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STATE v. POINDEXTER
139

Legislatures nor the executive department can curb or restrict these powers; that the legislative acts provide an orderly way of designating the employees of each house; that § 34, C. L. 1913, enumerating legislative employees and their compensation, does not restrict this power; that, pursuant to § 35, C. L. 1913, each house possesses the right by resolution to employ and pay such other employees as it might designate by resolution; that the work of this special house committee was properly a legislative function; that the petitioners, being, in fact, legal House employees, are entitled to be paid out of the legislative appropriation available either for miscellaneous legislative expenses or for the per diem of officers and employees.

The respondent maintains that the petition does not affirmatively show the appointment or the existence of the committee for a proper legislative purpose; that there exists neither constitutional nor statutory authority for the appointment of the relators as employees of such committee and for the payment of their salaries and expenses as such; that, pursuant to the Constitution, there exists neither express nor implied power for one branch of the Legislative Assembly to hire employees and to pay for their services, in the absence of legislative act or the concurrence of the other branch of the assembly; that it was competent and proper for the Legislative Assembly to provide specifically for legislative officers and employees and for their compensation; that it has so done pursuant to § 34, C. L. 1913; that § 35, C. L. 1913, does not permit the employment of stenographers, clerks, reporters, expert accountants, and lawyers by a committee appointed by the House; that, so far as § 35, C. L. 1913, delegates to the House the right to hire employees other than those mentioned in § 34, it must be construed to relate to employees of the same class, and not to delegate the further authority to a committee appointed by the House the power to appoint such employees. That furthermore, pursuant to § 42, C. L. 1913, the expenses of an investigating committee are payable only when authorized by the entire Legislative Assembly.

DECISION.

The questions presented by the contending parties are res integra in this jurisdiction. To what extent is the power of one branch of the Legislative Assembly, when acting alone and without the concurrence of the other, restricted by the Constitution, or subservient to legislative en-