129 Ga. 494 | Ga. | 1907
The treasurer of Clarke county applied for the writ of mandamus, to compel the board of commissioners of roads and revenues of that county to deliver to him $71,000, which was to their credit in the Georgia National Bank, or to deliver to him an order on the bank for the money. The case was tried by the judge on the pleadings, the material parts of which are as follows : In 1904, the commissioners of roads and revenues of Clarke county, by proper authority, issued $100,000 of bonds, for the purpose of permanently improving the roads of the county. The rate of interest was four per cent, per annum, payable semi-annually. The bonds were dated July 1, 1904, and issued in denominations of $500 each, and matured as follows: $1,500 annually for the first ten years; $4,000 annually for the next fifteen years, and $5,000 annually for the next five years. The- commissioners, after advertising for bids, were not able to sell the bonds at par. They then entered into a contract of sale with the Georgia National Bank, whereby the bank agreed to take the entire issue at a premium of $2,500, upon terms that the proceeds of the sale were to be left on deposit with the bank, to be paid on demand as needed, in the improvement of the roads of the county. Pursuant to this contract the commissioners delivered to the bank the bonds, and, the bank, through its president, signed- the following certificate, which was duly entered on the commissioners’ records: “1904. July 1st. Sale Eoad Bonds, $102,500.00. The above amount was placed to the credit of the commissioners of Clarke county as per agreement of Georgia National Bank and commissioners at regu
The court refused to make the mandamus absolute, except that the respondents were ordered to deliver to the treasurer the evidence of indebtedness they hold against the Georgia National Bank, under the contract made by them with the bank, and that applicant hold and collect same and enforce the said contract according to its terms. In a written opinion the judge assigned as reasons for his refusal of the writ: that as the bank is not a party, the validity of the bond sale can not be inquired into, and the contract of sale must be treated, in passing on applicant’s right to the writ of mandamus, as binding between the parties. The treasurer excepted to this order, and assigns error upon the refusal of the writ, and upon the legal propositions.announced by the court as a basis of his judgment. We will not undertake to discuss specific assignments upon the reasoning of the court, except in the general discussion of applicant’s right to compel by mandamus the county commissioners to deliver to him the unexpended money from the proceeds of the bond sale, or an order on the purchaser thereof.
The treasurer is the county’s official banker, and all county funds are to be paid and disbursed by him, unless otherwise specially provided by law. It is his duty to collect from all officers and others all county dues. Pol. Code, §§ 458, 460. The proceeds of this particular bond issue are county funds, and as there is no statute specially directing its disbursement by any other official, it should be disbursed through the treasurer. The respondents ree
We do not decide whether the contract of sale of the bonds is legal or illegal, but we do decide that the court did not abuse his discretion in refusing the writ of mandamus to compel the commissioners to pay over funds not in their custody, or to give an order for the payment of the purchase-money in contravention of the terms of sale.
Judgment affirmed.