Case Name: The People ex rel. Herbert C. Sholes. App'lt, v. The Board of Supervisors of Oneida County, Resp't
Court: New York Supreme Court, General Term
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1894-11
Citations: 63 N.Y. St. Rep. 362
Docket Number: 
Parties: The People ex rel. Herbert C. Sholes. App’lt, v. The Board of Supervisors of Oneida County, Resp’t.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York State Reporter
Volume: 63
Pages: 362–364

Head Matter:
The People ex rel. Herbert C. Sholes. App’lt, v. The Board of Supervisors of Oneida County, Resp’t.
(Supreme Court, General lerrn, Fourth Department,
Filed November, 1894.)
Special surrogate—Compensation.
A special surrogate is entitled, for performing the duties of the surrogate during the latter’s absence, only to such compensation as shall be allowed by the board of supervisors.
Appeal from portions of a final order or judgment, entered on the decision of the court after trial at circuit without a jury.
During the years 1888, 1889 and 1890, the relator was special surrogate of Oneida county. In each of those years the surrogate of the county was absent from the county a number of days, and during those periods of absence the relator was, by various orders of justices of the supreme court of the judicial district in which that county was situated, authorized and empowered io act as surrogate of the county, and hold the surrogate’s court therein, and held himself in readiness to so discharge the duties of surrogate of that county, and did discharge such duties and hold said court so far as he was called upon to do so. He also, during those years, acted as surrogate, and held surrogate’s court in three matters or proceedings in which the surrogate was disqualified from acting, and had filed a certificate of disqualification as provided by subdivision 1 of § 2487 of the Code of Civil Procedure. On the 13th November, 1890, the relator duly presented to the board of supervisors of the county an account and claim for services as acting surrogate during, the times above stated. The board, however, refused to audit or allow the claim. Thereupon the relator applied for a mandamus. An alternative writ was granted, to which the board made return. Hpon the issues made by the alternative writ and the return, the case was tried. Facts were found substantially as above stated, the dates of service being given in detail, all of which accrued prior to November, 1890. It was also found that on December 30, 1887, a resolution was adopted by the board of supervisors fixing at a certain amount the salary of the relator during his term of office; that the salary so fixed was paid to and received by the relator quarterly during his term; that he presented no bill for services as special surrogate, while acting as surrogate, to the board during their sessions for the years 1888 and 1889. It was also found that, pursuant to statute giving the special surrogate the same power as county judge out of court, the relator granted orders in a large number of proceedings and matters before him. As matter of law, the court decided that the relator was entitled to have allowed him a j nst compensation for his services as acting surrogate on the occasions when the surrogate was disqualified from acting, but. was not entitled to have audited or allowed his claim for services on the occasions when the surrogate was absent from the county. A final order or judgment was entered on this decision, and the appeal is from so much thereof as adjudges that the relator is not entitled to be allowed his claim for services during the absence of the surrogate.
H. 0. Sholes, in pro. per.; Harry S. Patten, for resp’t.

Opinion:
Merwih, J.
The relator was elected under the provisions of chapter 306 of the Laws of 1849, which was passed in pursuance of the authority given by § 16 of article 6 of the Constitution. By § 1 of the act of 1849, provision was made for the election of a special surrogate in the county of Oneida and seven other counties, and power was conferred on such officers to discharge the duties of surrogate in their respective counties " in cases of vacancy or inability " of such officer. By § 2, as amended by chapter 108 of the Laws of 1851, they were given the powers of a county judge out of court. By § 3 it was provided that: Such local officers shall receive for the services to be rendered by them under the provisions of this act, such compensation as shall be allowed to them respectively by the boards of supervisors in the said respective counties."
It is quite clear that under this act the relator had power to perform the duties of surrogate in the absence of that officer from the county. An inability then existed, that the statute intended to provide for. If, by virtue of that act, the services in question were rendered, then the compensation provided for such services has been fixed and paid. The relator, however, claims that his services were performed by virtue of the provisions of § 2484 of the Code, and that he is entitled, therefore, for the time that he acted, to a compensation equal, pro rata, to the salary of the surrogate, under the provisions of § 2493. To this it is replied that § 2484 applies by its terms only to cases where " special provision is not made by law for the discharge of the duties " of the office, and that, therefore, it does not apply here, as there was a special provision for the special surrogate to act in the contingency that happened. Substantially the same question was considered by this court in Re Tyler, 60 Hun, 566; 39 St. Rep. 835. The court was then of the opinion that § 2484 and 2493 did not apply,, and that the officer was entitled only to such compensation as was allowed by the board of supervisors in the salary which they fixed. No good reason is apparent for now talcing a different view. Following the view taken in the Tyler Case, the order or judgment, so far as appealed from, must be affirmed.
All concur.
Order or judgment, so far as appealed from, affirmed, with costs.