Court Opinion

ID: 9832292
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 21:47:38.648588+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:43:45.330938
License: Public Domain

ON REHEARING.
In our opinion we based the holding that the Commissioners Court did not exceed its power in ordering an election in a commissioners’ precinct, which embraced a part of the town of Quitman, mainly upon the Act of the 25th Legislature; see art. 397, Sayles’ Civ. Stats. It is contended in the motion for rehearing that this article is unconstitutional for the reason it conflicts with article 3, section 35 of the State Constitution, in that, (1) it embraces two subjects; (2) it embraces a subject therein not expressed in its title, and is therefore void. The question raised by these contentions was passed upon by this court in the case of State v. Larkin, 90 S. W., 912, and we there held that the Act embraced but one subject and was valid. A writ of error was denied by the Supreme Court.
We further held that the effect of this statute was to make the charter of such cities and towns as are specified therein which had not elected officers for over ten years, inoperative and ineffective for any purpose and rendered the same null and void. The Commissioners Court of Wood County knew that it was not authorized to order an election in a subdivision of the county embracing an incorporated town or city, except on petition of the requisite number.of qualified voters thereof. It must also have known that the town of Quitman had failed to elect officers for over thirty years. The court did order the election, and in support of its action it will be presumed that at the time of doing so it had knowledge of the population of the town of Quitman and that it was over two hundred and less than five thousand inhabitants. The motion for rehearing is overruled.

Overruled.

Writ of error dismissed for want of jurisdiction.