County of Philadelphia v. Sharswood
County of Philadelphia v. Sharswood
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
This action was brought originally by the defendant in error against the county of Philadelphia, before an 1 alderman of the city of Philadelphia, to recover $12, which he claimed as being due to him from the county, for four days’ service rendered as a member of the County Board, after the month of March in the year 1842. The alderman gave a judgment in favour of the plaintiff before him against the county for the sum claimed -, from which the county carried the cause to the Court of Common Pleas of the county by appeal, where the plaintiff again obtained a judgment for the same amount against the county, upon a demurrer by the county .to the demand of the plaintiff below, as set forth in his declaration. The cause is now before this court upon a writ of error sued out to the judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia county. By an Act of the Legislature, passed the 10th April 1834, entitled “ An Act for erecting the County Board, and concerning the commissioners and auditors of the county of Philadelphia, and for other purposes,” it is enacted by the 5th section thereof, that “ from and after the passage of this Act, the members for the time being of the Senate and House of Representatives from the city and county of Philadelphia shall form the County Board, whereof a quorum shall consist of a majority of the whole number, who shall have free access to the books, papers and accounts of said office, and without whose consent and approbation in writing it shall not be lawful for the commissioners of the said county of Philadelphia to lay any tax or county rate and levy, or to borrow any money, except as is hereinbefore authorized and provided for.” By the 6th section it is further declared, that “ the county commissioners may call meetings of the said County Board whenever they shall deem it expedient so to do, giving at least ten days’ public notice of the time and place of such meeting, and of the purpose for which the same shall be called, and also giving private notice thereof to the members of said Board: Provided, that no meeting of the said Board shall be appointed to be held at any time during the session of the General Assembly of this Commonwealth.” But by the 1st section of a subsequent Act passed the 5th April 1842, (Pamph. 236), the County Board may meet at Harrisburgh during the ses
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.