Evans v. Van Deusen

174 P. 122, 31 Idaho 614, 1918 Ida. LEXIS 67
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 27, 1918
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 174 P. 122 (Evans v. Van Deusen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Evans v. Van Deusen, 174 P. 122, 31 Idaho 614, 1918 Ida. LEXIS 67 (Idaho 1918).

Opinion

RICE, J.

This is an original proceeding in this court.

By the Idaho admission act, Congress granted to the state 90,000 acres of land as an endowment for an agricultural college or colleges, in accordance with the terms of the act of July 2, 1862, (12 Stats, at L. 503); seventy-two sections of land in accordance with the act of February 18, 1881, (21 Stats, at L. 326), and 50,000 acres in addition thereto as an endowment for a state university; 100,000 acres as an endowment for a scientific school; 100,000 acres as an endowment for the state normal schools; also 150,000 acres for other state, charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions.

Art. 9, sec. 8, of the constitution contains the following provision: “The legislature shall, at the earliest practicable period, provide by law that the general grants of land made by Congress to the state shall be judiciously located and carefully preserved and held in trust, subject to disposal at public auction for the use and benefit of the respective objects for which said grants of land were made.....” -

In 1905 the legislature, by a series of acts, created and established a university fund, agricultural college fund, scientific school fund, normal school fund, Idaho Industrial Eeform School fund, now known as the Idaho Industrial Training School fund, and the Academy of Idaho fund, now known as the Idaho Technical Institute fund. Each of the two last-mentioned funds were to receive a specified portion of the proceeds from the 150,000 acre grant for state charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions.

Each of these various acts creating the funds, with the exception of the scientific school fund and the agricultural [617]*617college fund, contained a provision to the effect that perpetually from and after the first day of January, 1907, all moneys which might accrue to the several funds should be appropriated and set apart for the support and maintenance of the respective institutions named in the acts, and should be made available for such purpose immediately upon being credited to the various funds. In 1907 a similar perpetual appropriation was made with reference to the moneys which would thereafter accrue to the scientific school fund. In 1911 the legislature again established thé agricultural college fund, and made similar perpetual appropriation of the moneys which would thereafter accrue for the support and maintenance of the said college. These various acts creating the several funds mentioned, and providing for the perpetual appropriation of the moneys which should accrue thereto, have never been repealed.

With reference to the deaf and blind school, it does not appear that any fund has been created for this institution. In 1905 an appropriation was made from the state charitable institutions fund for the education of the deaf and blind in the state for the years 1905 and 1906, but no further appropriation appears to have been made from that fund. It would seem, therefore, that the appropriation in the 1917 laws contains the entire appropriation for that institution for this biennium.

Sess. Laws 1917, chap. 70, contain the appropriation for these institutions for the period commencing on the first Monday of January, 1917, and ending on the first Monday in January, 1919. This act contains the following provisos:

“Provided, however, that when any moneys or funds, not appropriated herein and which are properly available for the expenses of the current biennium are or have been received subsequent to February 1, 1917, except federal funds, which shall be computed as of January 1, 1917, by the state treasurer, by the treasurer of any institution or institutions herein named or by any agent or employee thereof from endowment or other sources of income for the support and maintenance of any work or operation carried on under the [618]*618•authority, control and direction of the state board of education and board of regents of the University of Idaho or any institutions, departments, officers or employees of said board, funds in an amount or amounts equal to the money or moneys so received shall be withdrawn by the state treasurer from the funds herein appropriated for the board or institution receiving such funds and placed in the general fund of the state, and the appropriation or appropriations herein made for such board or institution shall be decreased automatically by such amount or amounts equal to such money or moneys so received by such board or institution:
“Provided, further, that all funds received by and for the use of the board or any institution named herein, except federal aid received from the government of the United States which, under the law granting said aid, must be retained by the institution receiving the same, shall be turned into the state treasury monthly by such board or institution, and if said funds so reported and turned into the state treasury properly belong to the board or institution reporting the same, the state treasurer shall place such funds to the credit of said board or institution: ....
“All sums hereinafter appropriated shall be paid out by the state treasurer upon warrants drawn by the state auditor against the general fund of the state only. The amounts herein specified constitute the whole amounts appropriated by the legislature of the state of Idaho for the purposes specified, and no greater sum or sums shall be expended for the said purposes in any manner which will create a further claim against the state of Idaho.”

It appears that the defendants have maintained the several funds above referred to and in the first instance have placed therein the moneys properly applicable thereto. It further appears that all claims against the various institutions named above, during this biennium, have been allowed and paid by warrants drawn on the general fund.

The auditor gives the following explanation of his method of handling claims against these various institutions: “Out of the general fund of the state there is set aside on the [619]*619books of the state auditor the total amount of the appropriation made in said act for each institution. This then constitutes a distinct and separate appropriated fund out of which expenditures by the various institutions are paid by warrants after the allowance of the claims therefor. Each warrant drawn shows specially the appropriation against which it is drawn and the nature of the expense..... While warrants so drawn appear in the first instance against that part of the appropriation derived from the general fund, the account is properly chargeable against the combined appropriation consisting of both the general fund appropriation and the portion of the interest fund appropriated. At stated intervals, therefore, the money accumulated in the interest fund is transferred to the appropriation fund. This has not been and is never done prior to the withdrawal from said appropriation of an amount equal or greater, and in all instances it has been greater, than the accession..... The transfer referred to is made by the state auditor drawing a certificate authorizing the state treasurer to make the transfer, after which both of said officers post their books accordingly.”

It appears further that since December 31, 1917, the state treasurer has refused to recognize the validity of such certificates.

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Related

State v. Peterson
97 P.2d 603 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1939)
State ex rel. Black v. State Board of Education
196 P. 201 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1921)

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Bluebook (online)
174 P. 122, 31 Idaho 614, 1918 Ida. LEXIS 67, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/evans-v-van-deusen-idaho-1918.