1868-278.

Legalization of

gious marriages

approved November fifth, one thousand eight hundred and sixtyeight, be and the same are hereby repealed.

3. [SEC. 2174.] All private or religious marriages contracted in this State, at any time previous to the passage of this act, shall be private or reli- deemed valid and binding, and as having the same force and effect, as if said marriages had been contracted with all the formalities and forms prescribed by the laws then existing; provided, that, at any time within two years from the date of this act, the parties having contracted such private or religious marriages shall by an authentic act before a duly commissioned Notary Public, if they reside in the State, or before a competent officer, if they reside in another State, or before a United States Ambassador, Charge d'Affaires, or Consul or Vice Consul, if they reside in a foreign country, make a declaration of their marriage, the date on which it was contracted, the names, sex and ages of the children born of said marriages, acknowledging said children as their legitimate offspring, and, in accepting the benefit of this act, bind and obligate themselves to perform all the duties and to assume all the obligations, imposed by existing laws in relation to civil marriages, and to abide by the same; and provided, that no marriage shall be ratified, nor the issue of such marriage legitimatized by, or according to, the provisions of this act, when there existed at the date of such private or religious marriage, or at any time since, any other legal impediment to the marriage of the parties to the private or religious marriage than that of race or color.

Marriages thus

legalized to

have full force

and effect.

4. [SEC. 2175.] All marriages, duly legalized as aforesaid, shall have, from the date on which they were privately or religiously contracted, full force and effect, as if they had been contracted with all the formalities and forms required by the then existing laws, and the children, born of said marriages and acknowledged, as aforesaid, shall have and enjoy all the rights and privileges granted by existing laws to legitimate children.

5. [SEC. 2176.] All marriages legalized, as aforesaid, shall be Benefits of the deemed contracted under the law of community of acquets and

law of acquets and gains.

No distinction

gains, unless other stipulations authorized by existing laws, are agreed between the parties and embodied in the authentic act legalizing their marriages; provided, that any other stipulation, than that of community of acquets and gains, shall only have effect from and after the date of the authentic act making the marriage legal and valid in law, as provided in the two thousand one hundred and seventy-fourth section of this act.

6. [SEC. 2177.] The said right of making private or religious of race or color. marriages legal, valid and binding, as aforesaid, shall apply to

marriages of all persons of whatever race or color, as well as to marriages formerly prohibited by article ninety-nine of the Civil Code of Louisiana, or by any other article of said Code, or by any law of the State.

7. [SEC. 2178.] Any parties, who at any time previous to the passage of this act, have lived together as man and wife, and who desire to contract a legal marriage, shall be entitled to the benefit of the provisions of this law, and the issue of such cohabitation shall be hereby legitimatized, upon the parties complying with the foregoing requirements, subject, however, to the exceptions contained in section two thousand one hundred and seventy-four.

Parties heretotogether as man

fore living

and wife.

1855-459. State Library established.

1. [SEC. 2179.] There shall be established a Public Library of the State of Louisiana, which shall be placed in the State House. 2. [SEC. 2180.] It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State, annually, to appoint a competent person as Librarian, who shall State Librarian, receive, in full, compensation for his services, on his own warrant, appointed. the sum of twelve hundred dollars per annum, payable quarterly.

by whom

Erarian and to

3. [SEC. 2181.] Before entering upon the duties of his office, the Bond of the LiLibrarian shall give bond to the State of Louisiana, in the sum of whom given.

Certain inven

tory to be made

of the Secretary of State and Treasurer.

five thousand dollars, with sufficient security to the satisfaction of the Governor, and conditioned, as the law directs, for the faithful performance of his duties, and the proper care and custody of the books and papers delivered to him. The bond shall be deposited in the office of the Secretary of State.

4. [SEC. 2182.] Before the Librarian shall take possession of the State Library, an inventory shall be taken of the books and papers,

in the presence clearly and distinctly setting forth all the printed books and the manuscripts which shall be placed under the care and custody of the Librarian. The inventory shall be taken under the inspection of the Secretary of State and State Treasurer.

ies of the inven

5. [SEC. 2183.] Two copies of said inventory shall be made, both Number of cop- certified to be correct by the signatures of the Secretary of State, of the Librarian, and of the State Treasurer. One of said copies shall be deposited in the office of the Secretary of State, and the Librarian shall retain the other.

tory.

6. [SEC. 2184.] All books, statutes, manuscripts, plans, maps, Books, papers. papers, and documents of every description belonging to the State, shall be placed under the charge and responsibility of the said Librarian.

etc., to be

placed under

the charge of the Librarian.

Catalogues by whom made.

7. [SEC. 2185.] In addition to the inventory required to be made, it shall be the duty of the Librarian, immediately after his appointment, to make two exact catalogues, so as to class, separately, the books and documents which are to be preserved from those which are to be distributed or for sale.

8. [SEC. 2186.] The Secretary of State shall establish such rules, Rules to be es regulations and restrictions, not inconsistent with law, in relation to the Library, as he may deem proper, and from time to time alter and amend the same.

tablished by the Secretary of State.

brarian to at

9. [SEC. 2187.] It shall be the duty of the Librarian to attend Duty of the Li- every day, Sundays excepted, and to see that the Library, confided tend every day. to his care, shall suffer no injury; and, in case of neglect or inattention to his duties, the Secretary of State shall forthwith remove him. 10. [SEC. 2188.] He shall keep the Library open from ten o'clock, A. M., until three o'clock, P. M., Sundays and holidays excepted, and during the session of the Legislature, until seven o'clock, P. M.

Library kept open during certain hours.

Books and papers to be returned by Librarian on his retiring from office.

Penalty in case of non-compli

ance.

11. [SEC. 2189.] The Librarian, on retiring from office, shall be bound to account for all the books and papers which may have been mentioned in the inventory, and such as he may have received since; and in case the books can not be accounted for, or procured, he shall such sum not exceeding the amount of the bond, as, by the Sec

pay

retary and Treasurer of State, shall be deemed a sufficient compensation for the loss of such books.

al citizens of

12. [SEC. 2190.] Every citizen of this State shall have free Library free for access to the Library, provided no book be taken out of the same, the State. except when for the use of either branch of the Legislature.

thorized to

13. [SEC. 2191.] The State Librarian is authorized, under the direction of the Secretary of State, to exchange with the several Librarian au States of this Union, or with any foreign Government, scientific insti- make exchanges tute, or person, any books of this State, such as Reports of the Supreme Court, Codes, Digests, Statutes, &c., for other books.

14. [SEC. 2192.] All the books of the State, those for distribution among the courts and parishes and the public officers, as well as those remaining permanently in the State Library, shall be placed under the control of the Secretary of State, who shall direct and see that this duty is performed by the State Librarian.

PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTOIN OF CERTAIN BOOKS.

Duties and re

sponsibilities of

the Secretary of

State.

State to procure

15. [SEC. 2193.] The Secretary of State is hereby authorized and instructed to procure five hundred additional copies of the acts 1869–126. of the Legislature for the year one thousand eight hundred and Secretary of sixty-eight, and fifteen hundred copies of the acts of each session of certain books. the Legislature from and after the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, and five hundred copies each of the journals and legislative documents of such sessions; also, one thousand copies of the Statutes of this State when the same shall have been newly revised. He is also hereby authorized and instructed to procure five hundred copies of the Civil Code, edited by J. O. Fuqua, at an expense not exceeding nine dollars and twenty-five cents per copy, and five hundred copies of the Code of Practice, edited by J. O. Fuqua, at an expense not exceeding seven dollars and fifty cents per copy; also seventy-five copies of the fourteenth volume of the Louisiana Annual Reports.

ted.

16. [SEC. 2194.] The Secretary of State is further instructed to distribute the books, hereinbefore authorized to be procured, and How distribusuch other books as are, hereinafter, required to be distributed, as follows: He shall deliver or forward, by mail, or otherwise, free of postage, to each person who was a member of the Legislature, when such laws and journals were adopted and such documents presented, three copies each of such laws, journals and documents. He shall deliver to each member of every Legislature, within two weeks after the commencement of its session, to the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House thereof, three copies each, of the acts,

journals and documents of the preceding Legislature, one copy of the Civil Code, one copy of the Code of Practice of the edition before mentioned, one copy of the Statutes of this State, when the same shall have been newly revised. He shall cause to be delivered to each of the following officers, to wit: the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor of Public Accounts, Superintendent of Public Education, Attorney General, and State Treasurer, and Adjutant General, two copies each of said acts, journals and documents, one copy each of said Civil Code, Code of Practice and Revised Statutes, and a complete set of Reports of the Decisions of the Supreme Court of this State, or so many thereof as may be necessary to complete the set of every such officer. He shall cause to be delivered to each of the District Courts of the United States in and for the State of Louisiana, one copy each of said acts, Civil Code, Code of Practice and Revised Statutes; also, to the Clerk of the Supreme Court, for the use of such court, and to each of the Clerks of the District Courts, for the use of the District and Parish Courts, one copy each of said acts, Civil Code, Code of Practice, Revised Statutes and a complete set of the Reports of the Decisions of the Supreme Court of this State, or so many thereof as may be required to make such sets complete. He shall cause to be delivered to each of the following officers, to wit: Recorder of Mortgages, Recorder of Conveyances, the President of the Board of Health, President of the Board of Public Works, Mayors of cities and towns. Presidents of Police Juries, Recorders of parishes, Assessors and State Tax Collectors, one copy each of said acts and Revised Statutes. He shall also cause to be delivered, to each Justice of the Peace, one copy each of said acts and Statutes.

17. [SEC. 2195.] All books so distributed to State or other How preserved. officers, except to members of the Legislature, shall be and remain the property of the State of Louisiana, and such books shall be for the use of the office, and shall be, by the officer receiving them, delivered over to his successor in office, except, in case of the removal or resignation of such officer, he shall deliver such books forthwith to the Clerk of the District Court, in the parish in which his said office is located, taking a receipt therefor from such successor or Clerk, which said receipt or a copy thereof, duly certified by such Clerk, shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State by such Clerk or successor, so receiving the same. It shall be proper for the Secretary of State to cause to be delivered all books, herein authorized to be distributed to parish, city or town officers, to the Clerk of the District Court in and for the parish in which