Henry v. State ex rel. Coody
Henry v. State ex rel. Coody
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
This suit is a quo warranto proceeding instituted by the state, on the relation of Excell Goody, in the circuit court of Hinds county, against T. M. Henry, insurance, commissioner of the state of Mississippi, to- remove him from office. The appellee Coody claims to be entitled to the office by virtue of an alleged appointment thereto by the governor. The appellant, Henry, interposed a demurrer to the petition, which was overruled by the court. He then filed an affidavit of merits, and asked to be allowed to plead. His petition to plead was denied, and judgment final was rendered ousting Henry from the office, from which judgment this appeal is prosecuted.
In this case we are called upon to say whether or not the state insurance commissioner is a tax collector within the meaning of section 125 of the Constitution. This section is as follows:
“The governor shall have the power, and it is hereby made his duty, to suspend alleged defaulting state and county treasurers, and defaulting tax collectors,'pending the investigation of their respective .accounts, and to malte temporary appointments of proper persons to fill the offices while such investigations are being mad^ and the legislature shall provide for the enforcement of this provision by. appropriate, legislation.”
Pursuant to the mandate to the legislature to provide for the enforcement of this provision by appropriate legislation, the able lawyers who drafted the Gode of 1892 placed therein and the legislature of that year adopted sections 2170, 2171, 2172, 2173, 2174, 2175, 2176 and 2177, and these legislative enactments have been substantially readopted by the codifiers, and are found in the Code of 1906,
The department of insurance was created and first appears as chapter 69, Code of 1906. In this chapter the office of state insurance commissioner is created. His duties are set forth in detail in this chapter. Section 2625 provides for the payment of premium taxes by insurance companies twice each year to the commissioner. Section 2626 provides for license fees to be paid to the commissioner. Section 2629 provides for the payment by the commissioner into the. state treasury of license and premium taxes paid to him. Section 2561 vests in the insurance commissioner power to have the attorney-general or district attorney bring suit against insurance companies or others governed by this chapter when these companies in the judgment of the commissioner, have failed to comply with the law. It will be noted that there are many important duties vested in this officer relating to the solvency and the proper conduct of both life and fire insurance. It is unnecessary here to go into a detailed enumeration of the duties of this officer.
It is the contention of the appellee, and the learned circuit judge so held, that the insurance commissioner is a tax collector under section 125 of the Constitution. An examination of all of the previous Constitutions of the state shows that the Avoids “tax collector” appear in none of them before the Constitution of 1890, and in this Constitution it only appears the one time and in the above section. On the other hand, the offices of state treasurer and county treasurer appear in all previous Constitutions. The offices of state treasurer and county treasurer under all of our Constitutions are constitutional offices. The office of tax collector under none of them is a constitutional office. It is the contention of the appellant that section 125 deals with the incumbents of three offices, namely, those three mentioned, while, on the other hand, the appellee contends that the words “tax collector” rather deal with the duties
This is a misconception of the use of the term “tax collector.” The Constitution makers in all three instances were referring to the incumbent of the office named by them, namely, the office of state treasurer, the office of county treasurer, and the office of tax collector. This -is perfectly plain when we consider the previous and subsequent laws of the state dealing with the tax collector. In all of the previous Codes of Mississippi this office is dealt with. In some of the statutes this officer is referred to as the collector, in others as collector of taxes, in others as tax collector. These words are used in numbers of instances, interchangeably. Turning especially to the Code of 1880, which was in force and effect when the Constitution was made, it therein appeal’s that the office of tax collector was a well-recognized and well-understood office, and that the táx collector was the officer in each county who generally collected the- state and county taxes, with
The various opinions of this court dealing with this subject have always considered that there was such a separate and distinct office as tax collector under all of the laws of the state, except an act in 1843 (Laws 1843, chapter 1, section 7) provided that the office of tax collector should be abolished, and all duties required' by law of the tax collector should be performed by the sheriffs of the several counties. Griffing v. Pintard, 25 Miss. 173. Statutes once combined the offices of tax assessor and tax collector. Later on the two offices were held by one person elected sheriff in accordance with statutes similar to that of section 347, Code of 1880. An act of the legislature of 1822 (Eev. Code 1824, chapter 53, section 3) provided for an annual appointment by the governor of a collector and assessor of taxes for each county. McNutt, Governor v. Lancaster et al., 9 Smedes & M. 570.
The case of Moore v. Foote, Governor, 32 Miss. 469, decided in 1855, is very much in point. Under the law then and now the sheriff of each county was also the tax collector. In dealing with these two officers it is there said:
“This action was brought on a tax collector’s bond; and although the statute subsequently passed, provides that the duties required by law to be performed by the tax col
In the case of Byrne v. State, 50 Miss. 688, it is there stated that: “The office of tax collector exists, with well-defined duties and responsibilities in the present Code.”
, Other cases dealing interestingly with this subject are French v. State, 52 Miss. 759; Hyde v. State, 52 Miss. 665; Harris v. State, 55 Miss. 50; State v. Matthews, 57 Miss. 1; State v. Harney, 57 Miss. 863. Again in the case of State v. Thibodeaux, 69 Miss. 92, 10 So. 58, this court dealt with the powers of sheriff and tax collector. In the case of State v. Tonella, 70 Miss. 701, 14 So. 17, 22 L. R. A. 346, in discussing the office of assessor, and in speaking'"of section 138 of the Constitution, providing for this office, the court said that:
“It is to be presumed that the framers of that instrument intended to provide for the performance by him, substan-' tially at least, of those duties which have hitherto pertained to his office” — citing French v. State, supra.
The Constitution framers were familiar with the previous statutes of this state dealing with the office of tax collector. They knew that for a while the offices of assessor and collector were held by one person. They knew that for a long time previous to the adoption of this Constitution the person elected sheriff was by statute also made the tax collector in his county. The office of sheriff and tax collector originally had separate and distinct powers incident to each. For many years these two offices have been filled by the same person, the sheriff; who is most generally known as sheriff and tax collector. Being cognizant of both the statutory and judicial history of these
“If the examiner report any state or county treasurer op any tax collector to be a defaulter, it shall be the duty of the Governor to notify the attorney-general in case of the state treasurer, or the proper district attorney in case of a county officer, of the facts, and require him to institute proper proceedings in court for the investigation of such accounts and the judicial determination of the status thereof.”
It will be there noted that the legislature provided that the governor notify the attorney-general in case of default of a state treasurer, and then provides that he notify the proper district attorney in case of a county officer. This .section expressly recognizes that the only state officer re
The demurrer challenges the right of the governor to act in this matter for the reason that the state insurance commissioner is not a tax collector under the provisions of this section of the Constitution. This section of the Constitution only refers to the county tax collector, as above stated. It follows that the insurance commissioner is not such a tax collector.
The cause is reversed, the demurrer sustained, and the proceedings dismissed.
Reversed and dismissed.
Concurring Opinion
(specially concurring). I concur specially in the conclusion reached by my brethren, but base my conclusion along entirely different lines of reasoning, and will set forth my views.
Section 125 of the state Constitution of 1890 reads as follows: “The governor shall have the power, and it is hereby made his duty, to suspend alleged defaulting state and county treasurers, and defaulting tax collectors, pending the investigation of their respective accounts, and to make temporary appointments of proper person to fill the offices while such investigations are being made; and the legislature shall provide for the enforcement of this provision by appropriate legislation.”
This section in its concluding clause enjoins upon the legislature to provide for the enforcement of the provision by appropriate legislation, manifesting the intention and idea that there should be legislation to make the section effective. The legislature, in pursuance of these provisions of the Constitution, has enacted section 2387, Code of 1906 (section 4779, Hemingway’s Code), reading as follows:
“The governor shall have the power, and it is his duty, to suspend alleged defaulting state and county treasurers and defaulting tax collectors pending the investigation of
And also section 2388, Code of 1906 (section 4780, Hemingway’s Code), reading as follows: “The governor is authorized, when he deems it proper, to appoint an expert accountant, whose duty it shall be, under the direction of the governor, to audit and examine the books, accounts, and vouchers of all officers, state or county, or of any of the state educational, charitable, or reformatory institutions, or of the officers thereof, or of any other institution supported in whole or in part by the state.”
And also section 2389, Code of 1906 (section 4781, Hemingway’s Code), reading as follows: “The governor shall have power to direct and control the examiner; and, when he deems it necessary, may require him to examine the accounts of any state or county officer charged with the duty of collecting or disbursing any part of the public revenue, and shall fix his compensation at not exceeding seven dollars a day while actually employed, the examiner to pay his own expenses; and the governor shall prescribe the time for which he shall be employed.”
And also section 2392, Code of 1906 (section 4785, Hemingway’s Code), reading as follows: “The examiner shall make report to the governor under oath, of the result of any examination he may be required to make, and show therein the true condition and state of the books and accounts examined at the time of his examination. Such reports shall be public records.”
And also section 2393, Code of 1906 (section 4786, Hemingway’s Code), reading as follows: “Whenever it shall be alleged to the governor, credibly, that the state treasurer or any county treasurer or any tax collector is a defaulter, the governor shall.direct the examiner forthwith to examine the records, books, and accounts of such treasurer or tax collector, and as soon as practicable to report the condition of such officer’s accounts. If the report show such officer to be a defaulter or short in his accounts, the
It will he observed from a reading of the above sections of the Constitution of 1890 and of the statutes that the Governor is required to commission the person appointed to make the examination, and that such examiner shall report to the governor, under oath, and such report shall be a public record.
Section 127 of the Constitution óf' 1890 provides: “All commissions shall be in the name and by the authority of the state of Mississippi, be sealed with the great seal of state, and be signed by the governor, and attested by the secretary of state.”
Section 125 of the Constitution, not being self-executing, and the statutes enacted in aid thereof, requiring the governor to do and perform certain things in the steps taken by the statute, make it necessary for the governor to have all the foundations prescribed by law complied with in the manner therein provided. The power conferred upon the governor is one of great importance, and is to be exercised and pursued without hearing or notice in so far as the officer is concerned, up to and including the act of suspension. The general rule is that officers exercising special powers must follow the conditions, and the record must so show, warranting the exercise of the power.
In the present case the proceedings do not show that the conditions upon which the power is to be exercised exists. It is not alleged that the examiner was commissioned and such commission attested by the secretary of state, and it does not show that the examiner so appointed reported to the governor under oath, as is required by section 2392, Code of 1906 (section 4785, Hemingway’s Code). The decláration alleged that the appellant was duly elected at the last general election, and duly qualified, and was commissioned as insurance commissioner of the state of Mississippi, and that it becamé his duty to collect certain taxes, ad valorem, privilege, and license taxes, from the
Neither the declaration nor any of the exhibits show that the accountant, Davis, was ever commissioned to make the audit; neither does it show that the accountant, Davis, made a report to the governor, under oath, of the condition of the accounts of the insurance commissioner’s office. The report made an exhibit shows a number of items against the insurance commissioner which would have no bearing upon the question of his default. It also sets forth certain amounts paid over by the insurance commissioner to the state revenue agent prior to the alleged examination and the said suspension.
Wherever a power of this kind is to be exercised, and especially where it is without hearing or notice, the record must show a strict compliance with all the conditions imposed as conditions to the exercise of the power. No presumption can be indulged in support of the act, and none ought to be indulged. The rule is stated in Bolivar County v. Coleman, 71 Miss. 832, 15 So. 107, as follows: “No presumption is indulged in favor of a court of limited and special jurisdiction, and, where the jurisdictional facts do not appear of record, its judgments are void.”
In Lake v. Perry, 95 Miss. 550, 49 So. 569, it was held by the court that the power conferred upon the chancery court by Code of 1906, sections 543 and 544 (Hemingway’s
In Garner v. Webster County, 79 Miss. 565, 31 So. 210, the court held that the board of supervisors in creating stock law districts were exercising a special and limited jurisdiction, and, unless all the jurisdictional facts appeared affirmatively in the record, that the order of the board creating such a district was void. To the same effect is Ferguson v. Monroe County, 71 Miss. 524, 14 So. 81; Corbett v. Duncan, 63 Miss. 84; Loeb v. Duncan, 63 Miss. 89; Rogers v. Hahn, 63 Miss. 578; Deberry v. Holly Springs, 35 Miss. 385; Wilson v. Wallace, 64 Miss. 13, 8 So. 128.
The relator not having set forth all the facts necessary to sustain his right to maintain the suit, the demurrer should have been sustained, and the declaration dismissed. I regret, however, that I cannot agree with the construction placed by my brethren upon section 125 of the Constitution of 1890. If this were a mere statute being construed, which could be amended by the legislature, I would express no opinion in opposition to the views expressed by my brethren, though I could not agree it was the proper construction. But, inasmuch as the section is a part of the Constitution, over which the legislature has no kind of control, I deem it proper to set forth my views with reference thereto. The section of the Constitution was probably placed in the Constitution to meet the condition brought about by the construction placed by the court upon section 175 of the state Constitution, under which it was held that a public officer could not be removed from office
In á Words and Phrases, Second Series, p. 856, a tax collector is defined: “A tax collector’ is a public officer, an¿L is so treated in the statute relating to the collection of taxes and the compensation of the collector”— citing Massie v. Harrison County, 129 Iowa, 277, 105 N. W. 507.
In 8 Words and Phrases,, First Series, p. 6886, a tax collector is defined as follows: “A 'tax collector’ is a tax gatherer. He turns the money which he collects over to the treasurer, if lie he not treasurer” — citing Mutual Life Ins. Co. of New York v. Martien, 27 Mont. 437, 71 Pac. 470.
''The 'tax collector’ is the official representative of the public in the matter of the collection of taxes. He is empowered to enforce collection by resort to summary remedies, and upon sale he executes the papers evidencing the same. For the exercise of those remedies the tax list and warrant are his sufficient authority. Upon him alone devolves the duty of providing the taxpayer with the proper evidence of his payment of taxes and its application” — citing Lobban v. State, 9 Wyo. 377, 61 Pac. 82.
"A collector of taxes is a public officer whose duty it is to collect the taxes and pay the same into the treasury of the state or to the parties entitled” — citing State v. Nicholson, 67 Md. 1, 8 Atl. 817.
''A collector is an officer who collects or receives taxes, duties, or other public revenues. It is sufficient if he is authorized by law to receive the money for and on behalf of the public, and he need not possess the power to enforce payment by a legal process” — citing State v. Moores, 52 Neb. 770, 73 N. W. 299.
Mr. Black in his Law Dictionary, under the title “collector,” defines: “One authorized to receive taxes or other impositions; as 'collector of taxes.’ ”
Under the word “tax,” Mr. Black defines tax as follows: “To impose a tax; to enact or declare that a pecuniary contribution shall be made by the persons liable, for the support of government.”
Under section 3894, Code of 1906 (section 6621, Hemingway’s Code), certain taxes are paid to the county collector, certain others to the auditor of public accounts, and throughout the history of the state taxes have been j)aid partly to the county collector and partly to the state collector. The auditor of public accounts now has, and has had since the Code of 1880, the power to collect certain ad valorem taxes, and certainly is a tax collector. The Code of 1880 generally was in force when the constitutional convention sat, and it contains many provisions for the collection of taxes through other officers than county tax collectors. Under Code of 1880, section 347, the sheriff was by statute made the county tax collector. This section was brought forward in section 4143, Code of 1892 (section 4694, Code of 1906; section 3111, Hemingway’s Code).
In section 514, Code of 1880, it was provided that a person having taxable property in the counties where they do not reside may pay taxes thereon to the auditor. Section 564, Code of 1880, requires the auditor to make a
“In all cases where any such fiscal officer has collected or received money or funds, and has not paid over or accounted for same; in all cases where tax collectors of the state, counties or levee boards or municipalities have failed to collect, or have collected and failed to pay over taxes due, whether general, special, poll or privilege; or where as such tax collectors, funds have been collected as taxes due when, none were due, or where they, in any other manner, have unlawfully exacted taxes as due, or where they have collected taxes not charged to them, and have not accounted for and paid over the same; or where such tax collectors or other fiscal officers of the state, counties, levee boards or municipalities have received unlawful or improper credits in their settlements as such, or where any of said tax collectors ox fiscal officers have by virtue of their office, collected or received public funds, and have not accounted for and paid over the same,” etc.
While the Constitution uses the word “collectors,” and uses the word “state” for “state treasurer,” it plainly implies both state and county tax collectors. There used to be such things in grammar as treating words written into a sentence by implication to save needless repetition. If the section of the Constitution be looked at in, this light, it could and ought to be read “defaulting state and county
• It seems to me that it is an awkward construction that makes the statute apply to one person receiving the public revenue and not apply to another person doing exactly the same thing. If the section was intended to be limited to county tax collectors, it would have been unnecessary because the legislature would have power under section 139 of the Constitution to empower the governor to remove a county officer or municipal officer under such conditions as the legislature should see proper to impose. An officer has no vested right to an office independent of conditions imposed in the Constitution. He taires it subject to the exercises of the power by the officer intrusted with the power. It may be that those having power will abuse it, but a court can only deal with the law as it finds it, and cannot relieve hardships that may result from the exercise of the power conferred.
I am of the opinion that the proceeding required to be instituted by the governor under section 2394, Code of 1906 (Section 4787, Hemingway’s Code), for “the investigation of such accounts and the judicial determination of the status thereof,” is an act to be done subsequent to the suspension, but should follow within a short time thereafter, and that-this proceeding must be conducted by the officers named in the statute, and cannot, under the law as it stands, be conducted by the state revenue agent. It is true the state revenue agent may sue for any money due the state by such officer, but the judgment in such case does not necessarily reflect the judicial determination of
Reference
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- Henry, Ins. Com'r v. State ex rel. Coody
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