Conley v. Daughters of Republic

156 S.W. 197, 106 Tex. 80, 1913 Tex. LEXIS 103
CourtTexas Supreme Court
DecidedJune 4, 1913
DocketNo. 2507
StatusPublished
Cited by67 cases

This text of 156 S.W. 197 (Conley v. Daughters of Republic) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Conley v. Daughters of Republic, 156 S.W. 197, 106 Tex. 80, 1913 Tex. LEXIS 103 (Tex. 1913).

Opinions

Mr. Chief Justice BROWN

delivered the opinion of the court.

The plaintiff in error, A. B. Conley, is the Superintendent of Public Buildings and Grounds of the State of Texas. The defendánt in error is a private corporation created under the second subdivision of article 1121 of the Revised Statutes of 1913, which reads as follows:

“1121. The purposes for which private corporations may be formed are:
“2. The support of any benevolent, charitable, educational or mis-’ ■sionary undertaking.”

The charter of the corporation was prepared and filed in accord with the requirements of the law and expressed the purposes of the corporation thus:

“1. To perpetuate the memory and spirit of the men and women who have achieved and maintained the independence of Texas.
“2. To encourage historical research into the earliest records of Texas, especially those relating to the revolution of. 1835 and the events which followed; to foster the preservation of documents and relies and to encourage the publication of records of individual service of soldiers ■and patriots of the Republic.
“3. To promote the celebration of March 2nd (Independence day) ■and April 21st (San Jacinto day); to secure and hallow historic spots by erecting monuments thereon, and to cherish and preserve unity of Texas as achieved and established by the fathers and mothers of the Texas Revolution.
“This Association may have and hold by purchase, grant, gift or otherwise, real estate on whicli battles for the independence of Texas were fought; such monument or monuments as may be erected thereon and burial grounds where the dead who fought and died for Texas independence are buried; and personal property consisting of books, [88]*88manuscripts and other historical records relating to the early history of Texas, and relics.”

A statute enacted by the Legislature of the State became a law in full force January 36, 1905. The first section of that Act provided for the purchase of certain property in the City of San Antonio described thus: “All the land in the City of San Antonio, Texas, known as the Hugo & Schmeltzer Company property, formerly a part of the old Alamo Mission and adjoining the Alamo Church property now owned by the State”; giving the metes and bounds of that to be purchased. The second section of the Act limited the price to be paid, and provided for payment, and appropriated $65,000 to pay the same.. The third section reads:

“Upon the receipt of the title to said land, the Governor shall deliver the property thus acquired, together with the Alamo Church property, already owned by the State, to the custody and care of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, to be maintained by them in good order and repair, without charge to the State, as a sacred memorial to the heroes who immolated themselves upon the hallowed ground; and by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas to be maintained or remodeled upon plans-adopted by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and approved by the Governor of Texas; provided, that no changes or alterations shall be made in the Alamo Church proper, as it now stands, except such as are absolutely necessary for its preservation. All of said property being subject to future legislation by the Legislature of the State of Texas.”1 The ground was purchased and the entire property was delivered into the possession of the corporation, “The Daughters of the Republic,”1 which held the exclusive possession and control thereof until plaintiff in error, by direction of the Governor of the State, entered upon said property.

The corporation “maintained the property in good order,” but did not remodel it nor prepare any plans therefor.

At the regular session of the Legislature in 1911 the general appropriation bill was enacted and contained this provision:

“For the Years Ending Aug. 31,1913. Aug. 31,1913.
For the improvement of the Alamo property • belonging to the State of Texas, in the City of San Antonio, to be expended under the direc- ' tion of the Superintendent of Public Buildings and Grounds, upon the approval of the
Governor ...............................$5,000 00 ..........

Acting under the direction of the Governor, Conley entered upon the property to 'make improvement without a plan having been prepared' by the Daughters, of the Republic, and the corporation applied to the Hon. J. L. Camp, judge of the District Court of the Forty-fifth Judicial District, for a writ of injunction upon the allegations stated in the find[89]*89ings of the court, as hereinafter copied, and embraced in the charter of the corporation. The judge granted the writ and upon a hearing perpetuated the injunction, which was affirmed by the Court of Civil Appeals.

The judge of the District Court filed the following findings of fact, which were adopted by the Court of Civil Appeals:

"1. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas is a private corporation, duly incorporated under the laws of the State of Texas, for the purpose set forth and alleged in plaintiff’s petition herein.
“2. Under the Act of the Legislature of the State of Texas, approved January 26, 1905, as averred in plaintiff’s petition herein, the State of Texas through its Governor, purchased the property known as the old Hugo & Sehmeltzer building in plaintiff’s petition fully described, and being a part of what is commonly known as the ‘Alamo property,’ and previous to such purchase, the State of Texas had acquired what is known as the ‘Alamo Mission’ property proper in said City of San Antonio, the two properties together constituting what is commonly known as the Alamo property in the City of San Antonio.
“3. In accordance with the provisions of said Act of the Legislature, said two properties were delivered by the State of Texas into the custody and care of plaintiff prior to any of the trespasses alleged in plaintiff’s petition and at the time of the said alleged trespasses said plaintiff was in possession of said property, holding the care and custody of same under the terms of the Act of the Legislature above referred to.
“4. Ho plan for any changes or alterations or remodeling of any of the buildings upon said property has been made or adopted by plaintiff and approved by the Governor of the State of Texas.
“5. Ho plan for any alteration or changes or remodeling of any of said buildings had been prepared by the Governor of the State of Texas and submitted to plaintiff for consideration by plaintiff.
“6. Plaintiff has never surrendered said property nor the care or custody of same to anyone but has retained such possession, care and custody ever since the delivery of the property to.plaintiff.
“7.

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Bluebook (online)
156 S.W. 197, 106 Tex. 80, 1913 Tex. LEXIS 103, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/conley-v-daughters-of-republic-tex-1913.