22 Ga. 93 | Ga. | 1857
By the Court.
delivering the opinion.
The first question to be considered in this case is, ought the certiorari to have been dismissed ?
It is certainly true, that the mode of suing out this certiorari, was not a strict or even a substantial compliance with the statute. The exceptions in writing have to be signed by the party and overruled by the Court, and not by the individual members, some thirty days or more after the adjournment of the Court; still, irregular as the proceedings may have been, it was worth something to the Judge of the Superior Court, in certifying to him as to what did transpire in the cause; especially as the return was made by the proper officer, admitting the truth of the facts contained in the exceptions. The Courts should look to the substance of things. Suppose a bill was filed praying an injunction, which the complainant had omitted to verify, the defendant however, overlooking the defect, puts in his answer, confessing the facts upon which the equity of the bill rests, would the injunction be dissolved ? But a sufficient, and perhaps a more satisfactoiy answer to the objection is, that the petition for certiorari was sworn to by Mr. George N. Lester, the attorney of Putman. A party in the Inferior Court is not obliged to proceed under the Judiciary Act of 1799. He is
It is conceded the notice was not given. It could not be dispensed with. It was to enable the creditor, if in default, to pay the fees, and thus comply with the law. And when the statute says, that it shall not be lawful for the Court to discharge the debtor, unless this notice is given, I hold, as do a majority of this Court, that the judgment is void, if rendered in defiance of this act. It is a nullity, and may be so treated .every where and by any body, and the debtor may be re-arrested, notwithstanding such .discharge. Moreover,
Nor did the casual appearance of Mr. Richard Lester, who was not the attorney of Putman, dispense with the necessity of the notice.
Under the original fee bill, he was entitled to 37£ cents for the board of a prisoner. (Prince 260.) There were two acts passed in 1818, each adding 50 per cent, to the original fees allowed the jailer; one the 8th and the other the 19th of December, of that year. (Lamar’s Big. 164, 322.) On the 16th of December, 1819, an act was passed increasing the fees of county officers (jailers included,) 25 per cent, on the rate established previous to the 1st of December, 1818; and repealing all laws and parts of laws, militating against the act. (Lamar 323.) And the uniform decision for forty yeais, (saving one,) upon these statutes, has been that the Acts of ISIS, were superseded by the Act of 1819; and that 25 per cent, only was to be added to the original fee bill. The 25 per cent, must be added, for it is the last act upon the subject And if you super add to this the 50 percent, allowed the jailor alone, under one of the Acts of 1818, and his fees will be upwards of 65 cents per day, instead of 56J, claimed in this case; and add the other 50 given to the jailer in common with the other county officers,. under the other Act of 1818, and it will make his fees upwards of 83 cents. We are satisfied that the jailer in common with the other county officers, is entitled to the original fee of 37J with 25 per cent, added, making his pay 46|, and not 56J. Indeed there is no view of these several acts, which would justify this last sum.
Judgment affirmed.