Case Name: State v. Phillips
Court: Arkansas Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Arkansas
Decision Date: 1928-04-23
Citations: 176 Ark. 1141
Docket Number: 
Parties: State v. Phillips.
Judges: 
Reporter: Arkansas Reports
Volume: 176
Pages: 1141–1146

Head Matter:
State v. Phillips.
Opinion delivered April 23, 1928.
Ivie G. Spencer, for appellant.
Penix & Barrett, for appellee.

Opinion:
Hart, C. J.,
(after stating the facts). The judgment of the circuit court was correct.
The stock district in question was attempted to be formed under the provisions of § 321-332 inclusive of Crawford & Moses ' Digest, as amended .by act 427 of the General Acts of 1921. See General Acts of 1921, p. 427. Under § 321 of Crawford & Moses' Digest, as amended by act 427 of the Acts of 1921, whenever twenty-five per cent, of the qualified electors of three or more townships in a body, as shown by the election returns for Governor at the last election preceding the date of the petition, shall petition the county court to vote on the question of restraining certain designated animals from running at large, the county court shall make an order for such election in said townships at any general elec tion for State, county and township officers* or at a special election called for the purpose. Several different petitions were circulated at the same time, .signed by the requisite number of qualified electors, asking that a special election be called in the townships of Jonesboro, Nettleton, Herndon, Powell and Brooklyn. Each of these petitions was of like form, and referred to the others, and represented that they were in effect one petition. This is true because each of the petitions was for the identical purpose. They asked for a local option stock-law election to be held in five different townships, which were named in each petition. The different petitions therefore constituted a unit for the calling an election in the same townships. Another petition was filed, asking for the calling of a stock-law election in these five townships, and there was added the township of Greenfield. This. petition, however, did not contain twenty-five per cent, of the qualified electors, as required by the .statute. It could not become a part of the unit of the other petitions which called for the election in the same five townships and which did contain more than twenty-five per cent, of the qualified electors of said townships.
The order of the county court was based upon the petitions filed, and ordered the special election to be called in the six townships, including Greenfield Township. There was a variance between the - description of the territory embraced in the petitions which contained the requisite number of qualified electors and the territory described in the order of the county court calling the special election to be held January 5, 1926. This was fatal to the validity of the order. The petitions calling for the election in the townships of Jonesboro, Brooklyn, Powell, Nettleton and Herndon constituted a unit because, although the signatures were to different petitions, they were all written in precisely the same language and had the same end in view. When the petition adding Greenfield Towfiship was circulated, this constituted a materially different petition, and it could not be joined with the others. Not having the requisite number of signers, it could not be made the basis of an order calling the election. The county court had no right to call the election except upon a petition as provided by the statute; and a compliance with the provisions of the statute in this respect was a prerequisite to the exercise of jurisdiction by the county court. It could not call a stock-law election on its own motion.
In Fesler v. Eubanks, 143 Ark. 465, 220 S. W. 457, it was held that a petition selecting and grouping three or more adjoining townships in a stock district is jurisdictional, and that an oyder of the county court calling for a stock-law election not based on such petition is void, and subject to collateral attack. The reason for such holding is clearly stated in Coleman v. Hallum (Comm. of Appeals of Texas), 232 S. W. 296, where it was said:
"The petition for an election is fundamental and jurisdictional. It is the basis of the court's action in ordering the election. The court is not at liberty to disregard the request to order the election prayed for, if the requisites of the statute have been complied with; n,or is it at liberty to alter the request for an election by ordering an election different' from the one called for by the petition. The construction contended for would ascribe to the commissioner's court the doing of an unauthorized act — the ordering of an election without a petition as a basis thereof — and also the ordering of an election that would be void because of the uncertainty as to what was to be submitted and voted upon therein."
It is claimed, however, that this defect in the order of the county court was cured by the decree of the chancery court restraining the holding of the election in Greenfield Township. We do not agree with this contention. The chancery' court had jurisdiction to restrain the election because it was made upon a void order, but it had no jurisdiction to cancel or amend the order of the county court. As we have already seen, the order of the county court must be. based upon the petitions filed; and it was void because the order as made was not based upon the petition of the requisite number of qualified electors as provided by statute. No subsequent decree of the chancery court could give validity to the order of the county court.
Finally, it is contended that the order of the county court was made valid by the curative act passed by the Legislature of 1927, which was an act to validate special elections held for the creation of "no-fence" laws. Acts of 1927, p. 227. The act by its terms proposed to validate said elections which were irregular by reason of being held on a different day from the date named in the act, or for other causes. It does not in any sense attempt to validate an election which had no validity in the beginning, or which was held under a void order of the county court.
Therefore we hold that the judgment of the circuit court discharging Eli Phillips was properly rendered, and the appeal of the State will be dismissed.