113 Ga. 647 | Ga. | 1901
Lead Opinion
We have not undertaken to determine whether any portion of the public-property fund can be lawfully applied to the payment of interest on the public debt, or whether the fund must be appropriated only in payment of the principal. Neither have we undertaken to decide whether the public-property fund can, with other funds in the treasury, be deposited in the State depositories; for .the simple reason that these questions are not involved in the present case, and anything said could not take the form of an authoritative ruling, would not bind any member of this court should such questions hereafter arise, and might have the effect of misleading those upon whom may devolve the duty of determining those questions. As to the question actually before us, we are’ clear that the use of the public-property fund in the discharge of any obligation or demand due by the State, other than the public debt or some portion thereof, would be a violation of the constitution; and this is true whether the fund, or such rportion thereof as is so used, is or can be replaced by funds arising by taxation and in the treasury before the public-property fund is needed for any purpose for which it may be lawfully used under the constitution.
In declaring that a similar disposition should be made of railroads held by the State, other than the two specifically mentioned in the provision of the constitution above quoted, it was evidently contemplated that the other railroads referred to, in order to be subject to this provision of the constitution, should when sold be held by the State in the same manner in which the two railroads named
From the journal of the constitutional convention it seems that •some of the members were of the opinion that the State did own the North and South Railroad. Mr. Tharpe introduced a resolution providing for the appointment of a committee to inquire into the propriety of selling the Western and Atlantic, Macon and Brunswick, and North and South railroads. Jour. Const. Con. 1877, p. 68; Small’s Debates, 47. This committee was appointed to inquire into the propriety of selling all the railroads belonging to the State, and recommended the adoption of an ordinance requiring the General Assembly to create a commission which, with the Governor, should be authorized to sell the three roads mentioned in the Tharpe resolution and also the Memphis Branch Railroad. Jour. Const. Con. 164; Small’s Debates, 129. Consideration of this report was postponed, and, so far as appears, no further action was ever taken thereon. It is significant, however, that the first draft of the constitutional provision now under consideration mentioned only the Western and Atlantic and the Macon and Brunswick railroads, thus showing that upon investigation it had been ascertained that the State owned those two roads only. Jour. Const. Con. 209; Small’s Debates, 183. As the North and South Railroad was not owned by the State, it could not be enumerated as one of the railroads the proceeds of the sale of which were to become a part of the public-property fund. The proceeds of the sale of this road and other roads in a similar situation were to be applied primarily to the payment of the bonds of the company, not only for the purpose of. discharging this debt of the company, but also to relieve the State, to the extent of the amount paid, from any liability on its indorsement. If any surplus remained after paying off the bonds, it went of course to the owners of the railroad. It was, therefore, manifest that this road could not be classed with the Western and Atlantic and the Macon and Brunswick railroads. At the time the constitution was framed it could be foreseen that there was a contingency upon the happening of which the State might become the owner of this road. If the purchasers failed to comply with their bid, and the road 'sras again
Construing this provision in connection with that provision in reference to the public-property fund, it is clear that it was the intention of the framers of this instrument, that if the bonded debt which was owed by the State as a principal debtor was increased on account of the State being compelled to assume, as principal, bonded debts for which it had become legally bound as indorser when the policy existed of lending State aid to the construction of public improvements, the debt brought about by the assumption of these obligations would take its appropriate place as a part of the public debt of the State, and the railroad property which came with this debt should take its appropriate place, and the proceeds of the same when sold be set apart for the payment of the public debt. In view of the status of the North and South Railroad and other railroads similarly situated, the expression “ other railroads held by the State” is language which must be held at least to apply to railroads which might, after the adoption of the constitution, be acquired by the State as a consequence of the indorsement of the bonds of these railroad companies; for in no other way, unless at a tax sale or other sale under a claim in favor of the State, could the State ever acquire railroad property, the direct acquisition of such property being prohibited by the terms of the constitution. As'
There was also a contingency, doubtless well known to the members of the convention, that the State might become the owner of the Memphis Branch Railroad, that road having been seized by the Governor under authority given in its charter, growing out of the
In the charter of the Northeastern Railroad Company there was,, as has been stated, a provision that upon certain conditions the
This view of the matter is much strengthened when all of the provisions of the present constitution of the State relating to the subject of State aid in matters of public improvement are read together and in the light of the antecedent history of the State in relation to-this subject. Prior to the constitution of 1868 the State had, by an act of the General Assembly, loaned its aid in the construction of at least one railroad, by placing its indorsement upon the bonds of the railroad company. As has been seen, the indorsement of a portion of the bonds of the Macon and Brunswick Railroad was under an act passed in 1866. The constitution of 1868 authorized the State to aid in works of public improvement under certain conditions, among them being that the State should have a prior lien on all of the property owned by the company to which the State’s aid was granted,' and that an amount equal to that loaned by the State should be invested by private persons. Art 3, sec. 6, par. 5 (Code 1873, § 5068). Under this authority the leg
4. The duties of the State treasurer are prescribed by law. Among those duties we find it declared in the code: “ He shall pay all funds pledged to the payment of the public debt, or interest thereon, or to any object of education, and to these objects only, and in nowise to any other purpose. All payments from the treasury shall be paid from the fund appropriated for such purpose, and not from any other.” Political Code, § 199 (8). It is said that this section prohibits the treasurer from paying a claim against the school fund out of funds appropriated for other purposes, and that if the constitution prohibits the payment of such claims out of the public-property fund, and this section prohibits the payment out of any other fund than the school fund, the act of 1897 has nothing upon which to operate. Of course, it will never be held, unless from necessity, that the General Assembly has done either an absurd or a vain thing. The General Assembly must not violate the constitution; and repeals by implication are not favored. If, however, an act of the General Assembly is capable of being construed three ways, the first making it violative of the constitution, the second having the effect to repeal a former act by implication, and the third making the General Assembly do an idle or a vain thing, either the second or third construction must be adopted; and as between these two it would seem that the second should prevail.
Judgment reversed.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting.
The only two railroads mentioned in section 5900 of the Civil Code as being owned by the State were the Western & Atlantic and the Macon & Brunswick. The section, however, mentions “ other railroads held by the State, and any other property owned by the State.” Under the act of 1870 (Acts 1870, pp. 338, 347), the State had indorsed the bonds of the North & South and the Memphis Branch railroads. By reference to the message of Governor Colquitt to the General Assembly, dated January 10,1877 (Senate Journal 1877, pp. 26 — 27), it will be seen that the North & South and the Memphis Branch railroads are mentioned as being the property of the State. Governor Colquitt in his message set out that one of these railroads, the North & South, was being operated at a loss, and that on account of default in the payment of interest on the bonds of the Memphis Branch Railroad he had seized that railroad and placed it in the hands of Robert T. Fouché as agent to hold and manage it for the benefit of the State. He concludes this part of his message with the following significant language: “I may remark, however, that I have seen no reason to change my opinion that the State will consult its best interest by ridding herself of all ownership in and responsibility for such property, even at a tolerable loss.” The bonds of the North and South Railroad were indorsed by Governor Smith, and the road was seized by him in default of interest in July, 1874. Governor Colquitt ordered it sold on the first Tuesday in September, 1877. The purchaser failed to comply with his bid, and in January, 1878, Governor Colquitt sold the property at private sale to L. F. Garrard, at the highest bid received, on the first Tuesday in September, 1877. See Min. Ex. Dept. 1877-1878; House Journal of 1878, p. 30. The road was sold on six years time, but the purchaser -made earlier payments, having settled in full on July 1, 1881. See Governor’s message, Senate Journal 1881, p. 38. The bonds of the Memphis Branch Railroad- were indorsed May 12, 1874. The company defaulting, the Governor, in May, 1876, seized the road. Senate Journal of 1877, p. 27. On June 6, 1877, the Governor ordered the road sold on the first Tuesday in August, but only a portion of it was sold, being bid in by the Marietta & North Georgia Railroad Company for $9,000. The Governor ordered the balance of the
The two hundred thousand dollars involved in this case were the proceeds of the sale by the State of the Northeastern Railroad. Was this road held by the State of Georgia in 1877? The history of the State shows that it was not so held at that time, even as a pledge or by virtue of a mortgage. Attorney-General Hammond had given the Governor an opinion that he could not legally indorse its bonds, and Governor Smith had refused to indorse them. The company had applied to the General Assembly in January, 1877, for an indorsement of its bonds, but that body had declined to direct the Governor to so act. It follows, therefore, that when the constitution of 1877 was adopted the State.did not own the Northeastern Railroad, had never held or operated it, and did not have even an inchoate lien against the company or its property. It was not until 1878 that the State acquired even a mortgage upon this property. The road was .successfully operated until 1893, when, the company having defaulted, the Governor took possession. Then for the first time was the road held by the State. It was afterwards sold by the Governor and bid in by him for the State for $100,000. That sale was for the purpose of collecting the mortgage; and even if the constitutional provision before quoted can be held to apply to this property, $100,000, the proceeds of the first sale, is all that the bondholders can claim under that section, and not $200,000, the amount realized by the State after the property had greatly increased in valqe. If the subsequent sale had been for $50,000, the bondholders would certainly have had the right to claim that the State was liable for $100,000, the amount of the first sale; and if, after being sold, the property increases in' value and a greater amount is realized,’they can not claim any
I can not see the force of the reason given in the majority opinion why the constitutional provision under discussion included the Northeastern Railroad. It is-stated that “The Northeastern Railroad Company was incorporated October 27, 1870. . . It was provided in its charter that under certain conditions the State would place its indorsement upon the bonds of the company for a given amount per mile of constructed railroad. This indorsement was placed upon the bonds of the company by the Governor in 1878.” That certainly did not constitute a holding of the railroad at the
By reference to the treasurers’ reports published in the Acts of the General Assembly, it will be seen that the above-mentioned sum of $232,065.58 was no doubt proceeds of the sale of the old capítol property, the Okefenokee swamp, lottery property, and Western & Atlantic lands, and that these proceeds went into the State treasury in the years 1890,1891, and 1892. From the treasurer’s report of 1898, above referred to, it is evident to my mind that this part claimed by the defendant to be proceeds of the sale of public property was disposed of in the administration of State ■affairs prior to 1899. In the absence of any proof to the contrary, the presumption is that there was a legal disposition of this fund. It may have been applied to the bonded debt of the State. So far as the facts of this case show, therefore, there is really in existence the proceeds of the sale of no public property contemplated by section 5900 of the Civil Code.
It is with great reluctance that I feel called upon to dissent from the opinion of my brethren of the bench in this case, but I am impelled to put upon record my firm conviction that the judgment of the court below should not be reversed, but that, on the contrary, direction should be given that the mandamus apply to the entire fund and not simply to a particular portion thereof; that the Governor did no unconstitutional act in issuing these warrants; and that the attorney-general was correct in the legal opinion expressed thereon.