3 Colo. 173 | Colo. | 1877
This is essentially an appellate tribunal. Causes can only be heard in this court when properly removed from the lower courts by appeal or writ of error. Unless the statute prescribing the mode of bringing cases into this court from the lower courts be complied with, we are without authority to assume jurisdiction. Until the court has acquired jurisdiction of a cause under the law the agreement of parties to the action relative to its .status and disposition in this court, can have no force or effect whatever. The case before us is somewhat anomalous; neither a writ of error, nor a scire facias to hear errors, has ever been issued. A transcript of the record has never been filed in this court. By no method recognized by the law 'are we apprised that this case was ever pending in the court below. It is styled “an agreed case.” Technically it is not what is understood by an agreed case, nor is it so treated by counsel. If it were an agreed case no judgment could be pronounced before the filing of the affidavit required by the twenty-eighth rule of this court. When the court once acquires jurisdiction of the subject-matter, the defendant by a voluntary appearance may dispense with the service of the scire facias as he may waive .any other personal privilege. So far, however, as relates to the writ of error, it may well be questioned whether without its issuance, this court has jurisdiction of the subject-matter.
We are not unaware that the rigor of this principle has been somewhat relaxed by the supreme court of Illinois. In the case of Birkby v. Birkby, 15 Ill. 122, the court says, “ where the record is brought up by the party and filed, properly certified in the first instance, the writ of error is unnecessary, or at most is but matter of form.” But sound principle, the general analogies of the law, and the weight of authority clearly indicate that when a cause is sought to be removed by writ of error from the court below to this court, that the writ of error must in fact issue; that jurisdiction of the subject-matter can only be acquired in the manner provided by law. '
By stipulation, the parties to this cause, in the absence of a writ of error, and in the absence of a certified transcript of the record, attempt to confer jurisdiction upon this court. Our statutes will be searched in vain to find any provision which confers jurisdiction by stipulation. Consent of parties cannot give jurisdiction of a cause. The law alone can confer jurisdiction over the subject-matter.
But when this court has once acquired jurisdiction of a cause, “ parties may doubtless stipulate to waive errors, or to waive certain proceedings required by statute, but consent cannot confer jurisdiction, where a statute has provided that it can only be acquired in a certain manner. Keene v. Whittaker, 13 Curt. 248; Rathbun v. Moody, 14 Minn. 364; Burckle v. Eckhart, 3 Comst. 137; Jewett v. Hodgdon, 2 Greenl. (Me.) 335. This cause must be
Stricken from the docket.