St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-05-28
The New Constitution
rContinued from last week. |

fCOntinued from last week.
The system now established, re-
lative to the DISCREET Courts, has
the additional merits of reducing
the local expenses, which are paid
by the parishes, and making it
easier to convict criminals.
For instance, the salaries OF Dis
trict Judges and District Attorneys
are paid by the entire State; there
are fifty eight parishes. An adj
ditional Judge, at g, 500 per year,
if divided equally among the
parishes, would cost each parish a
little over *43 90 each year. The
saving to each parish by the re-
duction Of the pay of Grand and
Petit Jurors, and cost Of boarding
prisoners, will amount to several
thousand dollars each year. 10
illustrate, there will be four Grand
Jurors less. The average attend
ance Of the Grand Jurors is at least
ten days per year. At 81 50 each
per day, this will amount TO six
dollars per day and sixty dollars
per year, without including the
mileage saved. 1t will be seen
that while the parishes Of St. Tam
many and Washington will pay
their proportion of the State sala-
ries Of the District Judge and Dis
trict Attorney, the saving effected
by dropping off four Grand Jurors
will nearly equal this item, and the
saving effected in reducing the
length of the sessions Of the re-
naming twelve Grand Jurors, as
they will not inquire into INSIDE
| meanors, will amount to much
more. Under the old system most
Of the time Of the Petit Juries was
taken up in trying misdemeanors.
All that time will be saved under
the present system.
Justices Of the Peace.
Under the New Constitution they
must be freeholders and qualified
electors, and the Legislature may
require such other qualifications as
it deems necessary. Their civil
jurisdiction is not changed. The
General Assembly is given the right
to invest them with jurisdiction for
the trial of mlsdemeanors, by a
jury of not less than three nor
more than FIVE, with the right to
appeal in all cases to the District
Court, unless the penalty inflicted
should exceed six months imprison-
ment, when the appeal would be to
the Supreme Court. All civil
cases regardless of amount are ap-
pealable from Justices Courts.
Parties put under a peace bond
may also appeal. The compensa-
ton Of Justices and Constables III
criminal matters is no longer by
way Of fees, but by salaries to be
fixed and graded by the Police
Juries. Their criminal jurisdiction
as committing magistrates remains
unchanged. The General Assem-
bly, may provide in all civil cases
for the service Of process and
pleadings by the litigants them
selves
Revenue and TAXATION.
The Convention being prohibited
from increasing the amount OF tax
alton. made but few changes Ill
the revenue.
A State Board Of Appraisers
composed Of the Auditor and SIX
other members, to be elected for
four years by the Governor, Lieu
tenant Governor, Treasurer, At
torney General and Secretary OF
State, one from each Congressional
District. is to assess the property
employed in railway, telegraph
telephone, sleeping car and express
business.
The General Assembly shall
have the power to provide that
municipalities levying license taxes
equal in amount to those levied by
Police Juries for parochial pur-
poses, shall be exempted from the
payment Of such parochial licenses.
New railroads hereafter con-
[structed and completed prior to
Jan. |, 1894, shall be exempt from
taxation for ten years. This is in
tended to encourage the building
of new railroads. The exemptions
in regard to manufactures are
practically unchanged. The Legls-
lature is authorized to levy an in
heritance, legacy and donation tax
for the benefit Of the public schools.
This clause gave rise to . spirited
fight between the city and country.
The CITY members wished the tax
to be paid into the treasury of the
parish where the successor was
opened, and the country members