GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES 137 



National authority is specified in the Constitu- 

 tion, and so far as concerns veterinarians it is 

 practically limited to the control of interstate and 

 foreign commerce. The authority of the city is 

 only such as has been given it by the state, and 

 the city official has no authority outside of the 

 city limits. The state has supreme police power 

 over all matters within its boundaries, according 

 to the ordinary interpretation of the Constitu- 

 tion. 



100. Authority Determined by Legislation. 

 Except possibly in the case of a very few of the 

 principal officers, the duties and authority of all 

 governmental representatives are determined by 

 enactment. The enactment may be a constitution, 

 a state legislative act, or a city ordinance. In 

 each case the act is found in print or engrossed, 

 and its provisions can be ascertained. The officer 

 or employee should therefore become familiar 

 with the exact wording of all enactments pertain- 

 ing to his position. An act duly passed will be 

 presumed to be law until it has been declared not 

 valid. But the law may have been so declared, 

 and still be permitted to remain upon the statute 

 books. It therefore becomes necessary to know 

 what judicial determinations there may have 

 been upon the matter. 



101. Invalid Act Is No Defense for Officer. 

 "Where an officer of state or city has acted in per- 

 fect good faith, relying upon a certain statute or 

 ordinance for his authority, and in the course of 

 his efforts he has worked injury to some citizen, 

 either in person or property, if it shall later ap- 

 pear that the statute was unconstitutional, or that 



