526 



MISSISSIPPI. 



which had bestowed upon the Executive the tem- 

 porary power of appointing those officers, who, un- 

 der the regular and permanent operations of the 

 constitution, are to he elected by the people ; second, 

 because I knew of no provision in the constitution 

 to which this view of the subject is repugnant ; and 

 thirdly, because I considered that such a law was in 

 exact harmony with Section 6 of Article XII. of the 

 constitution, which is as follows : 



" The term of office of all county, township, and 

 precinct officers shall expire within thirty days after 

 this constitution shall have been ratified, and the 

 Governor shall, by and with the advice and consent 

 of the Senate, thereafter appoint such officers whose 



term of qfice sliall continue until the Legislature 

 shall provide by law for an election of such officers: 

 provided the present incumbents of all county, town- 

 ship, district, and beat officers, shall hold their re- 

 spective offices until their successors are legally ap- 

 pointed or electedj and duly qualified." 



The words italicised in this section are, in my 

 opinion, the only words in the constitution having 

 any application to the tenure of those elective officers, 

 the preliminary appointment of whom is required to 

 be made by the Executive, except that certain officers 

 named in Article V.. and no others, are required by 

 Section 22 of that article to hold " till their successors 

 shall be duly qualified." 



CENSUS OF 1870. 



