378 OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE

and therefore this Convention assumed | records are kept and where the State to do in the Constitution what the can thus better defend itself . legislature had refused to do , and un . We have directed that there shall dertook to remedy this evil , if it be be no confession of judgment on an an evil as represented by a majority obligation , before maturity , and this of the members who voted for it , by was done in order to corerct a great providing in the Constitution for a evil , where a person , as soon as he railroad commission .

gives a note , is required by the cred We have also provided specially for

itor to have inserted in the papers a a class of our citizens , who , whenever

confession of judgment , and in the they come before us , appeal to our

appeal to our case of the smaller country store sympathies . We have provided for trie

keepers , who often forget what they expenditure of $ 50 , 000 a year in the

have signed , the sheriff might seize payment of pensions to our poor Con

their property under that confession federate sol . ers . We have taken care

of judgment , before the obligation he of them to the extent that they de

came due . sired , and this was done in response

And now I come to the last subject to a popular wish .

upon which I shall address you , that

is , the judiciary system of the State . What else have we done ? Up to this

and in connection with that we have time , and it will be so until the peni lease expires , the convicts learned citizens evidently do not be

been accused of extravagance . These confined within the walls of our State

to the legal profession , because they prison are farmed out , as it were ,

haven ' t ventured to criticise the judi treated harshly and often made to suf

cial system . They have contented fer many unnecessary ills . But we de

themselves by merely referring to the termined to change all that , and here .

expense . That ' s all . Now . what are after there will be no leasing out of

the facts ? The cost of the judicial convicts , who , from that time on , will

system under the Constitution of 1879 be under the care of the State itself .

is $ 213 . 600 , while the cost under the We have also established for the first present Constitution , until the year time in this State a board of control | 1904 - five years - is $ 217 , 200 . The cost

er all charitable and correctional in - after the year 1904 will be $ 197 , 200 , a stitutions within our borders , and that saving of 890

saving of $ 20 , 000 on the present cost . we did in the interest of humanity . But what do we get in exchange for Heretofore we have been compelled to that ? Instead of twenty - five districts rely solely upon the repotrs of grand

we have twenty - nine , and we have juries who have investigated these va .

twenty - nine district judges . We have rious institutions , and their reports

wo additional inferior criminal courts and recommendations were scarcely

| in New Orleans , and in the same city ever heeded . But this new board will we have an additional judge for the have authority to make investigations

Court of Appeals . With this increased and report to the Governor , who , in

efficiency and increased number of turn . will submit such report to the

courts , after the year 1904 , when the - legislature for action by that body .

Day . terms of the present judges of the We have adopted an ordinance giv - courts of appeal , whom we could not ing riparian proprietors the right to legislate out of office expire , the cost utilize the eyees in front of the cities of the judicial system in the city of of this state under the supervision of New Orleans will be $ 20 . 000 less than The municipal authorities , for the pur - that provided by the Constitution of nose of developing the commerce either 1879 But it wasn ' t the salaries of the of the city of New Orleans or in any | judges we looked at . What we wanted other State ; a right which has not ex - was to diminish the enormous cost of isted before , and in that connection the adm

connection the administration of justice , unaer we have ratified a municipal ordinance the constitution of 1879 , on the varicus in favor of the Illinois ( entral Rail - parishes of the State

parishes of the State . An illustration

Ant road Company , granting them these of this was given before the judiciary riparian rights , which are necessary committee , showing the great expe ' isis for the purpose of developing the incurred in the country where the fee great trade that that railroad is bring - system was in vogue , the statement ing to this city .

being made that a person who hadi We have also made another provi - stilen a horse , a bridle and a saddle sion , which had no existence before , would be indicted , first for stealing the to the effect that in the city of New horse , then for stealing the saddle and Orleans the owners of property taken then for stealing the bridle : that there for the purpose of strengthening the were feos in three cases insteid of levees shall be compensated therefor . one , so that the cost of administering We have provided that suits against iustice in the country runs

to the State . heretofore authorized by $ 31 . 00 per annum . It was to do away the legislature to be brought in any with this terrible burden that the new parish of the State , shall hereafter be system was devised , and how was it tried at the State capital , where the to be accomplished ? By taking away