State v. Montello Salt Co.

98 P. 549, 34 Utah 458, 1908 Utah LEXIS 73
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 27, 1908
DocketNo. 1858
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 98 P. 549 (State v. Montello Salt Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Montello Salt Co., 98 P. 549, 34 Utah 458, 1908 Utah LEXIS 73 (Utah 1908).

Opinion

STRAUP, J.

It is alleged in the complaint that the plaintiff, the state of Utah, is the owner in fee and entitled to the possession of certain lands (fully described) situate in Tooele county, state of Utah; that the lands are saline lands, find were granted to the plaintiff by the government of the United States under the provisions of section 8 of the enabling act (Act July 16, [460]*4601894, c. 138, 28 Stat. 109), enabling tbe territory of Utab to enter tbe Union as a state; and that tbe defendant bas wrongfully entered upon these lands, and bas threatened to and will, unless restrained, remove therefrom valuable deposits of salt, to tbe irreparable damage of plaintiff. Judgment was demanded that tbe plaintiff be decreed tbe owner of and entitled to tbe possession of tbe lands, and that tbe defendant be restrained from entering upon them or from removing salt or other deposits therefrom. Tbe defendant answered admitting that tbe lands are valuable only for tbe saline deposits found upon them, and alleging that underneath tbe soil tbe lands are covered with a deposit of salt varying from four to eight feet in thickness; that at tbe time 'of tbe approval of tbe enabling act tbe lands were so covered with soil and other earthy substances as to conceal their true character, and their real character was not discovered until November, 1906; that tbe plaintiff bad selected and located and received grants to tbe full amount of tbe 110,000 acres of lands granted it under section 8 of the enabling act for university purposes; that tbe lands in question were not included in tbe selection or location so made by tbe state of Utab; that tbe legal title of tbe lands in question was in. tbe government of tbe United Sates; and that tbe defendant was tbe equitable owner and entitled to the possession thereof by virtue of locations made by its grantors as saline lands under tbe placer laws of tbe United States. Tbe court sustained plaintiff’s demurrer to' tbe answer. Tbe defendant declined to further answer or plead. Judgment was therefore entered in favor of tbe plaintiff as prayed for in tbe complaint, from which tbe defendant bas prosecuted this appeal.

Counsel for both parties assert that tbe controversy arises, over, and tbe determination of tbe question wholly depends upon, tbe construction to be given section 8 of tbe enabling act. Tbe section is as follows:

[461]*461“That lands to the extent of two townships in quantity, authorized by the third section of the act of February twenty-one, eighteen hundred and fifty-five, to he reserved for the establishment of the University of Utah, are hereby granted to the state of Utah for university purposes, to he held and used in accordance with the provisions of this section; and any portion of said lands that may not have been selected by said territory may he selected by said state. That in addition to the above, one hundred and ten thousand acres of land, to he selected and located as provided in the foregoing section of this act, and including all the saline lands in said state, are hereby granted to said state, for the use of said university, and two hundred thousand acres for the use of an agricultural college therein. That the proceeds of the sale of said lands, or any portion thereof, shall constitute permanent funds, to he safely invested and held by said state, and the income thereof to he used exclusively for the purposes of such university and agricultural college, respectively.”'

The essential difference between the parties as to the meaning to be given this section arises over the clause, “that in addition to the above, one hundred and ten thousand acres of land to be selected and located as provided in the foregoing section of this act, and including all saline lands in said state.” The appellant contends that the additional lands granted in that clause for the use of the university are only 110,000 acres of lands, and that whatever saline lands are claimed by the state must be selected and located by it and embraced within the 110,000 acres of lands, and that, inasmuch as the state had already selected and located 110,000 acres of lands for the use of the university, it is not entitled to the saline lands in question because they were not selected and not embraced within the 110,000 acres of lands which had been selected and located by the state for the use of the university. On the other hand, the state contends that the additional lands, granted in the clause for the use of the university are 110,000 acres to be selected and located by.it, and, in addition thereto, all the saline lands in the state, and, inasmuch as all the saline lands were granted to it, no selection or location of them was necessary.

It may be said at the outset that the grant

[462]*462“Should be neither enlarged by ingenious meaning, nor diminished by strained construction. The interpretation must be reasonable, and such as will give effect to the intention of Congress. This is to be ascertained from the terms employed, the situation of the parties, and the nature of the grant. If these terms are plain and unambiguous, there can be no difficulty in enforcing them; but if they admit of different meanings — one of extension and the other of limitation — they must be accepted in a sense favorable to the grantor, and, if rights claimed under the government be set up against it, they must be so clearly defined that there can be no question of the purpose of Congress to confer them. In other words, what is not given expressly, or by necessary implication, is withheld.” (Leavemoorth, etc., R. R. v. U. S., 92 U. S. 740, 23 L. Ed. 634.)

In section 12 of tbe enabling act, it is also provided that “the said state of Utah shall not be entitled to any further or other grants of land for any purpose than is expressly provided in this' act,” etc. Conceding therefore that the state is entitled to only such lands as have been expressly granted to it, nevertheless the enabling act is “to be considered sensibly, and with a view to the object aimed at by the Legislature.” Gibson v. Jenney, 15 Mass. 205. In determining the question the chief purpose is to ascertain the intention of Congress. Its intention is found “in the language actually used, interpreted according to its fair and obvious meaning.” U. S. v. Harris, 177 U. S. 305, 20 Sup. Ct. 609, 44 L. Ed. 180. If the language employed is ambiguous, and if from the situation of the parties and the nature of the grant it is uncertain whether saline lands were or were not included within the 110,000 acres of lands, “the special rule of construction applicable to statutes making such grants would compel a construction favorable to the grantor.” (Barden v. N. P. R. R., 154 U. S. 321, 14 Sup. Ct. 1030, 38 L. Ed. 992.) From a reading of the statute it appears that lands were granted to the 'extent of two townships, authorized by the act of 1855. In addition thereto, there were also granted “one hundred and ten thousand acres of lands to be selected and located as provided in the foregoing section of this act, and including all saline lands in said state.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
98 P. 549, 34 Utah 458, 1908 Utah LEXIS 73, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-montello-salt-co-utah-1908.