State ex rel. Power v. Power
State ex rel. Power v. Power
Opinion of the Court
This case was tried in the court below upon an agreed statement of facts, the material portions of which are as follows: “(1) On the 22d day of February, 1881, the city of Deadwood was duly incorporated by an act of the legislature of Dakota territory entitled ‘An act to incorporate the city of. Deadwood,’ which act was duly accepted by said city.; and thereafter, and until the date hereinafter named", .it'com
It will be observed that the act incorporating the city of Deadwood was passed the 22d day of February, 1881, and that the act creating the board of education for the city of Deadwood was passed the 5th day of March, 1881, — 10 days subsequently to the act incorporating the city, and not as an amendment to the city charter, but as an entirely independent act. The latter act has never, in terms, been repealed. The learned counsel for appellants contend that the act organizing the Deadwood school board was a special act, and is in no way effected by the general school law of 1891, and further that, by the express terms of that act, special acts relating to education, passed prior to January 1, 1890, are specially excepted. The language of the repealing clause (section 11, sube. 10, c. 56, p. 152, Laws 1891) reads as follows: “All acts and parts of acts relating to education, passed prior to January 1, 1890, (except special acts relating to schools in cities, towns and villages and also to independent districts created by special acts) are hereby -repealed.” And they further contend that the only way the city of Deadwood could eomé under and be governed by
It will be observed, first, that it is provided by that section that ‘‘all cities now organized or hereafter to be organized under the general act,” etc., shall be governed by the provisions of the act. Was Deadwood organized under the general act by the vote of 1893? The general act (chapter 37, art. 1, § 1, Laws 1890) provides as follows: “That any city now existing in this state under a special charter may become incorporated under this act in the manner following: * * * Sec. 3. If a majority of the votes cast at such election shall be for city organization under general law, such city shall thenceforth be deemed to be organized under this act. * * *” The term “organized, ” in the school law, clearly means the same as the term “incorporated,” in the first section of the city incorporation act. When, therefore, the city of Deadwood became incorporated under the latter act, by the vote of 1893, it came under the provisions of the school law, and thereafter was governed by its provisions. We are of the opinion, therefore, that the position of the respondents is the correct one, namely, that the provisions of the school law govern (1) all cities then organized under general laws at the date of the passage of the school la,w; (2) all cities that should thereafter be incorporated under the general city incorporation law; and (3) all cities incorporated under special charters, that should, by a majority vote, adopt the general school law. This construction is in harmony with the repealing clause of section 11, re?
The counsel for appellants have called our attention to the case of Territory v. McPherson, 6 Dak. 27, 50 N. W. 351, and numerous cases holding the same doctrine, and insist that the law, as there laid down, rules this case. But we are unable to agree with counsel in this contention. • It was held in that case •that a special law on the subject of licenses, made applicable to Deadwood alone, was not repealed by a general law upon the
Counsel for appellants have made a very able and ingenious argument in favor of the legal existence of the old board, notwithstanding the reincorporation of the city; but in view of the positive provisions of the section of the school law herein quoted, adopted subsequently to the passage of the city incorporation act, we think the conclusion is irresistible that the legislature intended that a city, upon incorporation under the general act for the incorporation of cities, should be governed thereafter by the general school law, and not by its special act. Our conclusion is, therefore, that the judgment of the court below is correct, and the same is affirmed.
Reference
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- Syllabus
- 1. When a city incorporated, under a special charter becomes “organized under the g'eneral act providing for the incorporation of cities,” by a majority vote of its electors, it is thereafter governed by the provisions of the general school law of 1891, and any special act providing for a board of education in such city thereafter ceases to be in force in such city. 2. The provisions of the general school law of 1891 are in force (1) in all cities then organized under general laws at the date of the passage of said general school law; (2) in all cities thereafter incorporated or organized by a majority vote of their electors under the general law for the incorporation of cities; and (3) in all towns, villages, and cities incorporated under special charters, that, by a majority vote of electors, adopt the general school law. 3. The proviso to section 1, sube. 9, c. 56, Laws 1891, only applies when a city, town, or village incorporated under a special charter, and having a school board organized under a special act, does not choose to incorporate under the general law for the incorporation of cities but does desire to adopt the provisions of the general school law. In such case the general school law can only be adopted by a majority .vote of the electors of such city, town, or village. 4. The effect of the repealing provisions of section 11, sube. 10, of the general school law, which provides for the repeal of all acts, “except special acts relating to schools in cities, towns or villages, and also independent school districts created by special acts,” is to continue such special acts in force until such cities, towns, or villages, in some method provided in the act, adopt the general school law, but does not continue in force a special act organizing a school board in a city which has, since the passage of the general school law, become organized under the general act for the incorporation of cities. 5. The city of D. was incorporated under a special charter in 1881. A school board for that city was also organized by a special act in 1881. In 1893 the said city of D. became incorporated, by a majority vote of its electors, under the general act for the incorporation of cities, passed in 1890. Held that, by such organization under the general law of 1890, the said city came under the provisions of the general school law of 1891, and that its special act organizing its school board was in effect repealed and abrogated by virtue of such incorporation under said general act. (Syllabus by the Court.