State ex rel. Buford v. Daniel

99 So. 804, 87 Fla. 270
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedMarch 19, 1924
StatusPublished
Cited by77 cases

This text of 99 So. 804 (State ex rel. Buford v. Daniel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Buford v. Daniel, 99 So. 804, 87 Fla. 270 (Fla. 1924).

Opinions

Whitfield, J.,

(after stating the facts.)

In quo warranto proceedings the Attorney General challenges the Constitutional validity of Chapter 9274, Acts of 1923, the various contentions made will be discussed without unnecessary repetition of the grounds of asserted invalidity that are set out in full in the statement.

The requirement of Section 16, Article III of the Constitution is that each law “shall embrace but one subject and matter properly connected therewith, which subject shall be briefly expressed in the title.” As the subject of the Act set out in the státement is the creation of a [280]*280County Welfare Board for each county having a population of over one hundred thousand, with provisions de^ fining the powers and duties and providing for the financial support of such Board and prescribing the qualifications of the members thereof, and as that subject is expressed in the title, it is immaterial that the portion of the title reading “and repealing Chapters 7336 and 8535, Laws of Florida.” does not express the subject of the Acts to be repealed, since such repeal is “matter properly connected” with the subject expressed in the title, and such matter need not be expressed in the title, but the repeal is effective because of conflicting' provisions contained in the Act with or without reference in the title to the express repeals contained in the body of the Act. See State ex rel. Attorney General v. Knowles, 16 Fla. 577; State ex rel. McQuaid v. Commissioners of Duval County, 23 Fla. 483, 3 South. Rep. 193.

The rule that in amending statutes the subject of the amending statute is not sufficiently expressed in the title which contains only the section number of the statute that is to be amended may not apply to provisions in the body of an Act that expressly repeal other statutory provisions ; and provisions expressly repealing prior statutes may be immaterial where such prior statutes are repealed by implication because inconsistent with the new law. The statutes repealed are of kindred nature to the new statute enacted to supersede the repealed statutes.

While the title of an Act is by the Constitution required to briefly express the subject of the enactment, it need not state matters properly connected with such subject that are embraced in the body of the law; and the language used in expressing the subject, of the enactment is within the legislative discretion. If the language of the title considered with reference to the legislative intent [281]*281as shown by the purpose and object of the Act, may by any fair intendment cover the subject of the Act, the Courts will not because of an asserted defective title refuse to give effect to any.matter contained in the body of the enactment that is germain to or properly conected with the subject of the law, where the title is not so worded as to mislead an ordinary mind as to the real purpose and scope of the particular enactment. A wide latitude must of necessity be accorded the Legislature in its enactments of law; and it must be a plain ease of violating the requirements of the organic law as to titles of Acts before the courts -will nullify statutes or portions thereof as not being within the purpose and scope of the subject as expressed in the title and of “matter properly connected therewith.” If the title of an Act fairly gives notice of the subject of the Act so as to reasonably lead to. an inquiry into the body thereof, it is all that is necessary. The title need not be an index to the contents of the Act. Butler v. Terry, 67 Fla. 405, 66 South. Rep. 150.

When a matter is so closely connected with the subject of the Act as to create a doubt whether it is not included within, the courts will not consider the question whether the legislative action upon it violates the constitutional prohibition relating to the titles of laws. County Commissioners of Duval County v. City of Jacksonville, 36 Fla. 196, 18 South. Rep. 339.

When the title is general the Legislature must be considered as put upon notice as to anything in the bill germane to the subject expressed. State ex rel. Gonzalez v. Palmes, 23 Fla. 620, text 629, 3 South. Rep. 171.

The conflict between the Constitution and' a Statute must be palpable, to justify the judiciary in disregarding the latter upon the sole ground that it embraces more than one subject, or that, if there be but one, it is not suffi[282]*282ciently expressed in the title. Montclair v. Ramsdell, 107 U. S. 147, 2 Sup. Ct. Rep. 391.

The generality of the title óf a statute does not invalidate it so long as the title is comprehensive enough to reasonably include within the general subject or the subordinate branches thereof, the several objects which the statute seeks to effect, and does not cover legislation incongruous in itself - and which by no fair intendment can be included as having any necessary and proper connection. Blair v. Chicago,. 201 U. S. 400, text 401, 26 Sup. Ct. Rep. 427; Hoboken v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 124 U. S. 656, 8 Sup. Ct. Rep. 643; Jonesborough City v. Cairo & St. L. R. Co., 110 U. S. 192, 4 Sup. Ct. Rep. 67; State ex rel. Gonzalez v. Palmes, 23 Fla. 620, text 628, 3 South. Rep. 171.

The constitutional requirement is not directed against the generality and comprehensiveness of titles; all its purposes are satisfied when the law has but one general subject or object which is fairly indicated in its title. So long as the generality of the title is not made a cover for legislation incongruous in itself, and the title is not misleading or deceptive but fairly expresses the general subject or object of the law, the mere generality of the title is not an objection. 25 R. C. L. pp. 853, 854, Sec. 99; Holton v. State, 28 Fla. 303, 9 South. Rep. 716; Schiller v. State, 49 Fla. 25, 38 South. Rep. 706; Ex Parte Gilletti, 70 Fla. 442, 70 South. Rep. 446; Ex Parte Pricha, 70 Fla. 265, 70 South. Rep. 406; Saussy v. Davidson, 75 Fla. 422, 78 South. Rep. 336; State v. Henry, 15 La. Ann. 297; 29 Fla. 408.

The Act provides for a public administrative agency and the title is a sufficient compliance with the organic requirement, since it is ample to put upon enquiry all who may be interested in the public matters of the county that may be included in provisions relating to public wel[283]*283fare of any nature or kind. See State ex rel. Hopkins v. Howat, 109 Kan. 376, 198 Pac. Rep. 686, 25 A. L. R. 1210. The title is not misleading as in Webster v. Powell, 36 Fla. 703, 18 South. Rep. 441; and in Brooks v. Hydron, 76 Mich. 273, 42 N. W. Rep. 1122. The generality of the title is not deceptive. See Public Service Co. v. Recktenwald, 290 Ill. 314, 125 N. E. Rep. 271, 8 A. L. R. 466; Perkins v. Board of Gounty Commissioners, 271 Ill. 449, 111 N. E. Rep. 580, Ann. Cas. 1917-A 27; 25 R. C. L. 854. The statute is not incongruous.

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Bluebook (online)
99 So. 804, 87 Fla. 270, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-buford-v-daniel-fla-1924.