Southern Railway Co. v. Mecklenburg County

That the cost of maintaining a rural police force in Mecklenburg County for the better enforcement of the law and the security of the public safety is a necessary expense of county government is conceded. Is it a “general purpose” or a “special purpose” expense within the meaning of Art. V, sec. 6 of the Constitution ? This is the one question posed for decision. The court below answered in favor of plaintiff. In this conclusion we concur.

The creation of counties as subdivisions of the state originated in England even before the organization of the kingdom itself. Bignell v. Cummins, 36…