91 Mo. 445 | Mo. | 1886
The relator was a candidate for mayor of Pierce City, at the April election, 1886. The respondents are the aldermen of that city. An ordinance of the city makes it the duty of the aldermen, on a designated day, after each election, to canvass the returns, to determine who has been elected to the various offices, and to direct the clerk to issue certificates of election to
We have treated the motion for a peremptory writ on the return as a demurrer, for that it is, in effect. It is not only shown, by the return, that the relator did not possess the requisite qualifications, but the writ, after stating that he had been an inhabitant of the city for one year before the election, proceeds to say, “and if, perchance, construed not to have been an inhabitant of said city for one year, yet,” etc. This evasive statement must be regarded as an admission, by the relator’s own pleading, that he has not been an inhabitant of the city for the necessary period of time. There is, therefore, no need of holding the case over for further pleading.
The motion is overruled, and judgment will be entered, on the pleadings, for the respondents, with costs against the relator.