Plains Electric Generation and Transmission Cooperative, Inc. v. Pueblo of Laguna and United States of America

542 F.2d 1375, 1976 U.S. App. LEXIS 6676
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedOctober 15, 1976
Docket75-1408, 75-1809
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 542 F.2d 1375 (Plains Electric Generation and Transmission Cooperative, Inc. v. Pueblo of Laguna and United States of America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Plains Electric Generation and Transmission Cooperative, Inc. v. Pueblo of Laguna and United States of America, 542 F.2d 1375, 1976 U.S. App. LEXIS 6676 (10th Cir. 1976).

Opinions

HILL, Circuit Judge.

This is a condemnation action brought by appellee, Plains Electric Generation and [1376]*1376Transmission Cooperative, Inc., under the State of New Mexico’s power of eminent domain. Appellee sought to condemn a right of way for electrical transmission lines and substations across two parcels of land. The first parcel is known as the Paguate Purchase, which is held by the Pueblo of Laguna in fee simple subject to restrictions on alienation under a grant from the United States made in 1884. The other parcel consists of approximately 30,-000 acres of federal land set apart as a reservation for the use and occupation of the Pueblo of Laguna by Executive Order of July 1, 1910.

Appellants, the Pueblo of Laguna and the United States of America, filed a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. The motion was denied by the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico and two questions were certified for immediate interlocutory appeal to this court. The district court later entered a final judgment in favor of appellees and motion was granted on November 10, 1975, to consolidate the interlocutory appeal with the appeal from the final judgment.

Jurisdiction over the action was based on the Act of May 10,1926, 44 Stat. 498, which provides in pertinent part:

That lands of the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico, the Indian title to which has not been extinguished, may be condemned for any public purpose and for any purpose for which lands may be condemned under the laws of the State of New Mexico, and the money awarded as damages shall be paid to the superintendent or officer in charge for the benefit of the particular tribe, community, or pueblo holding title to same: Provided, however, That the Federal courts of said State of the district within which such lands are located shall have and retain jurisdiction of all proceedings for the condemnation of such lands .

The issues presented on appeal are as follows:

1. Does the Act of May 10,1926,44 Stat. 498, authorize condemnation of lands set aside for the use and occupation of the Pueblo of Laguna by the Executive Order of July 1, 1910?

2. Has the Act of May 10, 1926, been repealed or superseded by subsequent legislation?

Because of our resolution of the second issue, we need not discuss the first. Lands of the Pueblos cannot be alienated without the consent of the United States. United States v. Candelaria, 271 U.S. 432, 46 S.Ct. 561, 70 L.Ed. 1023 (1926). If the 1926 Act is no longer valid, there is no consent by the United States to the forced alienation of this land and the district court was without jurisdiction. We hold the Act of May 10,1926, has been repealed and is no longer of any effect.

The Act has not been expressly repealed and our judgment is based on the doctrine of repeal by implication.

There are two well-settled categories of repeals by implication: (1) Where provisions in the two acts are in irreconcilable conflict, the later act to the extent of the conflict constitutes an implied repeal of the earlier one; and (2) if the later act covers the whole subject of the earlier one and is clearly intended as a substitute, it will operate similarly as a repeal of the earlier act.

Posadas v. National City Bank, 296 U.S. 497, 503, 56 S.Ct. 349, 352, 80 L.Ed. 351 (1936). As a general rule, however, repeals by implication are not favored. Morton v. Mancari, 417 U.S. 535, 94 S.Ct. 2474, 41 L.Ed.2d 290 (1974); United States v. Borden Co., 308 U.S. 188, 60 S.Ct. 182, 84 L.Ed. 181 (1939).

Appellants first contend the Act of May 10, 1926, was repealed by the Act of April 21,1928, 45 Stat. 422, 25 U.S.C. § 322. To fully consider this contention, we must first relate the history and purpose of each act. Legislative history and congressional intent are important factors in determining whether there has been a repeal by implication. See Morton v. Mancari, supra.

Before 1926 there were statutes providing for acquisition of rights of way over certain Indian lands for specified purposes. [1377]*1377E. g., Act of March 2, 1899, 30 Stat. 990, now 25 U.S.C. §§ 312-318 (railway, telegraph, and telephone lines); Act of March 3, 1901, 31 Stat. 1084, now 25 U.S.C. § 311 (highways). These statutes, however, applied to “Indian reservations” and lands similarly held for the benefit of the Indians.1 The lands held by the Pueblo Indians in their unique form of ownership in fee simple communal title were not technically “Indian reservations.” Until the decision in United States v. Sandoval, 231 U.S. 28, 34 S.Ct. 1, 58 L.Ed. 107 (1913), it had been held the United States’ guardianship and regulatory laws did not extend to the Pueblos residing on such lands.2 As a result, it was believed that the existing legislation did not authorize acquisition of rights of way over lands held by Pueblos in fee simple communal title and that the only way to remedy the situation was specific legislation. H.Rep.No.955, 69th Cong., 1st Sess. (1926). In this context, the Act of May 10, 1926, was passed.

Thereafter a railroad was built in New Mexico across Pueblo land. Then, a federal district judge held the 1926 Act was insufficient to authorize a suit to condemn a right of way because it provided no means for joining the United States as a party.3 Congress was notified of this holding and moved to enact a new law which would confirm the legality of the existing railroad and provide a means to obtain rights of way in the future. This legislation, H.R. 9483, became the Act of April 21, 1928. Its purpose was stated by the House Committee on Indian Affairs in H.Rep.No.816, 70th Cong., 1st Sess. (1928).

The purpose of this bill is to pass legislation whereby rights of way through lands of the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico can be secured for railway and highway purposes. The bill is for the purpose of correcting legislation heretofore passed, by which a railroad had been built and the right of way paid for in the sum of $3,000. Legislation heretofore passed May 10, 1926, has been held insufficient by the Federal court of the district of New Mexico, as not providing methods for bringing the Government in as a party. In other words, the procedure as set forth in the bill was defective.
The purpose of H.R. 9483 is to extend certain sections included in this act and to make the same applicable to the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico.
This legislation permits the acquiring of rights of way from the Indians in whom the fee title is held in common [emphasis added] .

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542 F.2d 1375, 1976 U.S. App. LEXIS 6676, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/plains-electric-generation-and-transmission-cooperative-inc-v-pueblo-of-ca10-1976.