"No person . . . holding any civil or military office under the United States . . . shall be eligible to be a member of the legislature; . . ."
Demurrer to the petition, on the ground that the court did not have jurisdiction of the subject matter of the proceeding, was sustained, and the petition dismissed on authority of § 8, Art. II, of the state constitution reading as follows:
"Each house shall be the judge of the election, returns, and qualifications of its own members, . . ."
The cause is before us on application of the relator for review of the judgment of dismissal of the action.
[1, 2] The determination of the eligibility of candidates for elective office, under the provisions of our constitution, constitutes the exercise of judicial power. State ex rel.McAulay v. Reeves, 196 Wash. 1" court="Wash." date_filed="1938-08-05" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/state-ex-rel-mcaulay-v-reeves-3993123?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="3993123">196 Wn. 1, 81 P.2d 860" court="Wash." date_filed="1938-08-05" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/state-ex-rel-mcaulay-v-reeves-3993123?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="3993123">81 P.2d 860. In exercising the power to judge of the qualifications of its members, each body of the state legislature acts as a judicial tribunal. SeeBarry v. United States, 279 U.S. 597" court="SCOTUS" date_filed="1929-05-27" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/barry-v-united-states-ex-rel-cunningham-101443?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="101443">279 U.S. 597, 616, 73 L. Ed. 867" court="SCOTUS" date_filed="1929-05-27" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/barry-v-united-states-ex-rel-cunningham-101443?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="101443">73 L.Ed. 867,49 S. Ct. 452" court="SCOTUS" date_filed="1929-05-27" href="https://app.midpage.ai/document/barry-v-united-states-ex-rel-cunningham-101443?utm_source=webapp" opinion_id="101443">49 S.Ct. 452. The people, through the constitution, granted this particular judicial power exclusively in that house of the legislature to which the candidate is an aspirant.
The judgment is affirmed.