State Ex Rel. Alexander v. Pharr

May 5, 1920
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Clare
Per Curiam.

This Court is without jurisdiction, because the action is ‍‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‍to try the title to a seat in the General Assembly of North Carolina, and the Constitution of ‍‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‍the State (Art. II, sec. 22) provides “Each House (of the General Assembly) shall be judge of the ‍‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‍qualifications and elections of its own members,” thereby withdrawing the inquiry from the consideration of the courts.

This is ‍‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‍the construction given to a similar section of the Constitution of the United States in Britt v. Board of ‍‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‍Canvassers, 172 N. C., 797.

Affirmed.

Clare, C. J., did not sit.