The Habeas Corpus Case

Westated last weck thxt Oonnnlasloner Bajibwx liad dlscharged Mr. DvFPyfof ttiis city, .convicted of kueping ;,u,on in vlolutioii oí tlie oidinanee reqtflrltlg liim lo lirst procura knd pay for a liceuse. The cuse liivolves siicli Important principies o law, aud isofsach general Interest toomlocal readers, tlmt we append the reasons in full assljtned by thcrCominissioufr for allouin the wrlt iiiid diacbarglng Dei v : ín thr matter of the ppllcatlou f Etlward IJiill'y fot a writ o. ftabeaê corpus to. In quiiv Into bis detentlou by .1. 11. Pi U.ty M-irsha!, ol Ar;n Albor, Alich. Al Aun Arbor, .I:in. lUtu, in;. btl'ore J. Wlllard Babbitt, Circuit Uourt Corarais■tonera OPINIÓN BY TUE COMMt63IONER. The facts wiil BOfficleotly apptar in the opinión. ld arrive at a conclusión in the above matter, bbe lust inquiry vvlllbe: Wliat in. iy beluqiilfed into on tne iiearing of lUo wnt as returuerl f By rtifei'uiice to tiie aiithofities it appears tliat the jurisdicción of tlie Cuurt under vvbose warrant the petltioner is conüiiod or dctaliicj m.iy l)e nuestloupd aud dulerin iiicil, aii'l ás iie law aloiiu glvca urlsUic tlon, (1 N. & M. V.i'i), the present cuse wou ld neem lo present n jur s liction questtón. In ImpHsonmént tbr a criinimil offense, if it nppean clear'.y tliát tbe fact for vhlcli lm pari y s connnlttti'l is no crime, the ComtdtHcliarges': llunl on Habeas Corpus, ;j.ji. Tu determlue whether such an oilVnse lias !)'.''jii COinniitted, wc must lodli. tg Uulaw (leuning iiiu ofoiise, (tliefacts a.sch irgcd in Uu: warr.int büin accepte I :is U'ue), il' the act is made uu ott'ense by sba)tutu ; If it appeara ihat. no olfense knowu to ilie oominon law or to tho stattiu ha bei;u counnltted, Imt thai it becuniei sr) only by virtuo of ivn onllnauce or by-Iaw of a municipal Corporation, .otir Inquiry inay be extended to detennine liow fir the ordln:i:ico is of legitl aiul binülng íhrCe in the liiil fa faivi'ii coinparison ivith tbje charter cretlugsach utanlolpallty aud Iv in to it all iis powera, and lh:.s"oriiiir 113 tu the Snit objrrüon Orited ljy counsel for pctltiuner naiiiHt thedetention, one bi'.uicli of which only will be consideren), uajiwly : Thst tlio oriliiinncü and uil proceeclings under it are void iKc.iii-.rihu pojyer yiven by the charter to the "Comnion Coniicil ' to llcense does not confer upó.u it tlie rlght to delégate such powtr. That the power deji-jjated by section 4 of the ordlunncd (No. 32) tb the Mayor and Recorder is i,ot inerely a pDfr'er to do" the inechanical pari of exccutlng and dellverlng,"but a power to èxereiM tlietarest rllsaretion ennuot be doubttd, nt the rlfflit to ;i liccuse is not glveil to any and all Bpon appileatlon and paymeatol the reqolred fee, imt the npplicant nutst glve " bónds wi;ii threc ureties, to bc accepted by the Mayor and llecord.er," tiiis certalnly is gvIng t the Mayor and Recorder h. power not cpnteinpbte.l jy the charter. Tlie current of autliorities, without cxCeption, so f:ir as I havu been uble to examine thein, is agalnst the deleüratlon of a powiT conferred bv charter upön corpora tlons, elthef public or private: Cooiey on COnl. I iimitiiti:ns, ':)t; A'lirti.'s [); Corp., 487 ; 4CuWnK, l:!::: 8T.R.'8af2 V. Black. HUT ; 8 Éust, 819 , 3 Piek , 70, 345 21 PicH., 76. Without an v : imlnatlon of ti;e tii.'ii.il ipicslion invulveil, vo wlll pass to t!i!' thirfl ob)evtlon, ilüit " ilie onTmanc, so lar as ít relates to this case, is not in eonsonunce with the genera] laws 6T the .Sti'ii'. unl thereforë rolil." The petltioher s chargcd n the warrant of ooiiiiniliiicntwit.il havln?, c.to., " kopt a saloon for frinitsblng (hink, contraryto sectton foor of au oitlïnanqe" &c. Counsel tor [MitlUcmeroltoel che followíng 'msm in support of, tiw last oümetl oblec tion: (.,'oolcy on Coiwt. Lilll., 11)8; ! Hill, 209; 5 Covreti, 403 ; 2 Doüjf., -"(i, 337-; 'J Oliio, 4-):. It was urscl by (lic o;poite co-insd ihaj; nyncol these uuthorlties apply i'i tli!s C8ce, '■'■ !!'■ they Bay, the business in s:i hl se-. ■! i,;' keepins : " saloon " dc.es not contemptnte the keeplng of " ,i pi ce to se'l Intoxlcallng drlnks;" thut the brcllnance merely contémplate!) the Iréeplng of " .-i place io ■■II pop, sinrttl boer, lemonacle," Sa; . ' rtilnks not Intoxica) As the canes are cl tcd cienrlv upon tlic nssnraptlon that the onllnance 'm qnestlon llceusca tlie salo of Intoxica tilig ünuors, tbe principal polnt now nnder cona.ileration, f, whetlier thu onli nance doesor does nol contémplate sik:!i sale. II' it he au ord Inance liccniücr the -ri!c of Nlo;.c:l!in:; llquom, tlicn ele H'iy it is not In consonaiire ivltli the arenerul lawi, ml therefore voUl; as where the hy-lavvs of municipal corporaHons come In conflict with liic general lawx öf the State, tlic l.vlaw must give u'iiy : Coolcy on Const, Lttin., IOS. [n the constrnctton of orclhinv.sr. ns In the cónstructluo uf KtatiiteH, tlic Inent is to be collectcrl irom the whole; an I ïcorils must be u.l 'ii theii' usual aiitl most known s.niiicaiion, uuless they appuar :!a;iily tn have l)ren nse:l in UDoUiCC Keiiso ; 1 Piek. 405. A saloon ander tbc general accepntlon o! the term ! a place virtiere Intoxicailng llquor Ist-old, tint] is so nnderstood by the wuole ciinuiiuiiii y ; and the wórd as applleil l thé rdinance Tn (im-sion meftns nothiitfi elw. [t Is true we lico "(fdtlri si')"il.'' " ice (Train MtlOODS," " iMlüirc! s;lloons, " A:i',., bot tlip plvtix 1 u?c(i tO (Hsimquisli it fVom :i "naloon" - a placo i wiieiv liquun are sobl - othtrwise the pretix wonlii be wljorly urwces?ary. Muoli i tilingada ''whisky saloon" is imknowii, tor the word saloon exprt'sscs it luiiy. Ötatutcs (ana ordlnnoces) mnst be constniL-a as to thej r ejjWtn ot ' eonsequenees, bo tliat wiiere words lear eitber none r a verj absurd eignlftcation, the iutention ouglu to be Adopted : 17 Vorm., 479. Aml to say tlio-t the tleflnition as RlVfert lv Webster shonltl be received in tlic'co ï- SUiictioii of the ordlnauce would be prejMist' rotr. It wonld förther appcar that the de.'lnition herc assiiniL'i' is the OM intcndi'd by the makers of the ordinain-e, as tlicy have restricled the '"siIooms" to keepÍD( open on week d.iys onlv. and not to reinain open after eleven o'clock Rt nlj;ht. No.w why sa 'oons anli shonld be tlms restricted, n i liss it was nnderstooil that, the dnnks sold !it "saloons' were intoxicarme ana tiie reSpest iluc llic S:ilh:ith was t.h u-t soulit to be enforee.l, caiinol bo Imaglneri. Airain : The " saloons " RháJI ;;ive bonds in the suin iiiiwi) buudred dollars that "no tntoxlo&tlng drink símil be s.ild or glvun avny to ani minor or perion iiUoxicnUd a'. the. tim-:" lierc, at lest by Illtplluatlon, Rlviiu; the riii 1 1 1 to s"il to others than "niiuors and " persons latoxICated at llic lililí." Tho fourth objt'ction, and tlie Iftt that u'iü !);■ considerad, is iliat " Tlio power tó liirusc does not, oarry with it a power to mpose a IlcensG fee, or tax. ' lt was u'ncd by the opposlug connscl that a lici-iist: fee iniijht bo linposRd sntli i'inii ti !.y fot tile IsHuiog dt the II ai: I lo p:iy the extra expense of i lie ofBoert ivquircd tQ supervise the callin or busiiü'ss Hcencd, aiid'they cito 11 Alich. ül, and Cooley on Constitiitional Limitations and cases tliere citcd. From on iiüiiri tion ot the cuses, howèver, it appeurs th it the charter cach case hada provlsiop allowiii" the luipósltiöd of a fon or t:i-, and the mie to be derinced is that nnless the charter prr.vid(is fr)r it nothing can bc i;:i'"ti i. :iml tita! wlien the charter prescribes t, nothinir Bhall be Iropiwed greater than tli.i ciit of Issiiina; the Ifbetma and the tetra expense of the offioera recfttlred to s:u pervaie or inpect i.un tlimr iu:ennl ; Uooli'v s Oonrt. Llm., 191, l9S.20t.295; 3Cush ■":. 571-2; 1 Cusli., 4!C ; 11 Mlch , 49, 847, 351-2 ; Blackwcll on Taz Tifies, 1(4. As the; charter onder whioji th prdl nance la mide does not provlrln for tlie iniposltlon of a Hcennc or tax, I ttilnk the IIcensc fee oftweniy Bve doilnra per qiitircer is onwnrrHiitert, mi'l the ordlnancp, no fur iw it nii'iTis :!iíj caÖH, vold. Por fchpsi dii". the petitlbiier siiotilil, u my óólnion, bc (lisclvirged. J. Wn.r, vu Bawhtt, Circuit Court ('oni'r. Tlic poluta cTecMed by Comm:ss!oner Babbitt :ire three In numbër: lst. That lbe charter antharlzes t!" license In qaestlan to bo Issued by the CommOD ('oiineil; that tlie (Juininon Co uncil oan RDC iluli'i'nto lts power or aiithority to sny ofltcer or oflflcer ; and tliat, therefbre, tlie ordlnance Is voi.l ander the charter. We have not the autlioritii-s st hand, and had wo, the ordlnance havfng been rsucaled and repiaood byannthér, n is onnecduairy to review this portiou of tlie opinión. SM. Tint the oi' Hl ttJCU Ilccuscá, st IuuhI by Impliciitlou, the of Ilqiior to otheru tlutn .minors and imoxlcated personp, anl on o;herdayi tlian ijmuiays ; thut It i.s, th'Tcfore, ü conflict with tlie general luws oftlir State, whlch prohlMt the tale to all persons and at all I.Imes; anti thnt btinji " in conflict with the general lawsoí the State, the by-law must give'way." This strikln;; at not only the orclinaacé In qnti tiou, but ut tlie ri.idit to enact the ordlnauce aa clearly authorized by the charter, we nill mate :i single comnient. " C'ooley-on Constlto i uil Llm tatlous" Is the only autliorlty cifcd. furnliig to pose 108, we (nd n the same paragrapli, and immedtately lollowlng Ui e da use Uie CommUsloncr iiuutcs froni, ilii foiluwlng : " The charter, " hmvcver, in.iy eprtsály ur by necessary " InipUcatton exclnde Miu general laws of " the State on auy particular subjtct, and "aiiow tii, corporatkoa to pass looal lawa "nt dlscrctlon wlitoh;tnay cilflbr from Uic " rule in force élReivheru." M tliure ia not a city eliarter in tlie State wliicli does not mora ir luss coiiflict wilh general lavví. Arnl without suo'i coüflict, or, inoro Sppro [iriately, dlsagreement, citj ebdrtera would be worlliluss. O.' couhc conllict wili llie organic law or Uoostitutlon wou UI bo fa-tl, but the Oomntamtoner doss not o bcyond the general su tutes, whlch beiitgthu net o ' the Lcgislature miy be amedded or tut)eii(led by special liivv-. 3d. Tliat the uuth irtty glvcn the Council by t:ie charter to reiiulatc and prohlbit llie kee.iim; OÍ i oteN, tavi'rns, saloons, billianl tables, etc, without a ücensc, and to license the keepin; of the same, does not 11 provlde for tlie lmposition of a tícense fee or tax," and tliat the ordinance i-: then fore vofd. The authonUe-s cited do not coivince us tliat tiic Ice cbftfged voids the ordlnance. The license fee prescribed by the ordinance in qnestlon is authorlzed by the charier, if aut:iome,l aiul Impoaei) by tlie ordinance " uuder the pólice poyver with a view to opérate usa restriction apon the thlng liconsed," aiul brdluañces hTe been Mist üned, as the very p-iges of "Cooley " refeirjfl to clearly gho.w. In making these cuinmeuta we have no déglre to rcfiect upon the C'ominissiouor. TJic poinjs disaiHsed ave iu dispute; cuiirls liave dil!". r.il in duciding cases Involvin ihi'in ; aad nothiiii; bilt a defllslon ofour Súpleme Colirt upon the cásea UlVe to :;i) to ihjit body irom tiiis city wHl be icgarded as final.