96 Ga. 622 | Ga. | 1895
In 1876 the General Assembly passed an act having the following title: “An act consolidating the offices of clerk of the superior court of Dougherty county, .also the treasurer of Dougherty county, and fixing the pay of same.” Acts of 1876, p. 325. Construing the word “consolidating,” as used in the title, in connection with the body of the act, we think the General Assem
When this court had before it the case of Massenburg v. The Commissioners of Bibb County, 96 Ga. 614, we gave some consideration to the question whether or not such an act as that with which we are now dealing would have been constitutional under the constitution of 1868, and were then inclined to the opinion that it would. It was not, however, necessary at that time to definitely decide this question, for it was not in the case then in hand, it being an entirely different case from the one now at bar. There, the treasurer’s office was unequivocally abolished, and the performance of its duties was, in terms, transferred to a person not elected by the people. We still think that case was correctly decided, and the reasons upon which it is based are stated in an elaborate and thoroughly considered'opinion by Justice Atkinson. A perusal of it will show clearly that there are two distinctive differences in these cases, viz: (1) that in one the treasurer’s office was absolutely abolished,
Judgment affirmed.