Anonymous
Anonymous
Opinion of the Court
By the Court,
The motion to dismiss the appeal in this case is sought to be sustained by the fact that no. order has been made by the judge, who made the order appealed from, fixing the amount of the appeal bond ; and by the fact that no notice was given of the application for the order; and by the fact that the appeal has not been taken in the name cf the parties to the suit; and by the further fact that the proper bond has not been given.
It appears that the order fixing the sum in which the bond should be given was made by a court commissioner, and that no notice was given to the appellee or his solicitor of the application for the order. The statute (Rev. Stat. [1849] chap. 84, § 111), provided that the party appealing, shall give bond to the adverse party, with good security, in such sum as the judge of the circuit court shall order, &c.
It is contended that commissioners have no power given
A very great distinction has been made by the legislature between the powers of these officers when appointed by circuit judges, and when they become commissioners by virtue of an election to the office of judges of probate. Section 5 of chapter 131 of the Revised Statutes, provides that “the judge of probate in each organized county, or the person having probate jurisdiction, shall act as a court commissioner, and shall have, and may exercise the power of a judge of the circuit court at chambers,” &c. It seems clear that this power is given only to such of these officers as fill the office of judge of probate, or as have probate jurisdiction. Why the legislature made the distinction it is perhaps useless to enquire. If the commissioner who made the order fixing the amount
No general power is given to this officer except-“to do such other things as are required by the court, or as are necessary and proper for the full exercise of the powers granted to” him. I do not think that the power to make the order in question can be contained in this general power, except perhaps in cases where the matter is referred to him by the court. In such a case he may have the power to determine the sum in which the bond shall be given, though in such cases probably his decision would be subject to review by the judge. It seems equally clear, that the power to make the order is not specified in the section of the Revised Statutes in question. The only specified power there given, which has any very close analogy to the one exercised by the commissioner, is the power to determine upon the amount and sufficiency of bail in civil actions, in cases in which bail is required by law. This power cannot, we think, be considered as authorizing the making of this order by the commissioner. It merely authorizes him to determine upon the amount and sufficiency of bail.
The counsel for the appellee contended at the argument that rule 3 of this court, was entirely incompatible with the possession of the power to make the order by the commissioner. That rule provided that in appeals from inter
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