Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 7.djvu/456

 444 /'BDEBAL BBPOBIEiB. �other work of internai improvement, to an amount to be detennined by the county commissioners of such county, or city council of such city, not exceeding 10 per cent, of the assessed valuation of all taxable propurty in said county or city ; provided, the county commissioners or city coun- cil sliall flrst submit the question of the issuing said bonds to a vote of the legal votera of said county or city, in the manner provided by chapter 9 of the ilevised Statutes of the state of Nebraska for submitting to the peo- ple of a county the question of borrowing money." �" Section 7. Any precinct in any organized county of this state aball have the privilege of voting to aid works of internai improvement, and be entitled to all the privileges conferred upon counties and cities by the provisions of this act ; and in such cases the precinct election shall be governed in the same manner as is provided in this act, so far as the same is applicable, and the county commissioners shall issue special bonds for such precinct, and the tax to pay the same shall be levied upon the prop- erty within the bounds of such precinct. Such precinct bonds shall be the same as other bonds, but shall contain a statemeut showing the special nature of such bonds." �The language here employed to confer the authority is, "to aid in the construction of any railroad, or other work of internai improvement." Is a steam-mill a work of in- ternai improvement within the meaning of the law above quoted? The first section of the act referred to specially describes railroads, and then uses the general term or phrase, "or other works of internai improvement." There is a long line of authorities which seem to settle very ef- fectually this doctrine, to-wit : That where a law or written instrument is couched in specifie and definite language, and special authority is conferred for doing particular things, and then a general authority is thereinafter given, the general authority so conferred must be held to relate to mat- ters similar to the ones specially described. ApplyLng the principle here stated to the construction of the law under which the bonds were voted, all reasonable doubts of their validity will at once cease. It would then be equivalent to saying that bonds may be voted to aid in building railroads and other works, or internai improvements of a similar nature. This would, perhaps, authorize the voting of bonds to aid in the construction of canals, bridges, and wagon roads, as well as railroads. Ail these objects would facilitate the traus- portation of persons and property from place to place, and would promote the great objects had in view by the legisla- ��� �