Elements of Civil Government Part 37

income, 203.

indirect, 202.

Teachers, 25, 26.

duties of, 25.

powers of, 25, 26.

Territory, 65, 94, 95, 96.

Theocracy, 160.

Tipstaff, 174.

Town (see Township), 39, 30, 37-47.

meetings, 41.

Township, or town, 37-47.

a.s.sessor, 43, 44.

citizens of, 38.

clerk, 43.

collector, 45.

commissioner, 44.

constable, 43, 45.

councilmen, 42.

governmental functions of, 37.

Township, purposes, 38.

selectmen, 42.

supervisor, 43, 44.

treasurer, 43.

Treason, 86.

Treasurer, city, 61.

Treasurer, county, 52.

township, 43.

village, 57, 58.

Treasury department, 136-139.

Treaties, 120, 131.

Trials, 171, 172.

by jury, 173.

Trustees, 57.

of township, 42.

duties of, 42.

Unit, the civil, 28-31.

United States, 98-156.

circuit courts, 152.

circuit court of appeals, 152.

district court, 153.

formation of, 99.

jurisdiction of courts, 149.

supreme court, 150.

Veto, 86.

Vice-president, 125, 190, 193, 194.

Village, 56, 57.

Voters, 29, 32, 33, 39, 60, 67, 68, 175, 182.

Voting, 175, 176, 181, 183.

War, declaration of, 114.

Ward convention, 195.

Warrants, 34, 45.

Water works, 59, 60.

Wills, 49, 53, 54.

Works, electric, 59.

gas, 59.

public, 57, 59, 60.

water, 57.

Writs, serving of, 35.

SUPPLEMENT.

BY HON. HOKE SMITH, U.S. SENATOR,

Formerly President of the Board of Education, Atlanta, Ga.

GEORGIA SUPPLEMENT.--PETERMAN'S CIVIL GOVERNMENT.

Copyright, 1901, 1908, 1914, by AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY,

THE STATE OF GEORGIA.

In the people of Georgia is vested the power of government and with them lies the supreme authority in the State, except in this: the people of Georgia can pa.s.s no law which conflicts with the provisions of the Const.i.tution of the United States. As a safeguard and for the better administration of their affairs, the people of Georgia have established a Const.i.tution. The present Const.i.tution was adopted by delegates selected from Senatorial districts. The delegates met in convention and adopted the present Const.i.tution in 1877. All laws in Georgia must be made in accordance with the Const.i.tution of the United States and the Const.i.tution of Georgia. They must also be executed according to the provisions of these Const.i.tutions. The Const.i.tution of Georgia can be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members of each branch of the General a.s.sembly, but the action of the General a.s.sembly in amending the Const.i.tution must be ratified by the voters at the next election of members of the General a.s.sembly; or, a new Const.i.tution can be made by another const.i.tutional convention, which can be called only by two thirds of the members of each house of the General a.s.sembly.

The Const.i.tution of Georgia places the administration of the civil government of the State in three departments, the Legislative, the Executive, and the Judicial.

LEGISLATIVE.--The Legislative department consists of two bodies, namely, the _Senate_ and the House of Representatives. The Senate is composed of forty-four members, one from each Senatorial district. The Senatorial districts consist of three or more counties. No one can be elected a State Senator who is not a citizen of the United States, who has not attained the age of twenty-five years, and who has not been a resident of the State four years.

The _House of Representatives_ consists of one hundred and eighty-six members, apportioned among the different counties according to population. The six counties having the largest population have three representatives each; the twenty-six counties having the next largest population have two representatives each; the remaining one hundred sixteen counties have one representative each. A member of the House of Representatives must be twenty-one years of age, and must have resided in the State four years, and in the county from which elected one year. The members of the Legislature are elected biennially on the first Wednesday in October.

Both members of the Senate and the House are chosen for terms of two years at the general State elections.

The _General a.s.sembly_ meets annually on the fourth Wednesday in June, and can make all laws deemed by its members proper and necessary for the welfare of the State not in conflict with the Const.i.tution of the State or Const.i.tution of the United States. A majority of each House const.i.tutes a quorum for the transaction of business. Neither branch of the Legislature has the right to adjourn for a longer time than three days without the consent of the other, but should they disagree upon a question of adjournment, the Governor may adjourn either or both of them. The Acts of the Legislature which are approved by the Governor and become laws are published each year for the information of the public. When the Legislature is called upon to elect some officer, both branches meet in the hall of the House of Representatives, and the President of the Senate presides over the joint body and declares the result. No bill can be pa.s.sed by the Legislature unless it receives a majority vote of all members elected to each house of the General a.s.sembly, and this fact must be shown by the journals of both houses.

It is also necessary for a measure to receive the signature of the Governor before becoming a law. When a bill is vetoed by the Governor it may be pa.s.sed by a two-thirds vote of the members of each house, thus making his approval unnecessary. The most important appointments made by the Governor must be confirmed by the Senate before the appointments become effective. The Senate has the sole power to hear impeachment proceedings. It requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate to sustain articles of impeachment before there can be a conviction.

The House of Representatives must first pa.s.s all bills for raising revenue and appropriating money, but the Senate may propose or concur in amendments to such bills. The right to inst.i.tute impeachments is vested in the House of Representatives.

FRANCHISE.--Every male citizen of this State and of the United States twenty-one years old, who has resided in the State one year prior to the election, and in the county in which he offers to vote six months, who has paid all taxes required of him by law since 1877, is an elector, and if registered, may vote. Those who have not paid their taxes, idiots, insane persons, illiterates of poor character who are neither ex-soldiers nor descendants of soldiers nor owners of a certain amount of property, and persons convicted of serious crime, unless pardoned, are disqualified from voting.

REGISTRATION.--Before a citizen can become ent.i.tled to vote he is required to register. On the first day of January of every year the tax collector opens a voters' book in which every person wishing to vote subscribes his name, showing that he is ent.i.tled to vote. From this book the tax collector prepares a list of registered voters of the county, which he files with the county registrars. The county registrars are appointed by the Judge of the Superior Court for a term of two years. The county registrars take this list and compare it with the list of disqualified voters prepared by the tax collector, the ordinary, and the clerk of the Superior Court, and from the two prepare a final list of registered voters. Only those whose names appear on the list of voters prepared by the registrars, are ent.i.tled to vote.

On or before the hour for opening the election a copy of the list of registered voters is furnished the election managers. All elections are presided over by three superintendents. Votes are cast by ballot.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.--The Executive Department of the State consists of the Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and Comptroller-General. Their powers and duties were originally vested in the Governor and his Council, but now the duties of each office are separate and distinct.