The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-01-11
A QUESTION OF TWO MONTHS.
The Attorney Upoa the Of
Tee Of Processing astsrzer.

Gee Of Pressessing Attorney
In the course OF communication 70
Hon y. II. owings, territorial secre-
tzry. Attorney General NescaIse has
rendered the following opinion a. 20
the proper construction of the several
stAtates Of Washington that atfec: the
Offices Of distract attorney
In reply 70 the Communication OF Hon.
6. z Dor, prosecuting attornsy s0y soian-
pa county. W +. besrl1g date December
=. lsoe, vita the endorsement OF your Of
See tasresu. bearing Gate Dec%meeg -.
So. ssd referred % tAis oi1sc@, have Ia
say an Of the opinion thai NJ Dorrs
term of afssse 3 governed BY the general
tenure Of ossice act. entitled "Aa act 20 pre-
sssT1Ae the Tenure Of Office Of Washington
Territory. approved FEB. 4. IsrsS-znd that
ais terra Of Office began on the FIRST Nozday
Of Nsrrh, iss7, and saaz the Erst Monday
Of March. lss9-
and the act entitled AN act relative TO
prosecuting attorneys defining their dHtiss
and axing their compensation approved
Feb. 4. iSs6, Is In ny opinion reconcsled
when the ses relating TO prosecuting sttor-
neys, approved Nov. 3. issa. is read In con
junction with said drss mentioned acts.
Under the act Of ISIS. the counties of Col
at1bia- Garfield and Asotin composed .
sub-dissrict. and by that act were entitled
20 prosecuting attorney. and the term of
Office of this officer and other prosecuting
officers. elected In 1884. was alone affected
By The prosecuting attorneys act OF 1885.
and those 20 be elected after its passage.
The second act hereinbefore mentioned,
relating TO prosecuting attorney, created
new districts. and provided that those
prosecuting officers should be elected IN
those new districts. aud Columbia county
- - l. n
elect proseeHuug attorney. and the term
Of once OF this officer, in my opinion, is
fixed by the provisions Of the general ten
ure Of ONCE act
assume that Mr. Dorr was elected at the
general election held in November. 1885.
10 Ill the position of prosecuting attorney
IN the sub-disfrict thus created viz: Col
umbia county. Section - OF the act pro-
yided that prosecuting attorneys hereto
FIRE elected and now exercising the duties
of the ONCE of prosecuting attorney. q. C.,
those elected in iss41, should hold their
Offices until the second Monday in Jsnu.
airy, 1887, and until their successors were
elected and qualified, making no change
IN the term OF Office from that provided for
in the law of 1883
The second section of the tenure of Office
aud cited is as follows. AN district.
county and precinct officers hereafter to I'D
elected in this territory In pursuance Of
law shall hold their Offices for the term of
two years from anu after the first Monday
of March next succeeding their election,
and until their successors are elected and
qualified. Mr.. DORIS election did not
fake place until nine months after the
passage Of the act, and my conclusion is
that his term of Office Is controlled thereby.
The former act relative to the prosecuting
attorneys had reference 10 and fixed the
term of Office Of The faeuas6eHts Of said Offices
a thai time.
J. B. METcALFE, Attorney General
Hos. II. y. 0wfs6s, Secretary, Olympia