Bingham v. Woodell

69 So. 678, 109 Miss. 769
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 15, 1915
StatusPublished

This text of 69 So. 678 (Bingham v. Woodell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bingham v. Woodell, 69 So. 678, 109 Miss. 769 (Mich. 1915).

Opinion

Stevens, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

This case is a companion of that of Town of Carrollton v. Town of North Carrollton, reported in 68 So. 483, and upon suggestion of error in 69 So. 179.

Appellants, taxpayers of the municipality of North Carrollton, filed the hill of complaint in this cause against the mayor and aldermen of the town of North Carrollton, reciting the pendency of the suit of the town of North Carrollton against the town of Carrollton, and amongst other things set forth the following material [770]*770averments, to wit: That the mayor and board of aider-men of the town of North Carrollton had passed an ordinance June 2, 1914, declaring said municipality to be a separate school district; that at a continued meeting of the mayor and board of aldermen an order was passed declaring that said town was no longer part of the Carrollton separate school district; that the complainants owned property and valuable liens in, and were taxpayers of, the town of North Carrollton; that the town of North Carrollton by a proper ordinance had declared its intention to issue the bonds of the municipality in the sum of ten thousand dollars for the purpose of purchasing land for a school building and to erect thereon a school building for the white children of the pretended North Carrollton separate school district; that the school building for the Carrollton separate school district had been destroyed by fire, and that the mayor and board of aldermen of the town of Carrollton, acting for the separate school district, had given notice of intention to issue the bonds of said separate school district in the sum of twelve thousand dollars for the purpose of erecting a school building for the white children of said separate school district; that they had issued said bonds, but before the same could be sold the town of North Carrollton, joined by other parties resident in said town, had presented their bill of complaint in the chancery court of Carroll county praying for an injunction against the sale of said bonds, and had obtained a writ of injunction as prayed for; and that said injunction suit had been answered and was now a pending cause. Complainants further averred that, if both issues of bonds should be sold, an irreparable damage and injury would be done complainants, because they would be required to pay taxes for two separate school districts within the same territory and upon the same property; that they had attempted to get up a petition of the adult taxpayers of North Carrollton [771]*771protesting against the issuance of bonds by the latter town, but failed to obtain the names of twenty per cent., as required by law; and that complainants were without an adequate remedy at law to prevent the issuance of the ten thousand dollar issue of bonds. The prayer of the bill is that a temporary injunction be granted restraining the issuance of the bonds of the town of North Carrollton until the suit of the town of North Carrollton et- al. against the town of Carrollton should be fully adjudicated and finally determined; that this cause should be heard at once and at the same time as the suit then pending; and that in the event an injunction theretofore obtained against the town of Carroll-ton should be dissolved then the injunction in this case should be made perpetual.

Certified copies of the ordinances both of the town of old Carrollton and the town of North Carrollton in reference to the two separate school districts and the ordinances of the town of North Carrollton proposing the ten thousand dollar bond issue were duly exhibited as a part of the bill. The temporary injunction as prayed for was granted, and thereafter a demurrer was interposed by the defendants submitting, among other grounds, the following:

“(1) Because the bill of complaint shows no cause of action against these defendants or either of them.
“ (2) Because there is no equity upon the face of the bill. . . .
“(6) Because the fact that the municipality of Carrollton or the separate school district of Carrollton restricted to its corporate limits may see proper to issue bonds in aid of free public school purposes under the law is no reason why the municipality of North Carroll-ton may not issue its bonds as a distinct municipality or as a free public school district under the law.”

The ordinance of the town of North Carrollton declaring its intention to issue bonds recites:,

[772]*772“That said town is in need of a school within its limits both for its white and colored children;” that “ said town . . . did on the 2d day of June, 1914, by an ordinance duly and legally passed according to law, declare-the town of North Carrollton to be a separate school district”; that “it is therefore necessary that a lot of lands be purchased and that suitable school buildings be erected in which the public free schools for both races may be taught”; that said town was authorized under section 3343 of the Code of 1906 (chapter 147 of the Laws of 1914) to have school buildings erected and equipped with furniture; that there is no money in.the treasury to purchase the necessary lands or to erect the buildings, and that the board “proposes to issue the bonds of the town of North Carrollton in the sum of ten thousand dollars or so much thereof as may be necessary for the purpose of raising funds to buy lots or lands and to erect and equip school buildings in which the white children of North Carrollton separate school district may be taught. The said board to otherwise provide for land and school buildings or school for the colored children of said municipality.”

The order further recited that the board at its next regular meeting would proceed to issue the said bonds and provided that notice be given the taxpayers of this proposal.

The power of the municipality to erect, purchase, or rent a schoolhouse is expressly conferred by section 3343 of the Code of Í906. Counsel for both sides concede that in the issuance of the bonds of the municipality of North Carrollton the municipal authorities are proceeding under section 3415 of the Code of 1906, as last amended by chapter 147 of the Laws of 1914. This statute provides in part as follows:

“. . . That the corporate authorities of any municipality, whether operating under chapter 99 of the Code of 1906 or under special charter, or under the com[773]*773mission government laws, be and they are hereby authorized to issue bonds or other obligations of the city, town or village, for the following purposes:
“(a) For the purpose of raising money for the erection of municipal and school buildings, and the purchase of such buildings or the land therefor, and the improvement, repair, and adornment thereof.”

Every municipality, therefore, has th*e naked power not only to erect a schoolhouse, but to provide the funds therefor by the issuance and sale of municipal bonds. Bonds may also be issued for the “purchase of the land therefor” and “the improvement, repair and adornment” of such schoolhouse.

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Related

Chrisman v. City of Brookhaven
70 Miss. 477 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1892)
Town of Carrollton v. Town of North Carrollton
68 So. 483 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1915)
Town of Carrolton v. Town of North Carrolton
69 So. 179 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1915)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
69 So. 678, 109 Miss. 769, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bingham-v-woodell-miss-1915.