58 Minn. 275 | Minn. | 1894
Whitcomb and others made an application to this court for leave to file an information in the nature of a quo warranto. The application was denied. See State ex rel. v. Lockerby, 57 Minn. 411, (59 N. W. 495.) Application was then made to the District Court of Ramsey County, and denied without passing on the merits of the application, for the reason, as expressed in the order denying the application, that “the Supreme Court has held that this was not a proper case for the issuance of the writ prayed for. Such holding is conclusive on this court, and relief ought to be by this court denied on that ground.”
The short, hastily written opinion there reported might bear the construction thus put upon it if taken alone, taken with all the proceedings had in that application, it would not. The discretion of the court there discussed is the discretion of this court, and under what circumstances it will grant such applications. This court will not grant such an application if there is a remedy in some other court which is at all adequate, unless under special and exceptional circumstances; as, for instance, that there will be great injury or inconvenience to the public by reason of the delay and uncertainty caused by commencing in the lower court and awaiting a final deter-' urination on appeal to this court. 1878 G-. S. ch. 63,. § 1, confers
It has been raised and argued by counsel on this aj)plication, and we are of the opinion that it does exist; that 1SGG G-. S. cli. 122, repealed 1851 K. S. eh. 80, § 1, which abolished this writ; and that such repeal revived the writ as a common-law remedy, to be exercised by the District Court. It is true that 1S6G C. S. cli. 121, § 3, provides that “the repeal of acts and resolves and parts of acts and resolves revised and reenacted herein, or repugnant to the provisions hereof, shall not revive any law heretofore repealed or superseded.” We are of the opinion that the law which this section provides shall not be revived by the repeal of any repealing clause is statute law, not common law, and that it does not apply so as to prevent the writ of quo warranto from being revived by the repeal of the section abolishing it.
It was the duty of the judge of the District Court to consider the application for the writ of quo warranto on its merits, and exercise his discretion in determining whether or not such writ should issue, and it is ordered that a writ of mandamus issue commanding him to do so.
(Opinion published 59 N. W. 1015.)