7 Kan. 576 | Kan. | 1871
Lead Opinion
In this case counsel for-plaintiffs in error raise or attempt to raise three questions:
First: They claim that the acts of the legislature under which said elections were had, stock subscribed, and bonds issued, were unconstitutional and void.
Second: They claim that the county commissioners had no authority to subscribe for said stock, or to issue said bonds except under the act of 1865 (ch. 12, p. 41,} and the amendatory act of 1866, (ch. 24, p. 72,) under which the first election was held; and that said acts were repealed before said stock was subscribed, or said bonds-
Third: They claim that the condition upon which the county commissioners were authorized to subscribe for .said stock, and to issue said bonds, were not complied with by the railroad company, and therefore they claim, that said subscription and said bonds are void.
“ Seo. 8. The provisions of the General Statutes, so far as they are the same as those of prior laws, shall be comstrued as a continuation of such laws, and -not as new enactments.”
And section one of the said act “ to authorize counties to issue bonds to railroad companies,” (Gen. Stat., 892,) reads as follows :
“ Seo. 1. Whenever a majority of the persons voting at any election called by the board of county commissioners of any county have heretofore voted in favor of subscribing stock and issuing bonds to any railroad company or companies, the board of county commissioners of such county may subscribe to the capital stock of such railroad company or companies, to the amount and on the conditions specified in the order of such board of county commissioners in such eases, and pay such subscriptions by issuing to each company bonds of such county, at par, payable at a time therein to be fixed, not exceeding thirty years from the date thereof, bearing interest at the rate of seven per cent, per annum, with interest coupons attached, whether such orders and elections, or either of them, have been in compliance with the statutes, in such cases made and provided, or not, or whether the proposition submitted at the election had, was for the subscription of stock and the issuance of bonds to one or more railroad companies.”
These sections just quoted still remain upon the statute book unrepealed. At the same ession of the legislature at which these sections were enacted, another statute was enacted giving power to counties to subscribe for stock and issue bonds to railroad companies. (Gen. Stat., 208, 204, §§ 51 to 54.) This last mentioned statute was for the future, while the other statutes just quoted -were to preserve intact all that had been done prior to that time. Whatever was done under the acts of 1865 and 1866, prior to the passage of the acts of 1868, continued in
This is not a preceeding to determine whether bonds may be issued or not. The bonds have already been issued, and the county has the stock of the railroad company, which it has received in payment therefor. The county commissioners, the agents of the county, have determined that all the conditions upon which the bonds were to be issued have been complied with, and the bonds have in all probability gone into the hands of innocent and bona fide purchasers. A strong case must then be made out in order to invalidate the bonds. We are not aware that bonds in the hands of innocent and bona fide purchasers have e,ver been declared invalid because the officers whose duty it was to issue them, and whose duty it was to decide upon all preliminary facts, committed an error in deciding upon some facts. But upon this question we do not now desire to express any opinion. The judgment of the court below must be affirmed.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting upon the first proposition decided, and concurring with the court upon the other two propositions.