In re Board of Public Lands & Buildings

55 N.W. 1092, 37 Neb. 425, 1893 Neb. LEXIS 227
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJune 30, 1893
DocketNo. 6306
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 55 N.W. 1092 (In re Board of Public Lands & Buildings) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Board of Public Lands & Buildings, 55 N.W. 1092, 37 Neb. 425, 1893 Neb. LEXIS 227 (Neb. 1893).

Opinions

Maxwell, Ch. J.

The board of public lands and buildings has submitted to this court certain questions relating to a seeming conflict in the statutes relating to their duties and those of the board of purchase and supplies. After referring to and setting out portions of the statutes in question, they submit the following:

“1. What bills, if any, do the board of purchase and supplies examine and approve?

“2. What bills, if any, do the board of public lands and buildings examine and approve under the existing laws of this state?

“3. Does the act of 1877 (Laws of 1877,-p. 199), creating a board of purchase and supplies, supersede the act of 1877 (Laws of 1877, p. 188), establishing a board of public lands and buildings and defining their duties, in so far as the latter act provides that the board of public lands and buildings shall examine and approve the account of the various state institutions therein mentioned?”

[426]*426Section 19, article 5, of the constitution provides: “The commissioner of public lands and buildings, the secretary ■of state, treasurer, and attorney general shall form a board which shall have general supervision and control of all the buildings, grounds, and lands of the state, the state prison, asylums, and all other institutions thereof, except those for educational purposes, and shall perform such duties and be subject to such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by law.”

In 1877 the legislature passed an act creating the board of public lands and buildings. The powers of the board as declared, in that act are as follows:

“Section 1. That the board created by section 19 of article 5 of the constitution of . the state of Nebraska, consisting of the commissioner of public lands and buildings, the secretary of state, treasurer, and attorney general of the state, shall hereafter be known in law as.‘the board of public lands and buildings of the state of Nebraska,’ and shall have general supervision and control of all the public lands, lots, and grounds, and all institutions, buildings, and the grounds thereto, now owned, or that may hereafter be acquired, by the state, including the saline lands, together with all salt springs, the penitentiary lands, internal improvement lands and lots, as well as the state capjtol building. and grounds, the state penitentiary and grounds, the state hospital for the insane and grounds, the asylum for the deaf and dumb and grounds, the asylum for the blind and grounds, and all other lands, lots, grounds, and buildings now belonging or hereafter acquired by the state; Provided, however, That all lands, lots, grounds, and buildings, or institutions set aside for and devoted to educational purposes, be and hereby are excepted from the provisions of this act.

“ Sec. 2. The board of public lands and buildings shall have the power to make general direction, according to law, for the sale, leasing, or other disposition of the lands, lots, [427]*427and grounds belonging to the state as aforesaid, and shall give warrant by their proceedings as such board to the commissioner of public lands and buildings for his action in the sale or leasing of such lands, lots, and grounds, and shall require of the said commissioner a full and detailed report of all such sales, leases, and the funds thereby acquired, as hereinafter directed.

“Sec. 3. The board shall have general custody and charge of all buildings and. institutions and the grounds thereto coming under the provisions of this act’ and shall be responsible for the proper keeping and repair of the same, and shall require from the commissioner of public lands and buildings, who shall be direct custodian of such institutions, buildings, and grounds, a report, at least once in every three months, as to the condition of the same; Provided, That no additions shall be made to any public buildings without special appropriation of the legislature.

“ Sec. 4. The said board shall have power, under the restrictions of this act, to direct the general management of all the said institutions and be responsible for the proper disbursement of the funds' appropriated for their maintenance, and shall have reviewing power over the acts of the officers of such institutions, and shall, on the part of the state, at regular meetings as hereinafter directed, audit all accounts of such officers, including the accounts of the commissioner of public lands and buildings, except his salary.

“Sec. 5. At the regular meeting of the board it shall be their duty to examine the accounts of the public officers contemplated in this act and to determine whether the same are entitled to be paid out of the moneys appropriated for the purpose of maintaining the institutions for which they are charged, and, if correct, shall approve the same, which approval shall be signed by the president and countersigned by the secretary under date of such action, and if the accounts be incorrect, exorbitant, or not entitled to payment from such appropriations, the same shall be dis[428]*428approved and returned to the claimant, such board keeping a record of the same.

“ Sec. 6. When the accounts above mentioned have been filed with the board, and shall have been audited and approved by them, the auditor of public accounts is hereby authorized and directed, upon the presentation to him of such accounts so authenticated, to issue his warrant on the treasurer against the proper fund or appropriation, for the amount therein stated, to the claimant or his assignee. And no accounts coming under the provisions of this act shall be entitled to payment until they have been so approved by the said board.

“ Sec. 7. It shall be the duty of the board to take cognizance of all charges or complaints made against the said public officers, and at a regular meeting, to give an impartial hearing to such charges, and the defense against them, if any, and report the charges, evidence, and their conclusions in the matter, to the governor, within six days after the determination of such investigation..

“ Sec. 8. The said board shall meet at least once in each month, on the first Monday thereof, for the transaction of business; the commissioner of public lands and buildings shall be ex-offiaio president of the board, and shall preside at all meetings and execute all other duties prescribed for him in this act, and shall sign all papers and instruments or documents that shall be approved, made, or directed by the board.

Sec. 9. The secretary of state shall be ex-offiaio secretary of the board, and shall keep a careful record of all the proceedings of the board in a substantial and well bound book, to be kept for that purpose, and which shall be known as the Record of the proceedings of the board of public lands and buildings of the state of Nebraska,’ and the said secretary shall countersign all papers, instruments, or documents approved, made, or directed by the board.

[429]*429“Sec. 10. It shall be necessary for at least three members of said board to be present at any meeting for the transaction of business, and in absence of the president, or secretary, the place shall be filled by election, pro tempore; Provided, That no meeting for business shall beheld without the presence of one or the other of them.

“See. 11.

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Related

State ex rel. Leidigh v. Holcomb
65 N.W. 873 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1896)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
55 N.W. 1092, 37 Neb. 425, 1893 Neb. LEXIS 227, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-board-of-public-lands-buildings-neb-1893.