Trask v. United States

27 Ct. Cl. 330, 1892 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 71, 1800 WL 1999
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedMay 16, 1892
DocketNo. 16854
StatusPublished

This text of 27 Ct. Cl. 330 (Trask v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Trask v. United States, 27 Ct. Cl. 330, 1892 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 71, 1800 WL 1999 (cc 1892).

Opinion

Weldon, J.,

delivered the opinion of tbe court:

The petition alleges that the claimant was postmaster at the town of Emporia from August, 1864, to July 1, 1871; that the said office for the biennial terms ending June 30,1806, June 30,1868, and June 30,1870, was by the Postmaster-General assigned to the fourth class, and in June 30,1871, assigned by him to the third class.

“Petitioner says that she was paid a salary for the biennial term ending June 30, 1867, of about $270 per year, and for the term ending June 30, 1868, she was paid $400 per year, and for the term ending June 30,1870, she was paid $790per year, and for the year ending June 30, 1871, she was paid $1,8001 And petitioner says that the salary paid for each of said terms was more than 10 per cent less than she would have received in commissions under chapter 61 of the laws of 1854, and that the salary paid her for each of said terms not having been readjusted, as required by section 8, of chapter 114, of the laws of 1866, she made application to the Postmaster-General, under chapter 119 of the laws of 1883 prior to January 1, 1887, for the readjustment of salary to which she was entitled, and she further says that upon her said application her salary for each of said terms has been readjusted by the Postmaster-General upon the returns of said office, and that by the readjustments thus made, which have not been reported, she is entitled, in all, for all the said terms of service, to be paid, in addition to what has been heretofore paid her, the sum of $2,175.57, and she says she is unable to state the amount of salary due for each of said terms of service, because the Postmaster-General lias failed to report the same. Petitioner says that there is due her from the United States $2,175.57, for which sum she prays judgment of this honorable court against the United States.”

In the request for findings the claimant abandons the specific sum of $2,175.57, and asks a judgment for the sum of $2,049.25, as the amount to which she is entitled upon a proper and legal adjustment of her rights under chapter 119 of the laws of 1883. The sum of $2,175.57 represents an alleged readjustment of the salary of the claimant under the act of 1883. The pleading of the claimant does not directly count upon it as a readjustment; [338]*338and tbe contention is that, although there is inlaw a readjustment under the act of 1883, that without such readjustment, if it appears that under the different statutes an amount is due claimant, she has a right to recover. The act of 1883 provides—

“ That the Postmaster-General be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to readjust the salaries of all postmasters and late postmasters of the third, fourth, and fifth classes under the classification provided for in the act of July 1, 1864, whose salaries have not heretofore been readjusted under the terms of section 8 of the act of June 12,1866, who made sworn returns of receipts and business for readjustment of salary to the Postmaster-General, the First Assistant Postmaster-General, or the Third Assistant Postmaster-General, or who made quarterly returns in conformity to the then existing laws and regulations, showing that the salary allowed was 10 per centum less than it would have been upon the basis of commissions under the act of 1854; such readjustment to be made in accordance with the mode presented in section 8 of the act of June 12, 1866, and to date from the beginning of the quarter succeeding that in which such SAVorn returns of receipts and business or quarterly returns were made: Provided, That every readjustment of salary under this act shall be upon a written application, signed by the postmaster or late postmaster or legal representative entitled to such readjustment; and that such payment shall be by warrant or check on the Treasurer or some assistant treasurer of the United States, made payable to the order of said applicant, and forwarded by mail to him at the post-office within whose delivery he resides, and which address shall be set forth in the application above provided for.” (22 Stat. L., p. 487.)

The proviso indicates the mode in which the rights of parties are to be dealt with under the statute, and furnishes the court an indication of construction in determining the legal liability of the defendants in this proceeding. The contention of the Government is the reverse of the claimant’s. It is contended that a readjustment is necessary, that no such readjustment has been made, and that under a proper readjustment by the Postmaster-General nothing would be dire the claimant. We will first consider whether it is necessary that the claimant-have a readjustment.

At the time the act of 1883 was passed the claimant was not only without remedy, but without right. If she ever had any claim against the Government for fees or salary as postmaster, that claim was barred by the statute of limitations long before the act of 1883.

[339]*339Tbe plaintiff’s right to sue and her right to recover depends upon and is incident to the act of 1883 as applicable to the acts of 1854 and 1866 recited in the act of 1883. A case very similar to the one at bar was determined by the Supreme Court, on appeal from this court, involving the rights of a postmaster under the act of 1866, providing for a readjustment of a postmaster’s salary. The court said:

“From a review of these statutory provisions it appears plainly that after a salary of a postmaster has been fixed a readjustment by the Postmaster-G-eneral must be made before it can be increased, and the readjustment takes effect in all cases prospectively. The law imposes no obligation upon the Government to pay an increased salary unless a readjustment has preceded it. And by the act of 1866 the Postmaster-General is not to readjust an existing salary unless the quarterly returns made show cause for it. Now, if it be conceded that the quarterly returns made on the last day of each quarter, beginning with June 30,1871, made it the duty of the Postmaster-General to make a readjustment immediately on receipt of the returns, still his readjustment was an executive act, made necessary by.the law, in order to perfect any liability of the Government. If the executive officer failed to do his duty, he might have been constrained by a mandamus. But the courts can not perform executive duties or treat them as performed when they have been neglected. They can not enforce rights which are dependent for their existence upon a prior performance by an executive officer of certain duties he has failed to perform. The right asserted by the claimant rests upon a condition unfulfilled. The judgment was therefore erroneous and must be reversed, and the record remitted to the Court of Claims with instructions to dismiss the petition: and it is so ordered.” (95 U. S. R., p. 753.)

After the decision of the Supreme Court the claimant sought to mandamus the Postmaster-General, and for that purpose commenced suit in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia.

The Supreme Court of the District refused to grant the mandamus, which decision was affirmed by the Supreme Court of the United States on the ground—

“That no obligation rests upon the Postmaster-General to readjust the salaries of postmasters offcener than once in two years; that such readjustment, when it takes place, establishes the amount of the salary prospectively for two years, but that a discretion rests with the Postmaster-General to make a more [340]

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Bluebook (online)
27 Ct. Cl. 330, 1892 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 71, 1800 WL 1999, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/trask-v-united-states-cc-1892.