Herrick v. Gallet

204 P. 477, 35 Idaho 13, 1922 Ida. LEXIS 8
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 24, 1922
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 204 P. 477 (Herrick v. Gallet) 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
Herrick v. Gallet, 204 P. 477, 35 Idaho 13, 1922 Ida. LEXIS 8 (Idaho 1922).

Opinion

McCARTHY, j.

This is a petition for a writ of mandate to compel the defendant, the state auditor, to draw his warrant for the sum of $12,948.55 upon the state treasurer for the payment, out of the state fish and game fund, of a claim for that amount which has been allowed by the state board of examiners. The amount in question represents the difference between the contract price of timber removed by plaintiff from Heyburn Park, under two contracts between him and the state board of land commissioners, and the amount paid by him in purchase of the timber. In an action brought by the state in the district court of the eighth judicial district, the contracts were held to be invalid, as being in violation of the terms and conditions fixed by the Secretary of the Interior in issuing patent to the state from the United States in pursuance of an act of Congress authorizing the same, and Herrick was perpetually enjoined from cutting or removing trees or timber from Heyburn Park. The claim was presented to the state board of examiners, approved by it, and certified to the state auditor. The state auditor has refused to draw his warrant upon the state treasury against the state fish and game fund, and the plaintiff herein petitions for a writ of mandate to compel him to do so.

Plaintiff’s petition alleges that the money in question was deposited with the state of Idaho to the credit of the fish and game fund and placed in and became and now is a part of said fund; that the board of examiners, on or about June 29, 1921, passed plaintiff’s claim and certified the same to defendant as state auditor, as a just and valid [16]*16claim against the fish and game fund to be paid out of the moneys in said fund; that there has been, and now is in said fish and game fund sufficient money to pay said claim or any warrant issued thereon by defendant for the payment of the same. Defendant has demurred to the petition, thereby admitting all facts properly pleaded.

Plaintiff’s contention may be summarized as follows: C. S., sec. 3095, provides that all improvements in Heyburn Park, together with the expenses of maintaining and governing the park, shall be paid out of the fish and game fund, and all revenue derived from the park shall be paid into such fund. C. S., sec. 2666, creates a continuing fund, to be known as the state fish and game fund, out of moneys derived from the operation of the fish and game bureau. The two sections taken together appropriated moneys in the state fish and game fund, including revenues derived from Heyburn Park, to the payment of claims arising out of expenditures in improving the park and the expenses of maintaining and governing the park. From these premises plaintiff’s counsel concludes that there is money in the fish and game fund duly appropriated and available for the purpose of paying the claim. Counsel does not invoke the trust fund theory. Defendant’s counsel contend that the warrant cannot be legally issued unless there has been such an appropriation; that the petition fails to show such an appropriation; that it therefore fails to state a cause of action; and the demurrer should be sustained.

The state constitution, YII, 13, provides that no money shall be drawn from the treasury but in pursuance of appropriations made by law. C. S., sec. 141, subdiv. 14, provides that it is the duty of the state auditor to draw warrants on the treasurer for the payment of moneys directed by law to be paid out of the treasury, but no warrant must be drawn unless authorized by law. No warrant can issue to pay a claim, even though allowed by the board of examiners, until the legislature has made an appropriation to cover the same. (Kroutinger v. Board of Examiners, 8 Ida. 463, 69 Pac. 279.)

[17]*17As to what constitutes an appropriation, this court has used the following language:

“While it is true no set form of words is necessary to make an appropriation, language should be used that would show an intent of the legislature to make an appropriation. The mere declaration that certain charges against the state must be paid out of the state treasury does not necessarily make an appropriation.....” (Kingsbury v. Anderson, 5 Ida. 771, 51 Pac. 744.)
“‘An appropriation within the meaning of the section of our constitution last above quoted (VII, 13) is authority from the legislature expressly given in legal form, to the proper officers, to pay from the public moneys a specified sum, and no more, for a specified purpose, and no other. It follows -that no money may lawfully be paid from the treasury except pursuant to and in accordance with an act of the legislature expressly appropriating it to the specific purpose for which it is paid.” (Epperson v. Howell, 28 Ida. 338, at 343, 154 Pac. 621, 623.)

Plaintiff’s counsel contends that the board of examiners acts gw&si-judicially in passing on claims against the state. This contention is .sound. (Pyke v. Steunenberg, 5 Ida. 614, 51 Pac. 614; Bragaw v. Gooding, 14 Ida. 288, 94 Pac. 438.) He also contends that after a claim has been allowed by the board of examiners the duty of the auditor to draw the warrant is purely ministerial. This contention is also sound. (In re Huston, 27 Ida. 231, 147 Pac. 1064.) From these premises he concludes that the act of the state board of examiners in approving the claim has the effect of a conclusive decision that there is money in the treasury appropriated by the legislature to pay it, which prevents the defendant from raising, and this court from entertaining, the question as to whether there is such an appropriation. With this conclusion we do not agree. Const., VII, 13, prohibits any officer created under the constitution and laws of the state from paying money out of the state treasury, except in accordance with an appropriation made [18]*18by law. (Jeffreys v. Huston, 23 Ida. 372, 129 Pac. 1065.) The board of examiners has power to examine all claims against the state except salaries or compensations of officers fixed by law and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law. (Const., IV, 18.) We do not find any provision of the constitution or the statutes which empowers the board to conclusively decide that there is an appropriation available to pay the claim. C. S., sec. 239, provides that on all accounts submitted to the board for action the state auditor must certify that there are funds in the státe treasury out of which the .same may lawfully be paid, and C. S., sec. 242, provides that no claim shall be examined, considered or acted upon by the board unless the state auditor shall have so certified. These statutes, however, cannot have the effect of making the certificate of the auditor, or order of the board, conclusive of the matter. When the question is raised, it is the duty of this court to enforce the provisions of Const., VII, 13. Plaintiff has no right to a writ of mandate from this court directing the auditor to draw a warrant upon the treasurer for the payment of his claim unless it appears that there is money in the treasury duly appropriated for that purpose. An allegation of such appropriation is necessary to a statement of a cause of action. The vital question in this case is: Does the petition allege such an appropriation?

Plaintiff relies upon .sees. 2666 and 3095 to establish an appropriation. Sec. 3095, enacted in 1911, reads as follows :

“Sec. 3095.

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Bluebook (online)
204 P. 477, 35 Idaho 13, 1922 Ida. LEXIS 8, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/herrick-v-gallet-idaho-1922.