Sutliff v. Board of County Com'rs of Lake County

by Horace Gray

United States Supreme Court

147 U.S. 230

Sutliff  v.  Board of County Com'rs of Lake County

Statement by Mr. Justice GRAY:

This was an action brought in the circuit court of the United States for the district of Colorado, by a citizen of Connecticut, against the county of Lake, a municipal corporation of Colorado, upon coupons for interest of 6 bonds for $500 each, part of a series of 10 bonds issued by the county on July 1, 1881, payable to bearer in 20 years, and redeemable at the pleasure of the county after 10 years, and containing this recital:

'This bond is one of a series of five thousand dollars, which the board of county commissioners of said county have issued for the purpose of constructing roads and bridges, by virtue of, and in compliance with, a vote of a majority of the qualified voters of said county, at an election duly held on the 7th day of October, A. D. 1879, and under and by virtue of, and in compliance with, an act of the general assembly of the state of Colorado entitled 'An act concerning counties, county officers, and county government, and repealing laws on these subjects,' approved March 24, A. D. 1877; and it is hereby certified that all the provisions of said act have been fully complied with by the proper officers in the issuing of this bond.'

One defense was that the bonds were illegal and void because they increased the indebtedness of the county to an amount in excess of the limit prescribed by article 11, § 6, Const. Colo., which is copied in the margin. ^[1]

On March 24, 1877, the legislature of Colorado passed an act entitled 'An act concerning counties, county officers, and county government, and repealing laws on these subjects,' (Gen. Laws 1877, p. 218,) the material provisions of which are also copied in the margin. ^[2]

The circuit court gave judgment for the defendant, (47 Fed. Rep. 106;) and the plaintiff took the case by writ of error to the circuit court of appeals for the eighth circuit, before which the following facts were made to appear: At and before the issue and sale of said bonds, the county was in fact indebted to an amount greater than that permitted by the limitation contained in the constitution

Upon the case, as above stated, the circuit court of appeals certified to this court the following questions and propositions of law:

'(1) In view of the provisions of the act of the legislature of Colorado, approved March 24, 1877, providing for the making of a public record, of the indebtedness and financial condition of the several counties in said state, was the said John Sutliff, plaintiff herein, when about to purchase the bonds sued on, and issued under the provisions of said act of March 24, 1877, charged with the duty of examining the record of indebtedness provided for in said act, in order to ascertain whether the bonds he proposed to purchase were lawfully issued, or whether the issuance thereof did not increase the indebtedness of the county beyond the constitutional limit?

'(2) Do the recitals found in said bonds estop the county of Lake, as against a purchaser thereof, for value, before maturity, from proving as a defense thereto that, when said series of bonds were issued, the indebtedness of the county already equaled or exceeded the amount of indebtedness which the county could legally incur, under the provisions of the constitutional limitation already cited?'

J. R. McClure, for plaintiff in error.

H. B. Johnson, for defendant in error.

Mr. Justice GRAY, after stating the case as above, delivered the opinion of the court.

Notes

1. No county shall contract any debt by loan in any form, except for the purpose of erecting necessary public buildings, making or repairing public roads and bridges; and such indebtedness contracted in any one year shall not exceed the rates upon the taxable property in such county following, to wit: Counties in which the assessed valuation of taxable property shall exceed five millions of dollars, one dollar and fifty cents on each thousand dollars thereof; counties in which such valuation shall be less than five millions of dollars, three dollars on each thousand dollars thereof. And the aggregate amount of indebtedness of any county for all purposes, exclusive of debts contracted before the adoption of this constitution, shall not at any time exceed twice the amount above herein limited, unless when, in manner provided by law, the question of incurring such debt shall, at a general election, be submitted to such of the qualified electors of such county as in the year last preceding such election shall have paid a tax upon property assessed to them in such county, and a majority of those voting thereon shall vote in favor of incurring the debt; but the bonds, if any be issued therefor, shall not run less than ten years, and the aggregate amount of debt so contracted shall not at any time exceed twice the rate upon the valuation last herein mentioned: provided, that this section shall not apply to counties having a valuation of less than one million dollars.
2. Sec. 21. When the county commissioners of any county shall deem it necessary to create an indebtedness for the purpose of erecting necessary public buildings, making or repairing public roads or bridges, they may, by an order entered of record, specifying the amount required, and the object for which such debt is created, submit the question to a vote of the people at a general election; and they shall cause to be posted a notice of such order, in some conspicuous place in each voting precinct in the county, for at least thirty days preceding the election; and all persons voting on that question shall vote by separate ballot, whereon is placed the words, 'For county indebtedness,' or 'Against county indebtedness,'-such ballots to be deposited in a box provided by the county commissioners for that purpose; and no person shall vote on the question of indebtedness unless he shall have the necessary qualifications of an elector, as provided by law, and shall have paid a tax upon property assessed to him in such county for the year immediately preceding; and if, upon canvassing the vote, (which shall be canvassed in the same manner as the vote for county officers,) it shall appear that a majority of all the votes cast are for county indebtedness, then the county commissioners shall be authorized to contract the debt in the name of the county: provided, that the aggregate amount of indebtedness of any county, exclusive of debts contracted prior to July 1, 1876, in which the assessed valuation of property shall exceed one million of dollars for all purposes, shall not be in excess of the following ratio, to wit: Counties in which the assessed valuation of property shall exceed five millions of dollars, six dollars on each thousand dollars thereof; counties in which the assessed valuation of property shall be less than five millions and exceed one million of dollars, twelve dollars on each thousand dollars thereof.

Sec. 30. It shall be the duty of the board of county commissioners of each county to make out semiannual statements at the regular sessions in January and July, at which times they shall have such statements published in some weekly newspaper published in the county, if there be such published; and, if there be no newspaper published in the county, such commissioners shall cause such statement to be posted in three conspicuous places in said county, one of which shall be the courthouse door; and such statement shall show the amount of debt owing by their county, in what the debt consists, what payments, if any, have been made upon the same, the rate of interest that such debts are drawing, also a detailed account of the receipts and expenditures of the county for the preceding months, in which shall be shown from what officer and on what account any money has been received, and the amounts, and to what individuals and on what account any money has been paid, and the amounts, and shall strike the balance, showing the amount deficit, if any, and the balance in the treasury, if any; and the statement thus made, in addition to being published as before specified, shall also be entered of record by the clerk of the board of county commissioners in a book to be by him kept for that purpose only, which book shall be open to the inspection of the public at all times.