In re the Attorney-General

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Gummere, Chief Justice.

The proceeding before us was instituted by the attorney-general, upon the instruction of the governor of the state, under the authority of an act of the legislature passed in 1873, and entitled “An act providing for decreeing and making known that certain laws and joint resolutions have become inoperative and void.” 4 Comp, *587Slat., p. 4978. Briefly, the statute of 1873 provides that, if at any time within one year after any law shall have been approved and filed in the office of the secretary of state the governor shall have…