McLane v. Placerville & Sacramento Valley R.R.

6 P. 748, 66 Cal. 606, 1885 Cal. LEXIS 512
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedApril 23, 1885
DocketNo. 8,985
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 6 P. 748 (McLane v. Placerville & Sacramento Valley R.R.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McLane v. Placerville & Sacramento Valley R.R., 6 P. 748, 66 Cal. 606, 1885 Cal. LEXIS 512 (Cal. 1885).

Opinion

Thornton, J.

The complaint herein was demurred to by the Sacramento and Plaeerville E. Co., on the grounds thus stated by the pleader:

“ First—that the said complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action.
“ That it appears upon the face of the complaint, that the instrument therein set out and alleged to be a mortgage was not made and executed in conformity with the statute authorizing the said defendant, the Plaeerville and Sacramento Valley Eailroad Company (a corporation), to make and execute such instrument.
“ That it appeal’s upon the face of said complaint that the board of directors of said corporation did not by unanimous consent order and direct the said mortgage to be made or executed, or the corporate bonds therein mentioned to be executed or delivered, and that neither said bonds nor mortgage were or are valid as a corporate act of said defendant.”

The validity of the written security on which the action is brought, as well as of the bonds mentioned in the complaint, to secure which the security was executed, is by the demurrer attacked.

The security in question was executed in 1864 by the Placer-ville and S. V. E. Co., to secure the payment of certain bonds therein mentioned; and it is contended that it is invalid, because not authorized by the unanimous concurrence of the directors of the corporation above named.

To sustain this contention, we are referred to section 15 of [609]*609the act of 1861, concerning the incorporation of railroad companies (Stats. 1861, 607), as amended by section 1 of the act of May 14, 1862. (Stats. 1862, 547.) This section, as amended, is as follows:

“ Such companies shall have power to borrow, from time to time, on the credit of the corporation, and under such regulations and restrictions as the directors thereof, by unanimous concurrence, may impose, such sums of money as they may deem necessary for constructing and completing their railroad, and to issue and dispose of bonds or promissory notes therefor, in denominations of not less than five hundred dollars, and at a rate of interest not exceeding ten per cent, per annum; and, also, to issue bonds or promissory notes, of the denomination aforesaid, and at the rate of interest aforesaid, in payment of any debts or contracts for constructing and completing their road, with its equipments, and all else relative thereto; provided, however, that the amount of bonds, or promissory notes, issued by such companies for the purposes aforesaid, shall not exceed, in all, the amount of their capital stock: and to secure the payment of said bonds or notes, may mortgage their corporate property and franchises. And the directors of such companies shall also provide, in such manner as to them may seem best, a sinking fund, to be specially applied to the redemption of such bonds on or before their maturity; and may also confer on any holder of any bond or note so issued for money borrowed, or in payment of any debt or contract for the construction and equipment of such road, as aforesaid, the right to convert the principal due or owing thereon into stock of such companies, at any time within eight years from the date of such bonds, under such regulations as the directors may adopt.”

Attention is also called to the following recitals in the instrument or security:

“ And, whereas, the said company has heretofore, through its lawfully authorized agent in New York city, contracted certain liabilities and indebtedness, and has entered into certain negotiations and contracts for large amounts of railroad iron and rolling stock for its line of road, and for constructing and completing the same road, with its equipments, and for such further amounts of such iron and rolling stock as the company, through [610]*610its board of directors, may from time to time require, or desire to purchase for like use in constructing,-completing and equipping the said road:
“ And, whereas, the said company is desirous, and has, through its lawfully authorized agents, undertaken and agreed to issue its bonds of the denomination of one thousand dollars each, and at a rate of interest not exceeding ten per centum per annum, for the purpose of paying and meeting the said debts, liabilities and contracts already incurred and entered into, and such as may be further incurred or entered into for the purposes aforesaid—that it is to say, for such railroad iron and rolling stock alone, and also to secure the said bonds by first mortgage upon the corporate property and franchises of the company.”

It is afterwards recited that the bonds were ordered to be issued in conformity with the premises, and for the sole purpose aforesaid—manifestly referring to the recitals above given. This security was made a part of the complaint.

The section (fifteen) relied on evidently confers by its first clause, ending with the words “ at a rate of interest not exceeding ten per cent, per annum,” a different and distinct power from the clause just succeeding.

The first clause confers the power “ to borrow, from time to time, on the credit of the corporation, and under such regulations and restrictions as the directors thereof, by unanimous concurrence, may impose, such sums of money as they may deem necessary, for constructing and completing their railroad, and to issue and dispose of bonds or promissory notes therefor,” etc. The second clause has its antecedent, the words, “ such company shall have power,” with which the first clause commences, and which is also its antecedent; and the words and also to issue bonds or promissory notes, of the denomination aforesaid, and at the rate of interest aforesaid, in payment of any debts or contracts for constructing and completing their road, with its equipments, and all else relative thereto,” are qualified by such initial words; so that this last clause is substantially, such company shall have the power also to issue bonds or promissory notes, etc. Here, it is plain to see, is a power given to issue bonds or promissory notes, under like pro[611]*611visions as to denomination and interest as in the first clause, “in payment of any debts or contracts for constructing and completing their road, with its equipments, and all else relative thereto ”—a power differing and distinct from the other, as will be evident on a careful reading. The power first given in the section is to borrow money for a purpose designated; the one secondly given is to make bonds or promissory notes, and issue them in payment of debts or contracts for constructing and completing the road. The power to mortgage the corporate property and franchise to secure the payment of such bonds or notes, given in the proviso following the second clause, applies alike to the notes and bonds referred to in the first clause, and is common to the bonds and notes issued under either power.

Powers are conferred by the ninth section of the act of 1861 (Stats. 1861, 611), and by this section as ^mended in 1863, (Stats. 1863, 610), on the directors, to manage the affairs of the company, make and execute contracts of whatsoever nature or kind, fully and completely to carry out the objects and purposes of the corporation, in such way and manner as they may think proper, and to exercise generally the corporate powers of such company.

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Bluebook (online)
6 P. 748, 66 Cal. 606, 1885 Cal. LEXIS 512, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mclane-v-placerville-sacramento-valley-rr-cal-1885.