45 So. 429 | Miss. | 1908
delivered the opinion of the court.
An eminent domain court cannot be organized, except it be shown in the application of the person or corporation seeking to exercise the right of eminent domain that the right exists in such person or corporation to condemn private property for public uses. If an application is made to the clerk for the organization of the eminent domain court by a person or corporation not having authority to exercise the right, the clerk is not empowered to convene the court, and, if he does, the court, not being lawfully convened, is without any power, and all acts done by it are ultra vires and void. Chapter 43 of the Code of 1906, dealing with the subject of eminent domain, both by sections 1854 and 1856 is expressly limited in its application to a per
The contention in the above cited case was that the corporation, although chartered under the state law as a railroad corporation, and although apparently having the right to condemn, in fact and in truth incorporated itself for the purpose of masquerading under its charter and condemning private property not for public use, but for private use, and that this constituted a fraud. We held in the Lumber Co. case that an issue of this sort could not be made in the eminent domain court, but that if the person or corporation seeking to condemn belonged to. the class of
In this case Morgan does not add to himself any rights by joining in his petition the Cumberland Telephone Company over the protest of the latter. This application is his application, and the lawfulness of the organization of the court must be determined by whatever rights Morgan himself had under the law to exercise the right of eminent domain. He cannot be aided in his rights, or his rights be enlarged by joining in his petition the Cumberland Telephone Company against its will and calling it the plaintiff. The right of eminent domain can be exercised by such persons or corporations, and these only, to whom have been given the authority of the legislature. No such authority is shown to be given to Morgan in the application, and therefore the assembling of the pretended court was without authority and ultra vires.
The case of White v. Railroad Co., 64 Miss., 566, 1 South., 730, and the case of L. & N. R. R. Co. v. Hopson, 73 Miss., 773, 19 South., 718, have no application to this case. In both those cases the right was given the landowner in the charter, on the
It follows that, the eminent domain court having been convened without authority of law and without jurisdiction, all of its acts were void, and the motion to dismiss the proceedings should have been sustained. The eminent domain court being entirely without jurisdiction, the circuit court could acquire none. Jurisdiction is essential to the validity of all suits, civil or criminal, and, whenever a court acts without jurisdiction, all of its acts are nullities.
Reversed and dismissed.