The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-12-08

foreman communicate with the court
and the matter will be cared for in the
proper way.
The laws of this state require me to
direct you to make diligent and careful
inquiry to see whether any offence
against the election laws of this state
has been committed in this county and
in case you find any such an offence has
been committed and the perpetrator
thereof is known you may indict such
person.
The law also requires me to specially
charge you to inquire into all offences
against the provisions of the law relat.
ing to the public land in this county
and trespass thereon, and if the laws of
this state relating to trespass upon the
public lands have been violated in this
county you may indict the offender if
he is known.
In this state the fee system is the
method by which some officers are paid
for services performed by them for the
people.
The law regulates certain charges
that sheriffs and deputy sheriffs and
justices of the peace, may make
for services for the people.
Where the law fixes the charge that
may be made it is final and no other or
greater charge can be made by such
officers against the people or allowed by
the Board of Supervisors.
The statute upon this matter reads as
follows:
mo sheriff or other officer whatso-
ever, or other person to whom any fees
or compensation shall be allowed by law
for any service shall take or receive any
other or greater fee or reward for such
service but such as is or shall be allowed
by the laws of this state"
''No fee or compensation allowed by
law shall be demanded or received by
any officer or person for any service un-
less such service was actually rendered
by him."
This law applies to fees in criminal
cases, and renders one guilty of a viola
ton its provisions guilty of a circuit
court misdemeanor.
You will examine into the matter of
charges made by the sheriff Of this coun-
tY and his deputies and any justice of
the peace, for services performed by
them or claimed to have been per-
formed by them for the people of this
county, and ascertain whether the SER
vices claimed have actually been per-
formed and whether any charge greater
than that allowed by law was made
therefor and paid to them by the coun-
tY.
If services charged for have not act
ually been performed and pay has been
demanded by them from the county
and paid to them by the county upon
the claim that such services had been
performed and the officer making such
claim falsely and Intentionally made
oath to such claim, he may be indicted
| for perjury.
If charges for services have been made
against this county by any sheriff, dep
uty sheriff or justice of the peace and
the service charged for has not been
performed and the person making the
charge knew the same TO no false but has
| taken no oath thereto and has received
payment therefor from the county he
may be indicted for ID circuit court
misdemeanor.
The statute of limitations forbids
your investigations going back more
than six years. but within the period Of
six years you should make thorough in
vestigation of the charges made by
officers of this county for fees for SER
vices claimed to have been performed
by them for the people.
And to this end all the records Of this
| county are at your command.
The laws of the state must be obeyed.
When the law forbids the expenditure
of more than one thousand dollars in
any one year for constructing or re-
,airing court house without submit
lg the matter to vote of the people it
ans just what it says, and cannot be
led by any act that accomplishes
the law forbids.
understand that the people of this
voted and therefore authorized
'enditure of seventy-fve thousand
for the construction of court
nd am informed that a court
3ting over one hundred thou
rs has been built
'eople of this county voted
thousand dollars and no
10 purpose of constructing a
then there existed no legal
T the expenditure Of any
e thousand dollars in any
excess OF that amount for
constructing such build
ty to examine into this
amount voted by the
ructiug a court house,