Supreme Court

Decision Information

Decision Content

ARK.] STATE ex rel. MITCHELL V. HODGES. 401 STATE ex rel. MITCHELL V. HODGES. Opinion delivered March 24, 1913. NOTARY PUBLICCOMMISSION MANDAMUS. Mandamus is the appropri. ate remedy to compel the Secretary of State to issue and attest with the great seal of the State, a commission as notary public after an appointment by the Governor. Appeal from Pulaski Circuit Court, Second Division; Guy Fulk, Judge; reversed. Elmer J. Lundy, W. C. Rodgers, Miles & Wade and Moore, Smith & Moore, for appellant. See Futrell v. Oldham, 107 Ark. 386, for argument. Charles A. Walls, Frank Pace and Rose, Heming-way, Cantrell & Loughborough, for appellee. See Futrell v. Oldham for argument. McCuLLocn, C. J. The Telator, W. S. Mitchell, was appointed notary public by J. M. Futrell, as Acting Governor, but appellee, as Secretary of State, refused to attest the commission with the great seal of the State, acting, as he asserts, upon the advice of the Attorney General, that Mr. Futrell is not entitled to exercise the powers of Governor, but that the s'a.me devolve upon W. K. Oldham. This action was institute& in the circuit court of Pulaski County against appellee to compel him, by mandamus, to issue and attest with the great seal of the State the commission as notary public according to the appointment of Mr. Futrell. _ The conclusion reached in the case of Futrell v. Old-ham, 107 Ark 386, this day announced, is . decisive of the present case, Mr. Futrell being, according to the alle-
402 , [107 gations of the complaint, entitled de jure to discharge the duties of the office of Governor, his acts as such must be respected. State ex rel. v. Heller, 63 N. J. L. 105, 57 L. R. A. 312, 42 - Atl. 155. The remedy by mandamus is appropriate according to the decision of this court in the recent case of State ex rel. Gray v. Hodges, 107 Ark. 272. The judgment of the circuit court is reversed and the cause is remanded with directions to sustain the demurrer to the answer.
 You are being directed to the most recent version of the statute which may not be the version considered at the time of the judgment.