13 Kan. 220 | Kan. | 1874
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This is an action of mandamus brought originally in this court. There are several questions involved in the case, but for the purposes of the case we shall assume that all except one should be decided in favor of the plaintiff, and that one may be stated as follows: Can any money belonging to the state, rightfully in the state treasury, and over which the legislature has the rightful control, be drawn from the state treasury except in pursuance of some act of the legislature passed for that purpose within one year prior to the attempted drawing of the money? We must answer this question in the negative. The question arises as follows: The superintendent of insurance issued a warrant in favor of the plaintiff upon the state treasurer, which warrant reads as follows:
“Insurance Fund, 1 Insurance Department,
No. 196. J Topeka, March 10th, 1874. Treasurer of State of Kansas:
Pay to Geo. W. Martin, or order, the sum of forty-three dollars, out of any moneys in the State Treasury belonging to the ‘Insurance Fund/ as provided by Chapter 93 of the Laws of 1871. [seal.] Ed. Russell,
$43.00. Superintendent of Insurance.”
The plaintiff presented this warrant to the state treasurer for payment, and the state treasurer refused to pay the same, and indorsed thereon the following words, to-wit:
“Presented for payment June 22d, 1874. Not paid, for the reason that no appropriation was made by the legislature of 1874 providing for the payment of this class of warrants.
“John Francis, State Treasurer.”
Now, admitting that everything must be decided against the treasurer except that the legislature failed to make an appropriation for this class of warrants, and then should the treasurer have paid said warrant? We think not. Section
The writ of mandamus will be denied, and judgment will be rendered for the defendant for costs.