Majority
Headnote
Elections—Apportionment—Mandamus.—This was a motion for a peremptory mandamus requiring the secretary of state to immediately issue notices to the several county clerks of the state, stating the facts required by § 5 of chapter 680 of the Laws of 1892, and directing him to include in such notices the number of members of assembly from each, county directed, required and allowed by the apportionment law as contained in chapter 208 of the laws of 1879.
The motion further asks to restrain the secretary of state from receiving, filing or recognizing certificates of the division of the counties into assembly districts as prescribed by chapter 397 of the Laws of 1892, and also restraining him from canvassing election returns from assembly districts other than those created in pursuance to the apportionment made by chapter 208 of the Laws of 1879.
This application is based chiefly upon the affidavits of the relator, wherein it is alleged that the secretary of state is about to,, and has issued notices of election to the county clerks of the several counties of the state for the election of members of assembly at the general election to be held in November, 1892, in pursuance of the provisions of chapter 397 of the Laws of 1892, by which the number of members of assembly to be chosen in some of the counties in the state were changed from that provided by chapter 208 of the Laws of 1879.
The alleged ground upon which the application is made is that the enumeration of inhabitants upon which the apportionment of 1892 was made was unconstitutional and that the apportionment based upon such enumeration was therefore unconstitutional and void, and that the apportionment was unequal and therefore not in conformity with the requirements of that instrument, and is for that reason unconstitutional and void.
The main points urged against the constitutionality of this enumeration and apportionment are :
First. That the time of making the enumeration was unauthorized by the constitution.
Second. That the enumeration itself was unconstitutional in that it did not contain a statement of the number of persons of color not taxed.
Note.—A majority of the court did not concur on the constitutional question, hut only in the result.—[Ed.
Fourth. That °the .assembly apportionment designated by the ■act of 1892 was not so arranged as to contain as nearly as may be .an equal number of inhabitants.
The first ground of objection above specified, viz.: that the ■enumeration was not taken at the termination of the first decadel period after the enumeration of 1875 does not seem to be strenuously urged by the learned counsel for the relator, and it seems to be conceded that as the legislature of 1885 failed to perform the duty imposed upon them by § 4 of article 3 of the constitution in neglecting to provide for the enumeration of the inhabitants in that year, that that duty might be performed by a subsequent legislature at any time before the expiration of the decade for which it was to be taken.
The manifest object of the constitutional provisions in providing for frequent enumeration of the people being for the purpose of equalizing representation between different localities and political divisions of the state, presents a strong argument in favor of the performance of that duty by a subsequent legislature when the body upon which the duty was directly charged failed in its performance.
This principle has been established and sustained by a uniform current of judicial decisions. People v. Supervisors of Ulster County, 34 N. Y., 271 ; Rumsey v. The People, 19 id., 50; Smith v. Jones, 1 Barn. & Adol., 328-334; Ex parte Heath et al., 3 Hill, 42 .
In the case last cited Cowen, J., at page 47, says : “ Nothing is better settled as a general rule, than that when a statute requires an act to be done by an officer within a certain time for a public purpose the statute shall be taken to be merely directory, and though he neglect his duty by allowing the time to go by, if he afterwards perform, the public shall not suffer by the delay."
■ In People v. Supervisors of Chenango County, 8 NI Y., 330, the question was, whether a board of supervisors which had neglected Ao perform a duty which they were required to perform at the annual meeting could be compelled -to perform it at a later period, and in the discussion of that question Judge Willard says: “ Their neglect to perform their duty at the time required cannot nullify the statute. They or their successors are bound to do what was required, and a failure to perform it may be compelled by mandamus.”
In the People v. The Board of Police, 46 Hun, 296 ; 11 St. Rep., 403 , it was held that when the statute directed that the board of police should make appointments of inspectors of election in the months of August and September in each year, their failure to do so did not invalidate an appointment made after that time. The principle above enunciated seems so well settled that further citation of authorities is unnecessary. The same rule of construction which applies to statutes is equally applicable to
The second objection taken to the unconstitutionality of the-enumeration is that it failed to enumerate and tabulate persons of color not taxed.
The constitution of the state relating to senate districts provides that: “ Each senate district shall contain as nearly as may be an equal number of inhabitants, excluding aliens and_ persons of color not taxed.” Article 3, § 4 of the constitution. Section 5 of the same-article provides that: “ The members of assembly shall be apportioned among the several counties of the state by the legislature, as nearly as may be, according to the number of their respective inhabitants, excluding aliens, and shall be chosen by single districts.”
It will be seen by this provision that persons of color not taxed are not to be excluded from the enumeration in the designation of assembly districts, but the enumeration for the apportionment is to embrace all except aliens, and it is difficult to see how an apportionment of members of assembly can be made to conform to that provision of the constitution without embracing all the inhabitants except aliens.
This, the petition expressly alleges, was done by the legislature in making the apportionment by chapter 680 of the Laws of 1892.
Ro question is raised in the notice of motion in this case as to the formation of senate districts, and we are only called upon in this proceeding to examine the constitutionality of the law as applied to assembly districts. By the theory of the constitution, the formation of senate and assembly districts are entirely distinct.
Senate districts are formed by the legislature, while the legislature only apportions the number of assemblymen to which counties are entitled, where entitled to more than one, between the different counties, leaving the districts to ■ be formed by the boards of supervisors.
The formation of the assembly districts is in no way dependent upon the population or boundaries of the senate districts, and it would seem from the different constitutional provisions as to the persons to be excluded from the enumeration if the color line is still in force, that they are composed of different classes of persons ; to wit, persons of color not taxed to be included in assembly enumerations, and excluded in senatorial enumerations.
As the senate and assembly districts are in no way identical and the formation and erection of one in no way depends upon the other, it would follow that if the apportionment as to senate
if the enumeration is constitutional as to the assembly districts, and unconstitutional as to the senate, the former will be upheld; while on a proper application the other might be set aside.
Where parts of an act of the legislature, not dependent upon each other, are held, one to be constitutional and another unconstitutional, the part held to be constitutional will be upheld, while the part unconstitutional will be overthrown.
In Wynehamer v. People, 13 N. Y., 442 , Selden, J., says: “ When part of a law is in conflict with the constitution, and that part is entirely separable from the residue, so that other portions of the law can be enforced without reference to it, then the unconstitutional part only will be condemned.”
In Presser v. Illinois, 116 U. S., 252 , the court say: “That statutes that are constitutional in part only will be upheld so far as they are not in conflict with the constitution, providing the allowed and prohibited parts are separable,” and similar doctrine is laid down in Packet Co. v. Keokuk, 95 U. S., 80 ; Penniman’s Case, 103 id., 714; Unity v. Burrage, 103 id., 459; Baldwin v. Franks, 120 id., 679.
It is urged with great force by the learned attorney-general that by the effect of the 13th and 14th amendments of the federal constitution, and the legislation in this state arising out of the provisions of those amendments, there no longer exists in this state a class of persons known as “ persons of color not taxed ? ” That by the enfranchisement of persons of color, without regard to property qualifications, all that class became citizens, and taxable, at least subject to poll tax, and the color line was expunged from our constitution by force of the provisions of the federal constitution.
But the views we have taken of this question would seem to uphold the constitutionality of the assembly district apportionment, and that, as we read the notice of motion, is the only question now before us, and we are not called upon to consider that question on this motion.
The next question for consideration is whether the apportionment can constitutionally be made at an extraordinary session of the legislature during the same year that the enumeration is taken and by the same legislative body.
The only constitutional restriction or limitation on the time for making the apportionment is that it is required to be made at “ the first session after the return of every enumeration.”
There is no direct requirement in the constitution that it shall be át a regular session of the legislature, nor is there any constitutional prohibition against its occurrence at an extraordinary session of the legislature, provided such session is the first one occurring after the enumeration.
“ It is apparent that no such restriction was designed as to the time when such apportionment of assembly districts and formation of senate districts would be established.”
In the case Johnson, 0. J., uses this- language: “¡Now, as to senate districts and assembly apportionment they had power to act in 1857, as the neglect of their imperative duty in 1856 would not make void the apportionment in 1857.”
From this case it appears that the constitutional provision is not mandatory that the apportionment shall be made at the next regular session of the legislature chosen at the succeeding election, as is strenuously contended by the counsel for the relator.
That being so, if the extraordinary session at which this apportion was made was a legal and constitutional session of the legislature, then it could properly make this apportionment The governor by his proclamation assumed to convene the legislature in extra session under the provisions of § 4 of article four of the constitution. This article gave the governor power to convene the legislature in extraordinary session, and from the very nature of this provision he must be the judge as to what constitutes the extraordinary occasion. But if- we are to look for facts constituting an extraordinary occasion, it can bye found in the neglect of previous legislatures to provide for an enumeration upon which an apportionment could be made, and the gross inequality of representation of the different portions of the state in the legist la turc, which was not only a matter of public notoriety, but abundantly appears in the papers on this motion, furnishes such extraordinary occasion.
But it is urged that the proclamation did not set forth the object for which the legislature was convened and that for that reason it was irregular, and did not authorize the legislature to make an apportionment.
The constitution provides that: “At extraordinary sessions no subject shall be- acted upon except such as the governor may recommend for consideration. Article 4, § 4.
There is nothing in 'this constitutional provision that requires the governor to recommend any subject to the legislature in the proclamation convening the legislature in extraordinary session.
But under this provision, the legislature after convened would
The only remaining question upon this point is, was the extraordinary session a session of the legislature ?
If it was, then it was clearly the first session after the enumeration, and one at which the apportionment could constitutionally be made. Most undoubtedly it was a session of the legislature, and came within the language of the constitution. This was clearly shown by Justice Macomber, in his opinion lately handed down in the People ex rel. Pond v. The Monroe Supervisors, 47 St. Rep., 456 . He says : “ There may be more than one session oí the legislature during the legislative year, and that an extraordinary session may be the next session after the return of the enumeration to the legislature, if the governor interpose his discretionary .power so as to reconvene that body, though in the same legislative year, is, I venture to think, well shown by the constitution itself, taken as a whole.”
This view is strengthened when we find that where the constitution requires that any act shall be submitted to a legislature subsequently chosen, as in proposing amendments to the constitution, it is expressly provided that the proposed amendment must be submitted to a legislature subsequently to be chosen by the people. It is fair to argue and infer, therefore, that if the apportionment was required to be passed by a legislature subsequently chosen, the constitution would have so expressly provided.
I am, therefore, clearly of the opinion that it was competent, within the constitution, for the legislature to make this apportionment at the session at which it was made.
It remains to consider whether the assembly apportionment, in the act under consideration, is such as to authorize the court to set the act aside as unconstitutional and void.
Section 5 of article 8 of the constitution provides that “ the members of assembly shall be apportioned among the several counties of the state by the legislature, as nearly as may be, according to the number of the respective inhabitants.” It is clear that the words “ as nearly as may be ” are words conferring a discretion upon the legislature; they were not in the original constitution, and first became a part of the fundamental law by the amendment of 1801. That amendment could have had no. other purpose than that of conferring a discretion on the legislature in making the apportionment. -
But we .are not without judicial guide in determining what this phrase “ as nearly as may be ” signifies. In Ind. & St. L. R. R. Co. v. Horst, 3 Otto, U. S., 300, 301, Judge Swayne, in speaking
This indefiniteness may have been suggested by a purpose; it devolved upon the judges to be affected the duty of construing and deciding, and gave them the power to reject, as congress doubtless expected they would do, any subordinate provision in such state statutes which in their judgment would encumber the administration of the law, or tend to defeat the ends of justice in their tribunals.
The constitution of the state of Maine provides that “ The districts shall conform as near as may be to county lines, and be apportioned according to the number of inhabitants.” And Judge Whitman in construing that language says: “ The words as near as may be showed that something was left to the discretion of the legislature, and are to be regarded as in some measure discretionary, and not containing a mandate of a nature so explicit as that obedience mnst follow without consideration.”
The language of the constitution in that state is even more explicit than in the New York constitution, for it provides that the apportionment shall be made “ according to the number of inhabitants," and yet the court in the 18 Maine, 460, in declining to interfere with an apportionment, say, “ If such power should be abused in any case the remedy is with the people. Those guilty of any such outrage will be likely to become in time the victims of their own misconduct. In popular governments this, and the right which it maybe believed the people will, exercise, of displacing bad servants, are great checks upon the abuse of power.”
In Prouty v. Stover, 11 Kansas, 261, the court in discussing this question say: “An apportionment cannot be overthrown because the representatives are not distributed with mathematical accuracy according to the population. Something must be left to the discretion of the legislature, and it may, without invalidating the apportionment, make one district of a larger population than another. It may rightly consider the compactness of territory, the density of population, and we think the probable changes of the future, in making the distribution of representatives.”
It will be seen that in construing constitutional provisions like the one under consideration, where the legislature have a discretion in making the apportionment, the courts have not regarded themselves as authorized to review that discretion.
' Any other construction would make the apportionment to depend upon the discretion of the courts, which have not been invested by the constitution with any discretionary power upon this subject, and take the same from the legislature, where the constitution has so plainly lodged it.
Again, this discretion has always heretofore been exercised by the legislature without interference from the judicial department of the state, which furnishes a strong' reason for holding that the
In the apportionment of 1875, Orange Co., with a population of 82,225, was awarded two members of assembly, while St. Lawrence Co., with a population of 78,014, was awarded three members. Suffolk Co., having a population of 50,350, was given one member, while Cattaraugus, having only 45,737, was given two members,,, and Washington, with a population of 46,330, was given two members, and Niagara, with 47,620, Otsego, with 48,987, and Wayne, with 47,567, were each given two members; so the list might be multiplied.
From these figures it will be seen that the - legislature has uniformly exercised this discretion, and that, too, without their acts being questioned in the courts as unconstitutional. Eeference to these inequalities is not made for the purpose of offsetting one wrong against another, but rather to show that such irregularities, have not been regarded as such an abuse- of the discretionary power vested in the legislature as to render their apportionment unconstitutional and -void.
I am not unmindful of the fact that a different conclusion has been reached by a majority of the judges of the general term of the fifth department upon some of the questions involved in this motion. But that decision did not involve the restraining of a state officer from the discharge of a statutory duty imposed upon him, the performance of which is a necessary prerequisite to the holding of an annual election in the state' for the election of members of assembly.
It is true that the motion before us asks the mandatory process of this court, compelling the secretary of state to issue notices of election of members of assembly in pursuance of the provisions of chapter 208 of the Laws of 1879, but we have already seen that if chapter 397 of the Laws of 1892 is unconstitutional by reason of the inequalities of representation, that the provisions of chapter 208 of the Laws of 1879, based upon the enumeration of 1875 as the population of the state then was,, would be subject to the same criticism and condemnation.
In a matter of such grave importance, so far reaching in its consequences, the court should not resort to this extraordinary power of injunction and mandamus against a co-ordinate department of the government except in a case where the unconstitutionality of the law under which the administrative officer is required to act is free from reasonable doubt
In Ex parte McCollum, 1 Cow., 550 , Savage, J., says : “Before the courts will deem it their duty to declare an act of the legislature void, a case must be presented in which there can be no rational doubt.
“An act of the legislature cannot be set aside as unconstitutional unless its incompatibility with the constitution is manifest and unequivocal”
In People v. Draper, 15 N. Y., 532 -545, the court say : “ There
Within these rules of interpretation it is difficult to see how this act can be declared unconstitutional and void by this court
I am, therefore, of the opinion that this motion should be denied.
Motion denied, with costs and printing disbursements.
the submission of -this case I have been inconstant attendance at general term, and unable to consider the important questions involved, or even read the elaborate briefs-presented, or the opinions of Justices Rumsey, Lewis, Dwight, and Macomber on the “ Monroe ” case.
My associates, comprising a majority of the court, have reached the conclusion that the motion for a mandamus should not be granted. Counsel suggest that ah early decision of the case by this court is necessary in order that the opinion of the court, of appeals may be seasonably taken upon the question submitted to us.
Without an opportunity to examine the case, I am neither able to concur with, or dissent from, the conclusion of my associates. Inasmuch as my opinion, concurring or dissenting, would not change the result, and in order that the matter may be at once submitted to the court of appeals, I deem it advisable not to retain the case for examination.
—-The relator asks that a mandamus be issued by this court directing the defendant to issue election notices to the-clerks of the respective counties of the state, and that he embrace in said election notices the number of members of assembly re- . quired and allowed to be voted for under the apportionment act of 1879, known as chapter 208 of the Laws of 1879, and that he be restrained from accepting and filing certificates of the division-of the counties into assembly districts under the apportionment act of 1892, known as chapter 397 of the Laws of 1892, and restraining him from doing anything to carry into effect said chapter 397 of the Laws of 1892, upon the ground that said act is unconstitutional and void.
The defendant, bythe attorney general of the state, maintains the-constitutionality of the act of 1892, and calls attention to the fact.
It will be seen at once that the questions involved are of grave moment and of great public importance. The public interests imperatively demand a final determination of this controversy by the court of last resort at as early date as is consistent with due and proper deliberation.
The election is to be held November 8th ; the court of appeals meets October 3d.
This court is now in session engaged in hearing cases, and will be so engaged for some time to come; to wait until it adjourns and then take up this case for examination and determination will postpone the decision until too late a date to permit of its being taken to the court of appeals in time to have it heard and decided before election. Neither can I, during the term of the court, make such an examination of the case as its importance demands, or in justice to the court of which I am a member attempt during the session to formulate an opinion upon questions of law so grave as are here involved.
The general term of the fifth department, in the case of the People ex rel. Pond v. the Board of Supervisors of Monroe County, by a divided court has decided some, but not all, of the questions involved in this proceeding. I have read the very» able and learned opinions by the several members of the court in that case, but am not prepared without further examination and reflection to either concur in or dissent from the determination arrived at in that case.
But if the court is correct in its reasons for its decision in that case, it seems to me that it must necessarily dispose of this, because, as was pointed out by the attorney-general, the same vice as to inequality in the apportionment' of members of .assembly exists in the apportionment act of 1879 as is alleged in regard to the act of 1892. If the act of 1892 is void because the members of assembly have not been “apportioned among the several counties of the state * * * ' as nearly
as may be, according to the number of their respective inhabitants ” (§ 5, article 3, of Constitution), then the act of 1879 is void for the same cause, and there is no reason why the court should command the secretary of state to proceed under that act instead of the one passed in 1892.
Without, then, at this time expressing any opinion as to the constitutionality of either law, and for the purpose of expediting the final determination of the questions involved, I unite with Mr. Justice Mayham in deciding against the application for a mandamus.
Let a decree be entered accordingly.