first session of the Legislature after
its completion. Provisions to bt
! made in this ordinance to do away
with the reading of the report il
. detail in order to save trouble ant
DELAY, which defeated the Living
stone code.
Also an ordinance creating
E Criminal Court of Appeals.
Also an ordinance providing TO
, the maintenance of public roads
Judge Thompson, of st. Tam
many, also offered the following
= Resolved, That the clerks of tn
State be requested to forward I
this convention statement of tn
number and nature of the civil an
Z criminal cases now pending in tn
i District and Criminal Courts 70
: their respective parishes, statinI
8 the nature of the crime charged i
each criminal case; that copy Q
this resolution be forwarded by tn
l. secretary to each clerk of tn
parishes. Carried.
= Mondays session of the CONVEX
y ton was devoted mainly to the dis
e cussion of educational matters.
a A resolution was adopted e,
/. tending an invitation to Hon. WIN
]. Bryan, of Nebraska, to addres
the Convention ON the Science z
Government, and a committee (
nine members was appointed ft
that purpose.
DR.. Bruins offered the followin
ordinance:
s.The General Assembly sha
enact laws creating and DENIM
: the duties and powers of a Sta
Board of HEALTH composed
. representative physicians from eae
4 congressional district; Of boards I
II health for towns and cities incorp
J. rated under the laws of the Stat
and of a health officer in cat
parish of the State"
g Ordinances have also been Offe
= ed, OF local interest, as follows:
u To increase the pay Of legislato
= to IS 90 day.
. For the election of tax collector
,, to serve four years, and not elis
~ BILE for reelection.
:. To require Grand Juries to e
: anime witnesses both for and again
Al defendants. before bringing in i
% dictments.
IS To establish q criminal court
IL each parish.
g To exempt actual homeisea
{ from seizure and sale, except I
taxes.
To establish railroad commi
Il sion.
To divide tue State into 70,
districts, and maintain tine publ
- roads by taxation.
-