Florida East Coast Railway Co. v. Hazel
Florida East Coast Railway Co. v. Hazel
Opinion of the Court
It appears from the-abstract .in this case that the defendant in - error instituted suit in the Circuit Court of St. John’s county against plaintiff in error to recover double damages and attorneys’-fees for the'killing-of certain live stock, the • declaration, filed January 1, 1896, alleging the failure of defendant to fence its tracks as required by Chapter 4069, acts 1891. The company de
The errors assigned relate to the rulings before stated, but the only questions presented and argued in the briefs are as follows: First, whether the provisions authorizing double damages and attorneys’ fees in the act referred to are unconstitutional, because of a defect in the title of the act. Second, whether such provisions were repealed by section 7, Chapter 4189, act of 1893.
Chapter 4069 is entitled “An Act Requiring Railroad Companies to Fence their Tracks, and Providing Remedies against them for Failure to do so.” The first section requires railroad companies or persons operating railroads in this State to begin within sixty days after the passage of the act to construct a fence on both sides of its line so as to prevent the intrusion of any cattle and horses upon its track except in certain places therein designated. The second section requires the companies or persons to commence to construct such fence within sixty days after the passage of the act, and to continue such construction uninterruptedly until the work is completed, which is required to be done within two years after the approval of the act, and also to erect proper stock guards as provided in the third section. The third section specifies the character of fence and stock guards to be constructed. The
It is contended that the liability for double damages and attorneys’ fees imposed by this act is a penalty — that the title of the act does not indicate that penalties are imposed, but only that remedies are provided, and therefore that the title is misleading and insufficient to sustain the provisions for double damages and attorneys’ fees under section 16, Article III, constitution of 1885, that “each
The second question presented is whether the provisions relating to double damages and attorneys’ fees in the act of 1891 were repealed by section 7, Chapter 4189, act of 1893. That act is. entitled “an act to force railroad companies, other companies and other persons running cars or trains in this State to post marks, brands, color and sex of live stock that may be killed or injured by engines and cars; and to keep, a record, and to provide for the payment of the same.” The first six sections of this act require certain designated officials and employes of railroads to make certain reports of the killing or injuring of stock
This disposes of all the questions presented, and finding no error the judgment must be affirmed.
In this case a motion has been made in this court for the allowance of an attorney fee in favor of defendant in error for defending the suit in this court, but without reference to the sufficiency of proof here to establish such a claim, we are of opinion that this court has no jurisdiction to entertain such a demand. If he is entitled to attorney fees under the statute for maintaining his judgment in the appellate court, he must first resort to a court having original jurisdiction. Such motion is, therefore, hereby denied.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The Florida East Coast Railway Company, a Corporation Under the Laws of Florida, in Error v. John Hazel, in Error
- Cited By
- 31 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Where the title of an act clearly though briefly expresses the subject-matter of legislation contained in the body of the act, and there is nothing in the act which is not properly .connected with such subject-matter, the requirement of section 16, Art. 1X1, constitution of 1885, that the subject of an act of the legislature be briefly expressed in the title is complied with. 2. Courts should not resort to critical or technical construction of the language of the title of an act, in order to exclude parts of the body of the act from its purview as being in violation of the constitutional requirement that the subject of an act be briefly expressed in the title, nor should the title be held insufficient to embrace parts of the body of the act unless the question be free from doubt. 3. The title of Chapter 4069 act of 1891, is sufficient to sustain the provisions of the body of the act authorizing the recovery of double damages and attorneys’ fees by owners of live stock killed or injured by the engines and cars of railway companies failing to fence their tracks as therein required. 4. Repeals by implication are not.favored, and in. order that the court may declare that one statute repeals another by implication, it must appear that there is a positive repugnancy between the two, .or that- the last was clearly intended to prescribe the only rule which should govern the case provided for, or that it revises the subject-matter of the former. 5. The provisions of Cnapter 4069-acts of. 1891 relating to the recovery of double damages and attorneys’ fees for live stock killed by the engines and cars of railroad companies failing to fence their tracks as therein required, were not repealed by section 7, Chap. 4189 acts of 1893. 6. The Supreme Court has no-jurisdiction to entertain a motion for the allowance of a reasonable attorney fee for services rendered in behalf of a defendant in error in said court filed in a cause pending in said court upon writ of error from a judgment of a Circuit Court rendered in favor of defendant in error against plaintiff in error for double damages, costs and attorney's fees ,under Chap. 4069, acts of. 1891.