The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1912-04-04
GIVE The PEOPOE
IA SQUARE DEAL
TIE CITY Ceurt--Ths Law On Ii
cshdurs---Salary and Fee Sys-


Dear Sir: Allow me space in your
paper to state a few facts, and ask
the guardians Of the county's finan-
ces. to-wit: the County Commits
sioners, why they do not act in the
matter. In order to make my COM
munication plain, will commence
by saying that in 1905 the legisla-
ture passed law creating the City
Court Of Leesburg, On January /,
1905. this court was established and
commenced business, owing no man
q dollar for insolyent cost or any
thing else. That law provided that
the solicitor should be paid sala-
~. 20 be FIXED by tile Grand Jury.
The Clerk and the Sheriff we're to
receive for their attendance upon
the court and in addition to the cost
already provided in the fee bill,
per diem for not exceeding is days
work during each year. It also
provided that the solicitors SALARY
should be paid in The same manner
az the judges salary.
The judges salary is paid out Of
the county treasury on warrant.
Issued from the commissioners
court.
This law was passed to satisfy q
demand Of the people, to know ex-
actly what the officers Of the City
Court were receiving for their SER
vices, the charge having been made
that the court was a large expense
70 the county.
Now The Grand Jury for some.
reason, which has never been ex-
planned, delegated to themselves,
the right to amend this law, In 80
far a. il referred to the solicitors
salary. and said in their recommen-
dations that the solicitor for his SER
vices should receive the fees in the
case as had been paid before. The
Grand Jury exceeded their authori-
" and the commissioners should
never have accepted it.
This same law provided that all
the fines and forfeitures received
from collections in the 9 ity Court
shall DO paid to the county treasury
and kept in d separate and distinct
fund and paid out upon orders APP
proved Of by the Judge Of this court,
and IL collections exceed disburse-
ments the money should naturally
go into the general fund Of the
county and, to some extent at least,
reduce this tax levy we have of
817 100 a thousand.
In the latter part of 1910. d. D,
Hall. then county treasurer. brought
q mandamas suit in the Superior
court, asking that the solicitor, the
receiving discussing officer Of this
court, be required to pay into the
treasury, as required by law, all
the money be had collected for fines
and forfeitures in this court, which
amounted to, at the time Of the filing !
Of this suit. Sept. 80, 1910, SO, 902.-
"a. In addition to this the County
Commissioners had paid out OF the |
county treasury, without authori-
~ Of law, = for the convicts sent to
Che county chaingang, the sum of
az, 1882. making the total sum
received By officers Of this court
81, 65S.42. The officers ol this
court we're due to receive provided
She Grand Jury can repeal an act
Of the legislature) s5,414.97, leav-
ing a balance due the county Of
81, 1874.
Now / contend, and the law will
bear me out in it, because it's as plain
IS A. B. G.. that the solicitor should
receive a salary-not fees" fixed
BY the Grand Jury--and that these
fines and forfeitures should be paid
into the treasury, in order that the
taxpayers Of the county might have
! record that would be reported to
saeh Grand Jury, showing exactly
what each officer of this court was
for his services,
The suit brought by D. D. Hall
,eainst the solicitor of this court,
,-as carriad tn the Suprene court,