Court Opinion

ID: 9834611
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-02 01:17:19.205204+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:44:36.901654
License: Public Domain

Upon Rehearing:
It is argued on behalf of petitioners that the legislature inadvertently omitted the provision, requiring the cost of publishing the delinquent lists to be paid out of the county treasury; and that this court, in construing the statute, should read into it by implication the omitted provision, in order to give the act legal effect. Many authorities are cited for the cardinal rule of construction, requiring the courts, in the interpretation of statutes, to ascertain and effectuate the intention of the legislature, even to the extent of supplying parts inadvertently omitted. But the rule is unavailing in this case, because chapter 11, article 8, section 13, Code 1931, as already indicated, makes it unlawful for a county court to expend money or incur any indebtedness which it is not “expressly” authorized by law.to expend or incur. The authority contended for cannot, therefore, be implied. State v. County Court of Lewis County, 110 W. Va. 533, 158 S. E. 790; Norris v. County Court of Cabell County, 163 S. E. 418, decided at this term.
Petitioners point to numerous statutes requiring performance of official acts which do not specifically authorize payment of expenses necessarily incurred. It will be observed upon examination, however, that in most, if not all, of such instances where performance of the act is not required of a tax levying body there is statutory provision elsewhere for the necessary cost. Moreover, the failure of the legislature to provide for payment of costs incurred by officials in other instances is not authority for this court to set aside a positive statute of long standing.
Finally, it is suggested that the county court should be required to pay the bill upon the theory that the sheriff is its executive officer. As the duties and authority of the sheriff are, in our opinion, separate and distinct from those of the county court, this position also is without merit.