150 Ga. 370 | Ga. | 1920
Lead Opinion
The Civil Code (1910), § 468, provides what things are necessary and essential for the change of county lines, where a citizen or any number of citizens shall desire to have the boundary line of the county of his or their residence changed. Becognizing that a change of county line is of vital interest to citizens whose property may be affected, and to the taxpayers of the respective counties to be affected, the General Assembly provided for ample notice as a prerequisite to any action on such a change by the county authorities. The statute constituted at most a limited or qualified delegation of legislative authority. It was necessarily a limited or qualified delegation, because the constitution of the State explicitly provides that “the legislative power of
My conclusion is that the petition is not subject to general de•murrer, and that the trial judge did not err in so holding. In this ruling Presiding Justice Beck, and Justices Hill and George concur.
Dissenting Opinion
I am constrained to dissent from the opinion of the majority of the court holding that the petition was not subject to general demurrer.
When the case was before this court at the October term, 1917 (147 Ga. 626) it was said in the opinion rendered: “Prior to the constitution of 1877, the method of changing county lines was by a special act of the legislature for that purpose. In many instances several lots, in other instances a few acres, and ino several instances only the ‘ residences ’ of certain named persons were transferred from one county to another. The following provision was inserted in the constitution of 1877: ‘County lines shall not be changed unless under the operation of a general law for that purpose.” Article 11, sec. 1, par. 3, Civil Code (1910), § 6596. In 1879 the legislature passed its first act under this constitutional provision. Acts 1879, p. 42. That act provided that ‘any citizen owning land adjacent to the boundary line of any county in this State, .who may desire, for the necessity or convenience of performing the duties of citizenship, to have such lands transferred to an adjoining county, such citizen shall petition the ordinary of the county in which the land is situated for an order to have such transfer perfected/ etc., and prescribed the method by which such land might be transferred from one county to another. This method was by a jury trial upon proof of the necessary allegations of the petition. The act of 1881, supra, repealed the act of 1879, and gave to ‘a citizen, or any number of citizens, of any county in this State/ desiring ‘to have the boundary line of the county of his or their residence changed/ the right to do so by following the provisions of the act. The act
By reference to the act of 1881, codified in §§ 468-471, inclusive, of the Political Code (1910), it will be seen that no provision is made for the hearing of objections to the application for the change of county lines, and no right of appeal from the action of the grand jury, or that of the commissioners, is provided. It will also be seen that no provision is made for the filing of objections before the Ordinaries, Commissioners or officers having charge of county business, and no right of appeal is given to either the applicant or any person dissatisfied with the action of the Ordinary in approving or disapproving the recommendation of the grand jury. These omissions, it is to be assumed, were not merely casual but intentional. The work of changing county lines is political or legislative, rather than judicial in nature. In this respect the action of grand juries and Ordinaries, Boards of Commissioners of Roads and Revenues, or other officers having the control of county business as to making changes in the county lines is similar to that of -Ordinaries in changing county lines of Militia Districts. In Hillsman v. Harris, 84 Ga. 432 (11 S. E. 400), it was held: “1. It would seem that the action of the ordinary in changing district lines is final and not subject to review by writ of certiorari or otherwise. The district lines mark the territorial divisions of the county, and the power of establishing and changing them is in its nature political or legislative rather than judicial. 2. But granting the power of review, the opinion of the superior court should not be substituted for that of the ordinary save in cases of fraud or of gross abuse of discretion.” In this case the petition was made to the ordinary to change the line between two militia districts of a named county. The petition alleged certain reasons why the change was expedient and necessary. Certain citizens of one of the districts filed a counter petition, asking that the proposed change be refused, alleging reasons why the change
In Dew v. Smith, 130 Ga. 564 (61 S. E. 232), one of the points involved was whether the judgment of- the Board of Commissioners of Floyd County in changing the lines of a Militia District was void on the ground that .it appeared such board did not exercise any discretion in determining upon the necessity or expediency of the change, but delegated their discretion to the special commissioners appointed to report upon the expediency and utility of the change. In the opinion it was said: “The board had a legal right to reject this report and act upon their own judgment. Hillsman v. Harris, 84 Ga. 432 (11 S. E. 400). Their concurrence with the special commissioners, as to the necessity and expediency of the proposed change, was none the less the affirmative action of the board, because of their adoption of the report made to them by the commissioners pursuant to the statute. The law contemplates that such action as is taken by the board
In Hudson v. Sullivan, 93 Ga. 631 (20 S. E. 77), wherein it was sought to review by certiorari the action of a Board of Roads and Revenues in changing the line between two militia districts, and where the judge of the superior court refused to sanction a petition for certiorari, which ruling was assigned as error, it was said: “In our opinion, the judge was right. The strong intimation of this court in Hillsman v. Harris, 84 Ga. 436, that the action of the ordinary in changing district lines is final, and not subject to review by the writ of certiorari, or otherwise, is now adopted as the correct law upon this question. Of course, it makes no difference in principle that, in the present case, the action complained of was taken by the board of county commissioners instead of the ordinary, they having jurisdiction of the matter. The reasons given by Chief Justice Bleckley in the case cited are, we think, sufficient, and conclusive upon the question presented.”
In Howell v. Kinney, 99 Ga. 544 (27 S. E. 204), the validity of a change in the lines of a militia district was involved. It was held: “1. While the determination by an ordinary, or board of county commissioners, in proceedings to change militia district lines, cannot be directly reviewed by certiorari or otherwise, it is within the power of the superior court, or of this court, if such proceedings, or the final action taken therein, be for any reason void, to so declare, when the question of their validity is properly presented for adjudication. . . 3. The law does not contemplate that in proceedings to change a line between two militia districts, an isolated portion of the territory of one of them, not contiguous to the other, should be transferred to the latter; nor that, as a result of given. change in lines, two portions of a district should be left entirely segregated from each other. 4. Inasmuch as noné of the alleged changes in the lines of the militia districts involved in this case were legally made, and the petitioners’ right to 'an injunction necessarily depended
When the instant case was formerly before this court (147 Ga. 626) it was said in the opinion: "That the legislature, prior to the adoption of the constitution of 1877, had the absolute power to change existing county lines, is not doubted. That the legislature, under the constitution of 1877, may by general law delegate
The constitution of this State (Civil Code, § 6446) declares that “The General Assembly shall have no power to grant corporate powers and privileges to private companies, . . but it shall prescribe by law the manner in which such powers shall be exercised by the courts.” The statute carrying into effect. this provision of the constitution, contained in § 2823 et seq. of the Civil Code (1910), confers upon the superior courts of this State power to create private corporations, with certain stated exceptions, and prescribes the method of incorporation. Among other things, it is provided that the persons desiring the charter shall file in the office of the clerk of the superior court of the county in which they desire to transact business a petition, specifying the object of their association, and “the amount of capital stock to
In the case of Gas-Light Company of Augusta v. West, 78 Ga. 318 where (as appears from the official record of the case of file in this court) objection was made to. the grant of the charter by the superior court, upon the grounds that the petition for charter did not state the amount of the capital to be employed by the incorporators, and the petition had not been published once a week, etc., for four weeks, as required by law, it was held: “ The power conferred by the constitution upon-the courts to grant charters to corporations is- legislative and not judicial in its character; and there is no provision of law authorizing any one to appear and object to the grant of corporate powers by the courts.” The decision in that case has been followed by this court. See In re Union Club, 142 Ga. 261 (82 S. E. 643), and cases there cited.
The statute confers a discretionary power upon grand juries, county boards of commissioners, and other officers having control of county business, in respect of their action in changing county lines; and the law is well settled that where public officials “are acting within the scope of their duties and exercising a discretionary power, courts are not warranted in interfering, unless fraud or corruption is shown, or the power or discretion is being manifestly abused, to the oppression of the citizen.” Hudspeth v. Hall, supra, and cit. It was held in Ivey v. City of Rome, 129 Ga. 286 (58 S. E. 852): “When the General Assembly provides for an election to determine the question as to whether the territory of one municipality shall be annexed to the territory of another municipality, and no provision is made in the law for judicial interference, and there is no general law authorizing such interference, and the authority to interfere can not be derived from the common law, a court of equity has no power or jurisdiction over the matter, and all questions arising out of the election must be determined alone by the tribunal constituted by the General
In my opinion, the language of the statute providing for the change of county lines in respect of giving notice of intention to apply for the same is not mandatory so as to require a literal and exact compliance with it. The statute provides for the publication of such notice <c in a public gazette having general circulation in each of the counties to be affected by the change.” And after the grand jury had duly recommended the change, and the board of county commissioners had duly approved the action of the grand jury, would any citizen of either county be permitted to set aside, in an equitable action, the order of the board of commissioners on the ground that the public gazette in which a notice of the change had been published for the requisite time did not have general circulation in the counties to be affected by the change, but that such gazette had only a limited circulation in both counties, and that some other public gazette not published in either county had a much larger and more general circulation therein than one in which the notice was published ? Or, if the notice had been posted
The word “shall” is not always construed as mandatory. In Brooks v. Rooney, 11 Ga. 423 (6), 428 (56 Am. D. 430), it was held: “The acts which make it the duty of the sheriff to advertise the sale of property in a particular way, and to sell between
The majority of the court, Presiding Justice Beck and Justices Atkinson and George concurring with the writer, are of the opinion that the trial court did not err in granting a nonsuit on the hearing before the jury. The evidence offered by the petitioners, and rejected on objection by the defendants, we think, was inadmissible, except as to the admission by the defendants, on the interlocutory hearing, that notices were not posted in the 528th militia district of Houston county, which in our view of the case was immaterial. But, even if in error as to this, then in our judgment a nonsuit would have been proper if all of such rejected evidence had been' admitted. It is well enough to again advert to the fact that, as the injunctive features of the case no longer existed, the only issue submitted to the jury was whether the 528th militia district of Houston county is adjacent to the county line between Macon and Houston Counties sought to be changed — it being conceded for the purpose of deciding the case that defendants had admitted that no notices were posted in that district. The petitioners offered in evidence the following certificate:
" Militia Districts in Houston County, Georgia.
No. Name.
619 Lower Town
528 Ninth
527 Tenth
500 Upper Eleventh
541 Old Thirteenth
970 Lower Eleventh
*392 771 Upper Fifth
887 Sixth
769 Lower Fifth
542 Twelfth
928 Upper Town
492 Lower Fourteenth
765 Upper Fourteenth
926 New Thirteenth
“ I, C. A. West, Secretary of the Executive Department of the State of Georgia, do certify that the above and foregoing is a true and correct copy of the numbers and names of the Militia Districts of the County of Houston, State of Georgia, as appears of record in the Executive Department of said State, in the Militia District Book. This the 28th day of March, 1918.
C. A. West, Secretary of the Executive Department.
“Seal Executive Department of Georgia.”
The defendants objected to the admission in evidence of this certificate, one of the grounds of objection being to the effect that reports of militia districts are not required to be filed in the Executive Department, and that the secretary of that department had no right to make such a certificate. The court sustained the objection, and the certificate was excluded. The court, we think, did not err in this ruling. An officer can only issue certificates of a record or document properly of file in his office.
The County of Houston and other designated counties were organized by the legislature in 1821 (Acts 1821, p. 44). The only provision of the act indicating the territorial limits of Houston County is in section 9, which reads: “That whenever the militia of the aforesaid counties are organized, agreeably to the provisions of this act, they shall be attached as follows: The County of Houston to the first brigade of the sixth division.” The first brigade and the sixth division were composed of the counties of Twiggs, Wilkinson, Laurens, and Pulaski. (Acts 1820, Dawson’s Comp. 278.) An act of Congress enacted May 8, 1792, was passed for the arrangement of the militia of the several States. Section 3 of that act provided: “The militia of the respective States shall be arranged into divisions, brigades, regiments, battalions, and companies, as the legislature of each State may direct; and each division, brigade, and regiment shall be numbered
It is a matter of common knowledge that militia districts, certainly as a general rule, do not bear the names of land districts. The certificate offered in evidence shows that the name of one of the numbered districts is “Lower Town,” another “Upper Town,” and other such names as are not usually given militia districts. Therefore it seems clear that it would require something more than the mere word “ninth,” opposite the number of the militia district 528, to show that the ninth land district and militia district 528 were the same, or coextensive. We therefore conclude that even if the certificate were admissible as to a matter properly of record in the Executive office, it would not of itself be sufficient to show even presumptively that the 528th militia district and the ninth land district were identical.
The provision of the Political Code, § 379, is not authority to support the contention that the numbers and names of the militia districts are required to be kept in the Executive department. Section 376 of that code is as follows: “Whenever it may be necessary and expedient to lay out a new militia district, or to change the lines of old ones, or to consolidate or abolish old districts, the ordinary may, at any time, appoint three commissioners, citizens of the district or districts from which it is proposed to make the new district, or change the lines thereof, whose duty it shall be to lay out and define such' lines, and report the same to the said ordinary.” The next section authorizes such commissioners to engage the services of a competent surveyor to assist them as to their duties in laying out 'and defining the lines of newly created dis
Petitioners introduced in evidence a certified copy, from the office of the Secretary of State, of a land map of Houston County, showing the numbers of the land districts, and the numbers of land lots in each land district. It appears from such map that a part of the 9th land district is adjacent to and borders on a portion of the line sought to be changed between Houston and Macon
A number of other witnesses were offered to testify in behalf of petitioners, to the effect that they had resided in the 528th militia district and the 9th land district of Houston county, each for a stated number of years, varying from one to fifty-seven, and that each of them had always understood, or considered, or thought, or regarded, or had been informed, that the 528th militia district and the 9th land district were territorially the same. All of this offered testimony was objected to by the defendants, upon the grounds, among others, that there was higher and better evidence of the location of the district lines of the county, that it was merely the opinion or understanding of the witnesses, and that it was immaterial and irrelevant. From what we have already said, we think the court was right in rejecting all of this proffered testimony. The best evidence of the militia-district lines would be a certificate from the.proper office, where the numbers and boundaries or descriptions of the districts were required by law to be filed, or recorded. We have endeavored to show that the Executive Department was not such office as to the districts created before the acts of 1839 and 1840. It is true that petitioners offered to show that counsel for the defendants on the former trial admitted before the court that there was nothing in the ordinary’s office of Houston County relating to the 528th militia district; but such admission was properly rejected, in our opinion, because, although the records of the old inferior court should be in that office, there was never any law requiring any evidence of the action of the justices of the inferior court of Houstoh County in laying off and defining the captain’s or militia districts of that county, which action was purely political or legislative, to be filed or recorded in the office of that court. If, however, we are in error as to this, then the offered testimony was correctly rejected on the other grounds, as it was not competent to show the lines of the militia district by what the witnesses merely thought, understood, regarded, or had been informed ’as to where they were, without giving'any source, reason, or basis for their testimony, other than that they had lived in the district for many years.
“Whether a boundary line of 'a militia district coincides with the county line must be shown by the public records kept accord
In McAfee v. Newberry, 144 Ga. 473 (87 S. E. 392), it was said: “Traditionary evidence as to ancient boundaries and landmarks is admissible. Civil Code (1910), § 5772. But the reputation in the neighborhood at the present date is not admissible unless it be traditionary or derived from ancient sources or from those who have peculiar means of knowing what the reputation of the boundary was at an ancient date. Shutte v. Thompson, 82 U. S. 151 (21 L. ed. 123). There was no preliminary proof showing the source of information of the persons from whom the witness obtained his information. If his informants were acquainted with the land lines, they were competent witnesses to the fact to which the plaintiff proposed to testify, and his testimony clearly would not have come within the exception to the general rule of hearsay.
The court rejected evidence to the effect that counsel for the defendants, upon an interlocutory hearing before the trial, admitted that no notices were posted in the 528th militia district of Houston County of the intention to apply for a change of the county line in question. This evidence was immaterial, because petitioners failed to show, by the evidence introduced, that the 528th district was adjacent to the county line sought to be changed, and the evidence rejected was not competent to show that fact.