Davis v. Florida Power Co.

64 Fla. 246
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJune 15, 1912
StatusPublished
Cited by55 cases

This text of 64 Fla. 246 (Davis v. Florida Power Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis v. Florida Power Co., 64 Fla. 246 (Fla. 1912).

Opinions

Whitfield, J.

(after stating the facts.) — The demurrer to the original declaration was sustained by the [262]*262trial court on the ground that it wholly failed to state a cause of action under the statute, while the demurrer to the amended declaration was sustained on. the ground that the statute violates provisions of the State and Federal Constitutions.

The main question presented is whether the following statute violates organic law by denying to the defendant corporation due process of law or equal protection of the laws to its detriment:

“3147. Death of minor child by wrongful act. — Whenever the death of any minor child shall be caused by the wrongful act, negligence, carelessness or default of any private association of persons, (or by the wrongful act, negligence, carelessness or default of any officer, agent or employee), or by the wrongful act, negligence, carelessness or default of any corporation, or by the wrongful act, negligence, carelessness or default of any officer, agent or employee of any corporation acting in his capacity as such officer, agent or employee, the father of such minor child, or if the father be not living, the mother, as the legal representative of such deceased minor child, may maintain an action against such (individual), private association of persons or corporation, and may recover not only for the loss of service of such minor child, but in addition thereto such sum for the mental pain and suffering of the parent or parents as the jury may assess.”

• This statute was first enacted as Section 1, of Chapter 4722, Acts of 1899, and in its original terms as shown by the enrolled bill on file in the office of the Secretary of State was as follows:

“Section 1. Whenever the death of .any minor child shall be caused by the wrongful act, negligence, carelessness or default of any (individual, or by the wrongful [263]*263act, negligence, carelessness or default of any) private association of persons, or by tbe wrongful act, negligence, carelessness or default of any officer, agent or employe (of any private association of persons acting in his capacity as such officer, agent or employe), or by the wrongful act, negligence, carelessness or default of any corporation, or by the wrongful act, negligence, carelessness or default of any officer, agent or employe of any corporation acting in his -capacity as such officer, agent or employee, the father of such minor child, or if the father be not living, the mother, as the legal representative of such deceased minor child may maintain an action against such individual, private association of persons or corporation, and may recover not only for the loss of services of such minor child but in addition thereto such sum for the mental pain and suffering of the parent or parents as the jury may assess.”

From Section 1, of Chapter 4722 as printed, are omitted two portions of the section as it is enrolled and duly authenticated and filed in the office of the Secretary of State, and when the General Statutes of 1906 were adopted, the section was incorporated therein as it appears in the printed laws of 1899 and not as it appears in the original enrolled bill.

The result is that Section 3147 of the General Statutes is the same as Section 1, Chapter 4722, as it is printed in the acts of 1899, from which is omitted two portions of the original act on file with the Secretary of State.

While the original act of 1899 gives a parent a remedy for the death of a minor child caused by the wrongful act or default of corporations, private associations of persons and individuals, the effect of the omission of portions of the original act from Section 3147 of the General Statutes of 1906, is to give the remedy only against cor[264]*264porations and private associations of persons and not against persons in their individual capacity who severally may cause such wrongful death.

As all statutes and parts of statutes of a general and permanent nature not included in the General Statutes or not recognized and continued in force by reference therein were repealed by the enactment of the General Statutes, the omitted portions of the original act must be regarded as repealed as they are material and constitute substantive law, and therefore cannot be supplied by intendment. The omitted portions of the original law are not recognized and continued in force by reference or otherwise in the General Statutes. See dissenting opinion in Pensacola Electric Co. v. Soderlind, 60 Fla. 170, 53 South. Rep. 722. Omitted substantive provisions should be supplied by the legislature. See Buck v. Spofford, 31 Me. 34, text 36; 36 Cyc. 1127 note 53; Johnson v. Barham, 99 Va. 305, 38 S. E. Rep. 136.

If the words “or by the wrongful act, negligence, carelessness or default of any- officer, agent or employee,” contained in the fourth and fifth lines of Section 3147 of the General Statutes, as indicated above by brackets, do not refer to the preceding provisions as to “private associations of persons,” such quoted words are meaningless, and should be treated as surplusage. Likewise the word “individual” in the latter part of section 3147 may be regarded as surplusage.

Where the subject-matter and the purpose of a legislative enactment is ascertained, the language used should be construed so as to give effect to the lawmaking intent, such intent being the vital force of the enactment. Words, contained in the statute should be interpreted with reference to the main purpose designed and the limitations imposed by the fundamental law. See State ex rel. [265]*265Minneapolis, St. T. & S. S. M. R. Co. v. Railroad Commission, 137 Wis. 80, 117 N. W. Rep. 846.

Where it is apparent that substantive portions of a statute have been omitted and repealed by the process of revision and re-enactment, courts have no express or implied authority to supply the omissions that are material and substantive and not merely clerical and inconsequential, for that would in effect be the enactment - of substantive law. The statute in’ such a case should be effectuated as the language actually contained in the-' latest enactment warrants; and words that were a part of the omitted substantive provisions, but are useless as-re-enacted may be disregarded as being mere surplusage; and appropriate effect should he given to the connected and complete terms and provisions as they appear in the re-enacted statute, when it can be done without violating the organic law or the legislative intent. See Hayes v. Walker, 54 Fla. 163, 44 South. Rep. 747; Harper v. Galloway, 58 Fla. 255, 51 South. Rep. 226, 19 Ann. Cas. 235.

This leads to a consideration of the validity of Section 3147 of the General Statutes with reference to the organic guarantees of due process of law and equal protection of the laws, the purpose of the law being to provide a remedy for death by. wrongful act where no remedy existed at common law.

In determining the legality and effect of a statutory regulation, the court should ascertain the legislative intent and if the ascertained intent will permit, the enactment should be construed and effectuated so as to make it conform to rather than violate applicable provisions and principles of the State and Federal Constitutions, since it- must be assumed that the Legislature intended the enactment to comport with the fundamental law. The [266]*266Abby Dodge, 223 U. S.

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Bluebook (online)
64 Fla. 246, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-florida-power-co-fla-1912.