Leatherwood v. Hill
Leatherwood v. Hill
Opinion of the Court
On a former hearing we sustained respondent’s demurrer to the application in this case. Ante page 16, 85 Pac. 405. Leave was then obtained and has been availed of to amend the application. The matter is now before us upon the amended application.
We shall not repeat those matters of pleading set forth in our former opinion. In addition to the facts set forth in the original application, the amended application shows that
We have to determine whether the appropriation of fifteen hundred dollars made in act No. 69, p. 144, of the Laws of 1905, “to be disbursed by the board of directors of the Arizona Pioneers Historical Society to enable it to carry on its work and duties for the years 1905 and 1906 in the manner provided for and set forth in sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 of act No. 53 of the nineteenth legislative assembly incorporating said society and making it the trustee for the territory” is valid legislation. It is apparent to us that the general purpose of the corporation, as set forth in its articles, is such that it will not be ultra vires for it to accept and fulfill the trust sought to be imposed upon it by the Appropriation Act. Thus the defect in the original petition, pointed out in our former opinion, has been remedied. Nor have we difficulty in perceiving that sections 1, 2, 3, and 4, of act No. 53, supra, though the act itself was repealed in 1901, are, by reference, re-enacted by act No. 69, supra, to the extent of defining the terms upon which the appropriation is to be accepted and
Is the appropriation in this ease for such a public purpose as to render it a “rightful subject of legislation” under the provisions of section 1851 of the Revised Statutes of the United States? *By reason of the fact that the recipient of the appropriation is a private corporation is the appropriation within the inhibition of the Harrison Act, prohibiting territorial legislatures from passing “special laws . . . granting to any corporation, association, or individual any special or exclusive privilege, immunity, or franchise whatever ?” These are the questions submitted by the attorney-general in behalf of the respondent. The material portion of section 1851 of the Revised Statutes of the United States reads: “The legislative power of every territory shall extend to all rightful subjects of legislation not inconsistent with the constitution and laws of the United States.” In Bennett v. Nichols, 9 Ariz. 138, 80 Pac. 392, we showed that this power is as broad as that exercised by the legislatures of the states, the constitutions and laws of the United States serving as the sole limitation thereon, a limitation comparable to that imposed by state constitutions upon state legislatures. Those are “rightful subjects of legislation” which, subject to that limitation, would be rightful subjects for state legislation. It would be an unmeritorious task to illustrate elaborately the various enterprises which have been deemed such rightful subjects — the erection of monuments to distinguished men, the maintenance of agricultural, horticultural, and live-stock fairs and exhibitions, the direct offer by the legislature of rewards for the apprehension of notorious outlaws, pensions to meritorious public servants or their families, and others innumerable— and to marshal the decisions by which such legislation has been upheld in various states. The few illustrations just given have been the subject of unchallenged legislation in this territory, as well as from earliest times in various states. In dis
The questions propounded are not really two questions, but are two aspects of the same question. The same principles must be applied in this particular case, whether the determination of the matter be referred to section 1851 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, or to the limitations imposed by the Harrison Act (1 Supp. Rev. Stats. U. S. 1874-1891, p. 503, e. 818). An analogous case was presented to the supreme court of California in Daggett v. Colgan, 92 Cal. 53, 27 Am. St. Rep. 95, 14 L. R. A. 474, 28 Pac. 51, wherein the California World’s Pair commissioners procured a mandate compelling the state controller to honor an appropriation for the representation of California at the World’s Pair Columbian Exposition. This exposition was conducted under the agency of a private corporation incorporated under the laws of Illinois. It was contended by respondent in that case that the appropriation was in conflict with that article of the state constitution providing that “no money shall ever be appropriated . . . for the use or benefit of any corporation, association, asylum, hospital, or any other institution not under the exclusive management and control of the state as a state institution, nor shall any grant or donation of property ever be made thereto by the state”; and, furthermore, was not for a “public use, such as the state is authorized to make.” The court said: “Even if it could be said with any degree of certainty that the private corporation referred to in the act of Congress will increase its receipts because of the fact that the state is to place its products on exhibition, or that it may derive a benefit from the rent of its grounds to the state, or realize other profits, still, this would not affect the question we are considering, or bring the appropriation within
It is to be observed that the conditions of this appropriation are such that the Society of Arizona Pioneers may disburse the fund only as provided by act 53, ubi supra, must report a detailed statement of its expenditures to the governor, and shall hold all its collections and property for the territory without power to alienate any portion thereof without authority of law. Every dollar of the appropriation must be expended to procure historical data and collect Arizonana. Neither the society nor any member of it can profit by the appropriation without embezzlement. Neither it nor its offi
Let the peremptory writ issue.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- R. N. LEATHERWOOD v. WESLEY A. HILL, Auditor of the Territory of Arizona
- Cited By
- 8 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Mandamus — Pleadings—Demurrer to Original Petition — Amended Petition — Original Demurrer Applicable to. — Rev. Stats. Ariz. 1901, Par. 1367, Construed. — Under section 1367, supra, the demurrer to original application still stands to the amended application, no other answer or return having been made by respondent. 2. Corporations — Ultra Vires — Laws 1905, p. 144, No. 69, and Acts Nineteenth Legislative Assembly Act No. 53, Seos. 1-4, Cited.— Act No. 69, supra, made an appropriation of a sum of money to be used by the directors of the Arizona Pioneers Historical Society for the purpose of carrying on its work and duties as set forth in sections 1-4, act No. 53, supra, which duties as set forth were to collect books and materials illustrative of the history of Arizona. The articles of incorporation provided that its purposes were to collect and preserve information connected with the early settlement and history of the territory, to form a library and cabinet and preserve such literary and scientific objects as the board of directors may from time to time determine, etc. Held, that the general purpose of the corporation as set forth in these articles is such that it will not be ultra vires for it to accept and fulfill the trust sought to be imposed upon it by the Appropriation Act. 3. Statutes — Repeal—Re-Enactment—Laws 1905, No. 69, and Laws Nineteenth Legislative Assembly Act No. 53, Secs. 1-4, Construed. — Act No. 53, supra, being an act incorporating the Arizona Pioneers Historical Society and defining its duties, was repealed in 1901. Act No. 69, supra, made an appropriation to be dispersed by the directors of the Arizona Pioneers Historical Society for the purpose of carrying on its duties in the manner provided for in sections 1-4 of act No. 53, supra, Held, that sections 1-4 of act No. 53, supra, though the act itself was repealed in 1901, was by reference re-enacted by act No. 69, supra, to the extent of defining the terms upon which the appropriation is to be accepted and administered by the society. 4. Constitutional Law — Social and Special Acts — Rev. Stats. U. S. 1851, Harrison Act, July 30, 1886, (1 Supp. Rev. Stats. U. S. 1874-1891, p. 503, chap. 818,) and Laws 1905, No. 69, Construed. —Under section 1851, supra, providing that the legislative power of every territory shall extend to all lawful subjects of legislation not inconsistent with the constitution and the laws of the United States, and Harrison Act, supra, providing that the legislatures of territories shall not pass local or special laws granting to any corporation any special or exclusive privilege, immunity, or franchise, and that where a general law can be made applicable no special ones shall be enacted. Act No. 69, supra, appropriating a sum of money to be dispersed by the Arizona Pioneers Historical Society and providing that the directors must report a detailed statement of expenditures to the governor and hold all collections and property without power to alienate any portion thereof, and that all the money must be expended to procure historical data and collect Arizonana, was not invalid under either the Harrison Act or section 1851, supra.