Omaha daily bee., 1893-07-09
DUTY OF STATE OFFICIALS
Position of the Public Lands and Buildings
Board.
VIEWS OF SUPREME COURT MEMBERS
Confusing Statutes Regulating the Pur-
chase of Supplies for tho Public Insti-
tutions Interpretod-Some Slight
Difference of Opinion.

LINCOLN, July s.-[Spccial to The BEE. i
Buildings recently decided by the supreme
court the question was whether or not the
act passed February 10, 1877, ''to regulate
the purchase of supplies for the public insti-
tutions and executive Offices of the state"
was intended to supersede the act of Febru-
ary l3, which provides for the control of all
public institutions and lands by the Board of
Public Lands and Buildings and makes this
board responsible for the examination ana
approval of the accounts of all officers con.
nected with the state institutions embraced
within the act.
1t will be remembered that in the i'm
parchment case against three of the state
officials, one line of defense was that no
such board as the Board of Public Lands
and Buildings existed, rs the act providing
for 1T was repealed by the act
passed two days later. This defense was
made by j. l.. Webster. After this case had
been settled the board requested a ruling
from the supreme court on the question.
Judges Maxwell and Post held that tho
latter act was to regulate the manner Of
purchasing supplies, merely, and in no way
coniiicted with the previous act They
claim that while the Board of Purchase and
Supplies may approve the vouchers of such
purchase according TO the second act, the
Board of Public Lands and Buildings must do
so according TO the first act. Both acts stand,
neither conflicting with the other From
this opinion Judge Norval dissents on the
ground that the supreme court has no jurls-
diction in the matter whatever. He holds
that the few cases IN which the supreme
court has original jurisdiction are distinctly
specified by law, and that outside of this, 1t
is strictly court of appeal.
Took "A Young Bride.
Tho dull monotony of events in county
court was relieved this afternoon by the ap-
pcarance of an elderly man, who gave his
name rs August Muench, his residence as
Britton, o., and his age as 70. He was
accompanied by "a buxom young woman of
%, who said that hername was Miss Katrina
Geisler from Helm Neb, and little S-year-
old cEild, who proved to be the daughter of
Katrina. The old gentleman explained TO
the court that he wished to espouse the fair
Katrina, and also TO repair tho little mad
yertance IN the social annals by becoming tho
lawful father of her child by adoption.
Judge Long advised that the adoption pro-
ceedings be gone through with first, which
was done, the child becoming Ella Johanna
Adelheit Geisler Muench, ana entitled to
share in the not inconsiderable estate OF the
old gentleman, with his own children, some
of whom have attained the dignified age OF
40 odd. Then the old gentleman secured "a
| license To wed Katrina, and they left in search
of German minister to cement the union.
In state Banking Circles,
George w. Goodel of Lincoln has been ap-
pointed special examiner and today took
| possession of the Farmers and Merchants
bank at Schubert. This bank is IN the con-
| troll of the state as q. w. Argabright, the
! cashier, has absconded
| The reports of the examiners OF the Keith
| County bank at Ogalalla, the First CONNER
| cial bank of Odell, ana the American Savings
| bank of Beatrice have been received and
filed by Lieutenant r. w. Iownley, clerk Of
| the banking board