The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-08-19
POLICE JURY sOUABBLE.
pa,..hial LawmakersaC Confronted by
Chaotic Sitl ton.

trict court in the name Oh y. H. Ian
drv. ST.. Jasmin Tobias, Joseph fal.z
CON and Leon Newman, police juror
from the fourth, third second aneV
sixth wards of Ascension, respective.
TX AGAINST the other four members OF
the Jury and Joseph Gonzales ana y.
p. Dixon, recently appointed by the
governor under Act 1870 of 1910 as
additional jurors for wards seven ana
eight, respectively, enJolning, re-
straining and prohibiting them from
acting as members Of the police jury
on the ground that Act 100 OF 1915
is null and void. Judge W. E. Howell
of the twentieth judicial dlstrlcs
Granted the order in the absence oI
Jndoe Wortham from the district.
The act Of the legislature is attack
ed on the ground that it violates thg
fourteenth amendment OF the 1eaefa :
constitution and the bill of rights OF
the state constitution, as well as ar
t;cles 81. 48 and 40 of the state con-
stitution of 1913. The petition sets
out that there is general statute prV
viding for the election of ponce 5 ~
rors. being any act passed in loaS
which provides that when ward has
over 5000 inhabitants it shall be en-
titled to an additional police juror ;
that according to the 1910 census
neither ward seven nor ward elghe
has 5000 inhabitants; that Act l9o OF
1915 is an attempt by the Legislature,
TO repeal a general law by speciai
law. which cannot be done under ar
ticle 40 of the state constitution
that according to the 1910 census
ward seven has 4181 inhabitants anu
ward eight has 1853 inhabitants; thae
there can BE- no partial apport'on-
ment of a Iarish, and that the az
bitrary act of the legislature IN az
temnting to invest qwo of the wards
with double voting strength on the po-
lice Jury without any basis to support
it is discriminatory and illegal, ana
in violation of both the federal ana
state constitutions.
The petition covers fifteen pages
and is signed by Edmund Maurin, B.
J. Vega, r. J. Chauvin and Pugh
& Lemann as attorneys.
Copies of the injunction were serv-
ed on the police jurors named as de-
PENDANTS when the jury assembled at
its office at o'clock yesterday fol
the purpose of organizing. An adj
journment until 2:30 p. m. was
agreed to ia order to give Caleb G.
Weber, counsel for the defendant Ju,
rors, time TO look up the legal ques'
tion involved, so that he could proper.
ly advise his clients III the premises
When the jury reconvened further
adjournment of tWenty-four hours
was requested by Mr.. Weber. This
was opposed by the plaintiff jurors
and spicy verbal tilt ensued be
tween Messrs. Weber, E. N. Pugt
and Juror L. w. Armitage. A mo
ton to grant the delay was offered
the other side at once counterlns
| with substitute motion to proceed
to the transaction of business. VI
| roll-call the latter motion failed o
passage, the vote standing four t.
| four, whereupon the original motion
was put and carried.
District Attorney Philip Gilber
/ then instructed all of the jurors, will
the exception Of the newly appointed
members, Messrs. Gonzales and Dix
on, to report at the courthouse at 1.
O'Clock noon today, and warned then
] that if they failed to be present h
would proceed against them unde
the law imposing fine for failure tt
attend meetings of the jury.
When Secretary Weber called tn
jury to order shortly after noon to
day all Of the members were in at
tendance, including Messrs. Gonzale
and Dixon. Upon the completion o
the roll-call, Mr.. Dixon nominate
Mr.. Gonzales for president of tn
jury. Mr.. Newman questioned tn
right of Messrs. Gonzales and Dixo
to sit with the jury, whereupon Nh
Weber stated that the injunctio
granted by Judge Howell had bee
bonded by an order issued by Judg
Calvin K. Schwing of the twenty-firs
judicial district. After a discussio
Of the situation by the district al
torney and Mr.. Pugh, Jurors New
man, Tobias, Falcon and Landry with
drew from the meeting.
| LIE StSCtIOIl VI ColtCilG DCIli
again declared in order, MIR. Gonzase
was elected to the Office by the vot
of five of the six members presen
Mr.. Keuss voting blank. When tn
district attorney called attention
the fact that it would be necessar
, for Mr., Reuss to vote in order to con
plete quorum, the first ward men
Der cast his ballot for Juror Armi
Der cast his ballot for Juror Arm
tage for president. Mr.. Armitae
was later elected president pro ten
J. C. Klos was nominated and dl
ly elected secretary of the jury an
parish treasurer, his term Of Office
begin Nov. 5, 1916, at the expir;
ton Of the term ofethe present Sc
rotary.
Mr.. ReussN nominated DR.. j.
Bringier, of Burnside, for paris
health officer. Mr.. Dixon placed b
fore the meeting the name Of DR..
LeSeuer, of Gonzales, but subsequent
!, ly Withdrew the nomination. Lette
from DIR. Oscar Bowling and DIR. ST
ney Porter were read, referring
the qualifications of DIR. G. S. S
Amant for the post of health Office
On roll-call all of the jurors presel
! voted for DR.. Bringier and he W;
declared elected.
. The Donaldsonville Chief W;
, unanimously elected official journ
10 the parish. A
5 resolution Was adopted favoril
:, tn...dditional y mill appropriation
1.-THE school board.
The Jury then adjourned to sit