Betts v. Commissioners of the Land Office

1910 OK 51, 110 P. 766, 27 Okla. 64, 1910 Okla. LEXIS 167
Supreme Court of Oklahoma·Decided February 11, 1910·No. 1222·Published·Cited by 34 cases

Opinion

WILLIAMS, J.

The following questions aue involved in this case:

(1) Whether, under the terms of thé enabling act, the grant of lands by the federal government for the University of Oklahoma. and the University Preparatory School, normal schools, the Agricultural and Mechanical College, and the Colored Agricultural and Normal University, penal institutions, and public buildings, and for the support of the common schools, it is permissible for a part of the proceeds of the sale of such lands or rentals therefrom, to be utilized for paying the expenses of the sale or leasing of the same.

(2) As to whether the .provisions of the enabling act prevent the state from- using any of the interest derived from the $5,000,000 appropriated to the state for the use .and benefit of the common schools in lieu of sections 16 and 36 and other lands •of the Indian Territory, or the income from the permanent school fund as constituted by virtue of section 2 of article 11 of the Constitution from being used in order to pay the expenses of loaning or investing such fund.

(3) If no such limitations are imposed by the enabling act, are such prescribed by any of the provisions of the State Constitution ?

(4) If no such limitations exist by virtue of the Constitution, are such funds available to pay the salaries of the employees of the Commissioners of the Land Office and the official expenses of such employees and of said land office?

(5) Are the Commissioners of the Land Office authorized to determine the number of employees for the leasing department, fix their salaries, and pay them out of the rentals derived therefrom, together with the expenses of said department, without an *68 appropriation made' as required by section 55 of article 5 of the Constitution ?

(6) Is it permissible to utilize any part of the rentals derived from the leasing of the lands granted by the federal government to the state for the benefit of the common schools, the State University, the University Preparatory School, the normal schools, the Agricultural and Mechanical College and the Colored Agricultural and Normal School in order to pay the expenses of the sale of said lands?

1. Sections 7, 8 and 9 of the Enabling Act of Nevada (4 Thorp’s Fed. Charters, p. 2399; Act March 21, 1864, c. 36, 13 Stat. 32) are substantially the same as sections 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the Enabling Act of Oklahoma. In State of Nevada v. Rhoades, 4 Nev. 312, it was held in a similar case that, except where there was a specific provision binding the state to provide the means from its ordinary sources of revenue to pay the expenses of administering such trust, such expenses might be taken from the trust fund: See, also, to the same effect, Superintendent of Public Instruction v. Auditor of Public Accounts, 97 Ky. 180, 30 S. W. 404. We conclude that there is nothing in the terms of the grant of the enabling act preventing the appropriation of a portion of the proceeds to the payment of the expenses of the sale or leasing of the same. See, also, In re Dickson et al., 166 Pa. 134, 30 Atl. 1032; Wheeler & Wilson Mfg. Co. v. Winnett, 3 Neb. (Unof.) 293, 91 N. W. 514; In Re Curtis’ Will, 61 Hun. 372, 16 N. Y. Supp. 180.

2. The same conclusion that was reached relative to the first also applies to the second question.

3. Section 2 of article 11 of the Constitution defines what shall constitute the permanent school fund, to wit:

"All proceeds of the sale of public lands that have heretofore been or may be hereafter given by the United States for the use and benefit of the common schools of this state, all such per centum as may be granted by the United States on the sales of public lands, the sum of five million dollars approprated to the state for the use and benefit of the common schools in lieu of sections six *69 teen and thirty-six, and other lands of the Indian Territory, the proceeds of all property that shall fall to the state by escheat, the proceeds of all gifts or donations to the state for common schools not otherwise appropriated by the terms of the gifts, and such other appropriations, gifts or donations as shall be made by the Legislature for the benefit of the common schools.”

“Every part of a statute must be viewed in connection with the whole so as to make all its parts harmonize, if practicable, and give a sensible and intelligent effect to each. It is not presumed that the Legislature intended any part of a statute to be without meaning.” (2 Lewis’ Sutherland, Statutory Construction [2d Ed.] § 491, p. 919.)

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Betts v. Commissioners of the Land Office, 1910 OK 51, 110 P. 766, 27 Okla. 64, 1910 Okla. LEXIS 167 (Okla. 1910).

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