St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-08-19

members VI Tile COuuissee "Ae
Judge Thompson, of st. Tammany;
Judge Noise, OF New Orleans, and
Mr.. Wilkinson, Of Red River, all
three OF whom are admirably
equipped for the work, and 'ne
major portion OF their labors is
now completed. The code, which
will comprise q summary OF AL
existing criminal laws AMI The pro.
cedure to be followed III crimins'
cases will be printed in November
and It will reach the hands OF tue
Legislature in May, to be consul
cred by both houses IS an ordinary
bill. 1t was provided in the con-
sti.ution that in the event OF the
completion Of the work Twelve
months before the session OF tue
Legislature, it should be submitted
for ratification before presentatloh
TO the Legislature to q committee
composed Of members from eacn
house aud the Attorney General,
but it was also provided that should
The work not be finished within .
year preceding the opening OF the
Legislature it might be presented
to the Assembly in the form OF DILL
Mr.. Wilkinson said the commis'
sion has worked indefatigably since
is appointment in preparing the
work. Judge Noise first drew an
outline of tile plan and then eacn
member Of the commission was as
signed q certain portion OF It 70
prepare. The work involved =
study OF every existing terminal
statute and painstaking review OF
criminal Legislation during the ex-
istence of the State. Heretofore
the state has had no code, and the
statutes were in such shape as to
give endless annoyance and con-
fusion to lawyers engaged III crlml-
nal practice. Livingston prepared
an admirable code In 1905 that was
subsequently adopted, practically 10
its entirety, by New York State.
hut Louisiana refused unfortunately
to accept it. From this code the
codes Of Georgia, Kentucky, and
other States. and the criminal pro-
cedure of California, similar in form
to ours, the commission involved IN
the general skeleton of their work,
and Mr.. Wilkinson believes that
the legal fraternity will find in the
code as finally presented = vol
ume OF iaestlmable value The cooe
will be divided into sections instead
of articles and will cover some 4Ot
pages.
In preparing its work the com
mission was inspired by . purpose
| to simplify the laws aud the proce
dure in the interest," of speedy jus
! tice, while reserving to the accused
all the rights guaranteed to him un
| der the constitution. Many Of thu
existing statutes were drasn b.
persons other than lawyers ant
necessarily are crude, prolix ant
sion has pruned to the limit aud tn,
code promises to be . model OF con
densatioa. II it shall be adopted
indictments of the future will los,
much OF their verbosity. Joht
Smith will no longer be accused o.
having killed, murdered with felon'
Gus intent John Brown. He will b.
indicted simply for murder. A
page or two Of foolscap will M
longer be required to present Ton
Smith for perjury. Half . dozer
lines OF clean-cut English will an
swer the purpose. The procedur,
has silnplified with view to th'
more speedy determination of ap
peals and the avoidance Of finespul
technicalities designed only to i'm
pede tue progress Of justice. Som'
new laws are written into the code
Willful mutilation of = bill or othel
document Of the Legislature, TO-
instance is rot now covered by thu
existing statute. II will be under
the new code. 1t Is not today Z
crime to tap gas or water mail
and steal somebody else's gas OF
water. 1t will be made SO under
the new code. There is no punish
ment for the malicious creation Of
. panic in theater or other public
place of amusement. Proper pun
ishment will be provided under the
new code. Those are come sam.
Piles OF the new and necessary laws
which the commission has embraced
in its work and which it expects the
Legislature to approve.
/ When the code has been adopted
| it will take the place Of all existing
criminal laws. Mr.. Wilkinson says
that Mars index has been of valu.
able assistance in its preparation,
aud that tue commission believes
that it has found in its researches
every criminal statute now ID exis.
tence. II here and there one shall
be found to have been omitted il
may be Incorporated when the
code is considered by the Legisla.
ture. Under the operation Of the
new code Mr.. Wilkinson believes
that criminal practice in Louisian,
will be very materially simplified
an6 advantaged. DAILY States.
i IL response to an inquiry sent out
by the New York Journal through
it's correspondents to Democratic
leaders in all parts of the country
it is shown to be practically certain
that thirty States will send solid
Bryan delegates 10 tile next nation a
convention.
| Seven States, according to. these
renOrts are in dOnht hns afrOnUl,