58 Ind. 329 | Ind. | 1877
Complaint by appellant, to enjoin the appellee from issuing and negotiating certain bonds, the material averments of which may be stated as follows:
That the “ Town of Albion ” is an incorporated town, nnder the laws of the State of Indiana; that the school trustees of said town, on the 25th day of December, 1875, made a report in writing, duly verified, touching the condition of their trust, and, on the 30th day of December,
A demurrer, alleging the insufficiency of the facts averred to constitute a cause of action, was sustained to the complaint, and exceptions to the ruling reserved. The parties stood by their pleadings, and the court rendered judgment for the appellee.
The bonds in controversy are sought to be issued and negotiated by the town of Albion, under the act of March 8th, 1873. 1 R. S. 1876, p. 343.
The appellant contends, that the act above referred to does not give a general power to the town, by the action of her board of trustees, to issue and negotiate bonds, to procure means to build a school-house, but confers the power only in certain enumerated' instances; as, first, when the school trustees have purchased ground on which to erect a school-house, or made a purchase of ground and building or buildings; and, second, when the school trustees have commenced the erection- of the building, and have not the necessary.' means to complete it; or, third, when they have contracted a debt for the erection of such building, or for the purchase of ground for such building, and have not the means to complete the same or pay for the ground so purchased.
The 1st and 2d sections of the act cited are as follows :
“ Section 1. Be it enacted,” etc., “ That any city or incorporated town in this State which shall by. the action of its school trustee or trustees have purchased any ground and building or buildings, or may hereafter purchase any ground and building or buildings, or have commenced or may hereafter commence the erection Of any building or buildings for school purposes, or which shall have by its school trustee or trustees contracted any debts for the erection of such building or buildings, or the purchase of such ground and building or buildings, and such trustee of trustees shall not have the necessary means with which to complete such building or buildings, or to pay for the purchase of such ground and ■ building or buildings, or pay' such debt, may, on the filing by the school trustee or trustees of said city or incorporated town, of a report under oath with the common council of such
“ Sec. 2. The proceeds of the sales of such bonds shall be paid to the said school trustee or trustees to enable them to erect or complete such building or buildings, and pay such debt,” etc.
In this case, the report of the school trustees to the town of Albion shows, that they have purchased certain lots for the purpose of erecting a school-house thereon; that they are indebted eleven hundred dollars therefor; that the estimated cost of the school-house is fifteen thousand nine hundred dollars; petitioning that the board of trustees will pass an ordinance, issue the bonds, etc.
The report of the school trustees to the city, or incorporated town, is required to show “ the estimated or actual cost of any such ground and building or buildings, or the amount required to complete such building or buildings, or purchase such ground and building or buildings, or the amount of such debt.” The report before us shows all of- these facts; and while we agree with the appellant that the power of taxation, when delegated by the Legislature to a municipal corporation, must be strictly construed, it still seems to us, that, in this case, the school trustees and the town of Albion have brought themselves fairly within the purview of the act; and, when they have done this, the power of a court to enjoin them ceases. 'When the power is clearly granted to a municipal corporation to do an act, a court can not interfere
The court properly sustained the demurrer to the complaint.
The judgment is affirmed, with costs.