Worthy v. King

246 S.W.2d 325, 1952 Tex. App. LEXIS 1949
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 17, 1952
DocketNo. 4709
StatusPublished

This text of 246 S.W.2d 325 (Worthy v. King) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Worthy v. King, 246 S.W.2d 325, 1952 Tex. App. LEXIS 1949 (Tex. Ct. App. 1952).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

This is an appeal from an adverse judgment in the District Court of Sabine County-in an election contest filed by J. H. Worthy, appellant, against L. E. King, County Attorney, appellee. A stock law election was held in certain territory in Sabine County for the purpose of determining whether hogs, sheep and goats should be permitted to run at large in said territory. The stock law carried by a vote of 16 to 1. The appellant contested the election and after the unfavorable judgment in the District Court brought hi-s appeal to this court 'for review. The transcript was filed, but no statement of facts has been filed in this court.

The trial court filed findings of fact and conclusions of law which were as follows:

“Findings of Fact
“1.
“I find that a petition bearing the signature of Twenty-two (22) resident free holders was filed with the county clerk and ex-officio clerk of the Commissioner’s Court of Sabine County, Texas at 9 A.M. on the 10th day of October A.D., 1949 requesting an election to be held within the territory described in said petition for the purpose of determining whether hogs, sheep and goats should -be permitted to- run at large within said territory described in said petition.
“2.
“I find that the 10th day of October A.D., 1949 was the second Monday of the month of October and that said date was the regular date for the convening of the regular term of the Commissioner’s Court for the month of October; I find that said court convened its regular terms at 10 A.M. on the second Monday of each month and that the regular term of said court for the month of October convened at 10 A.M. on the 10th day of October A.D., 1949.
“3.
“I find that said petition was granted by said court at the next regular term following the filing of said petition and that on said 10th day of October A.D., 1949, said court after having convened its regular term at 10 A.M., granted said petition and ordered an election to be held on the 26th day of November A.D., 1949.
“4.
“I find that after due notice, such election was held within the territory described in the petition for same and that returns of said election were duly made to the Commissioner’s Court of Sabine County, Texas and that on the 26th day of November A. D., 1949 the Commissioners’ Court of Sabine County, Texas convened at the regular meeting place with the County Judge.and all four Commissioners present, as well as the County Clerk and that said court duly canvassed the returns of said election resulting in a declaration by the court that 16 votes were cast for said stock law and 1 vote was cast against such stock law and that the minutes of said meeting of the Commissioners’ Court canvassed the returns of said election and declared the results thereof are properly recorded.
“5.
“I find that a proclamation was posted on or about the 28th day of November A.D., 1949 following the canvass of said returns of said election but that said proclamation did not contain the signature of the County Judge.
“6.
“I find that on or about the 5th day of January A.D., 1950 another proclamation in due form and bearing the signature of the County Judge was duly posted on the bulletin board in the courthouse at Hemp-hill, Texas.
“7.
“I find that on or about the 19th day of December A.D., 1949 the contestant caused to be delivered to the contestee in person a [327]*327copy of his notice of contest of said election accompanied by a statement of the grounds upon which he would rely for said contest.
“8.
“I find that all the statutory requirements have been made in the process of said election.
“Conclusions of Law
“1.
“I conclude that the petition filed for the stock law election was properly filed and that it was granted by the Commissioners’ Court at the next regular term following its filing and that all of the requirements of the stock law election statutes have been substantially complied with in holding of the election, canvassing the returns and declaring the results thereof.
“2.
“I conclude that the contestant is not entitled to the relief prayed for in his amended petition upon which he went to trial.
“3.
"I conclude that by the procedure followed as shown by the testimony in this case, a valid stock law has been enacted to cover the territory described in the original petition presented to the 'Commissioners’ Court.”
Since there is no statement of facts before us we must assume that there was sufficient evidence before the trial court to support the findings of fact.
The appellant predicates his appeal upon 4 points, which are as follows:
“1.
“The error of the Court in holding the election valid although the petition was filed the same day of the term the election was ordered and was received by the County Clerk in the office of the County Judge and in the presence of at least a part of the Court at 9 A.M. in the presence of the County Judge and presented tó the Court at its session beginning at 10 o’clock A.M. the same day.
"2.
“The error of the Court in holding election valid even though the proclamation declaring the stock law in effect was not signed by the County Judge.
“3.
“The error of the Court in holding said election valid although a signed proclamation was not posted until over thirty days after the returns of the election were canvassed. (Art. 6937.)
“4.
“The Court erred in holding said election valid, because the record does not reflect that the returns of election were properly canvassed, in that it is not shown who counted the votes; but said records states that the votes were counted in the presence of the Commissioners’ Court, the Justice of the Peace, Frank Davidson, Sam Solly and Henry Butler. (Page 30 statement of facts).”

We consider appellant’s points in reverse order. The Fourth Point must be overruled, because we do not have a statement of facts and the trial court found as a fact that the 'Commissioners’ Court duly canvassed the returns of the election.

Points Two and Three are overruled. The proclamation by the County Judge declaring the stock law in effect was not signed by him, but over 30 days after the returns of the election were canvassed the County Judge signed and posted another proclamation to the same effect. We believe that this is a substantial compliance with the election law, Art. 6937, Vernon’s Annotated Civil Statutes of Texas, which provides that the County Judge shall immediately issue his proclamation declaring the result.

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Related

Dauwe v. State
180 S.W.2d 925 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1944)
Robertson v. State
70 S.W. 542 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1902)
Coleman v. Hallum
232 S.W. 296 (Texas Commission of Appeals, 1921)
State ex rel. Stephens v. Moore
70 S.W. 512 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1902)

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Bluebook (online)
246 S.W.2d 325, 1952 Tex. App. LEXIS 1949, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/worthy-v-king-texapp-1952.