Blanchard v. Ivers
Blanchard v. Ivers
Opinion of the Court
Writ of error in habeas corpus proceedings from the .decision of the Circuit Court remanding plaintiff in error to the custody of defendant in error. Plaintiff in error was convicted in the municipal court of the city of Jacksonville on a charge of selling at retail fresh meat within the territory known as the market limits of the city, at a place other than the public market building, in violation of an ordinance of said city regulating the vending of meats, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables, and to establish and regulate markets. Declining to pay the fine imposed by
It was admitted on the record in the trial court that plaintiff in error had, on a date shortly preceding the commencement of the prosecution against him, sold fresh meat within the market limits of the city of Jacksonville, and outside of the public market building, and at the time of making sales he had not and did not apply to the market clerk for a stall or stalls in the market, or space therein as required by the ordinance. The defense set up in the trial court, and the insistence in all the courts, by plaintiff in error is, that the ordinance under which he was prosecuted and convicted is absolutely void.
The first assault made upon the ordinance is, that the city of Jacksonville had no charter powers to establish one market and prohibit sales elsewhere, and unless there is something in the grant of power that authorizes the city to confine all persons selling marketable articles to one market, the power does not exist. It is
It was decided by this court in the case of City of Jacksonville v. Ledwith, 26 Fla. 163, text 192, 7 South. Rep. 885, that under the powers enumerated the mayor and council may by ordinance prescribe the time and places for the sale of marketable articles, and that they may by such restrictions as to times and places, being reasonable with reference to the welfare of the community, and not being in general restraint of trade, likewise prohibit the sale of such articles elsewhere. It is entirely useless for us now to review the authorities on this point, as this was thoroughly done in the case referred to, and we adhere to the conclusion there reached, that the city under the grant of powers mentioned can by ordinance establish a public market and confine marketable articles there, provided such ordinance is reasonable, considered with reference to the welfare of the community, and not being in restraint of trade. So far. then, as the power of the mayor and council by ordinance to establish a public market and confine sales there, under proper conditions, is concerned, it is ample and there is no ground for want of power to annul the ordinance.
It is further insisted that the ordinance is unreasonable when the area embraced in the market limits, and
Another contention is, that the ordinance is void because it is a provision for revenue, and not as a police regulation. It can not be said that the ordinance itself shows it to be a revenue act, and' not one passed in pursuance of the powers of the city in reference to sanitation and police; nor does the testimony show that the amount derived from the market privileges is so in excess of the necessary expenses imposed by the business as to indicate a revenue object. In fact it is not shown by the evidence what are. the entire expenses legitimately incident to the market business, and the receipts and expenses shown are not so out of ¡proportion as to condemn the ordinance on the ground that it is for revenue. In the case of Atkins v. Phillips, 26 Fla. 281, 8 South. Rep. 429, it was decided, under the municipal powers existing in 1890, that where the municipal government, in the exercise of the police power, imposes a license charge on the business which, for the protection of the health of the community, requires daily inspection and supervision, the amount of the charge will be presumed to be reasonable, and not a tax for revenue, unless the contrary appears on the face of the ordinance, or is established by proper evidence. The courts will
It is- also contended that the ordinance is void because it undertakes to delegate to the board of public works powers and duties vested exclusively in the mayor and council. The portions of the ordinance pointed out as offending in this respect are first part of section 2, last parts of sections 9, xo, 11 and 14, and all of sections 12 and 22. We have carefully examined the sections referred to, and are of the opinion that the objection urged as to their validity can not be sustained.
The entire subject of market regulations by municipalities has been so thoroughly considered by this court in the cases above mentioned that we refrain from any further general discussion of the subject. Guided by the principles of law established by these decisions, the judgment rendered by the Circuit Judge on the present writ of error must be affirmed.
Other objections than those already stated are urged, but they are equally without sufficient support, and upon the entire record a judgment of affirmance is ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Richard Blanchard, in Error v. William F. Ivers, Chief of Police of the City of Jacksonville, in Error
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Under a legislative grant of power to a municipality to make regulations by ordinance to secure the general health of its inhabitants and to prevent and remove nuisances, to regulate the vending of meat, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables, and to restrain and punish the forestalling and regrating of provisions and to establish and regulate markets, the city may by ordinance establish a public market and confine marketable articles there, provided such ordinance be reasonable, considered with reference to the welfare of the community and not in restraint of trade- The rule announced in City of Jacksonville v. Ledtcith, ©6 Fla. 163, 7 South. Rep. 885, followed. 2. An ordinance of the City of Jacksonville, passed under a sufficient legislative grant of power, established a public market and prescribed territorial limits for the same, embracing about - one-sixth of the entire area, and about three-fifths of the population of the entire city, and the testimony tended to sho-w that the public market place was conveniently established within the market limits, considering the territory and facilities of reaching it- Outside of the limits prescribed for the public market other markets were established and no defect is alleged as to such market regulations: Reid, That the ordinance was not unreasonable, considered with reference to the market limits and the population to be served. 3. An ordinance appearing on its face to have been passed in pursuance of powers conferred upon the city in reference to establishing and regulating markets, with no inherent indication of its being a revenue act, is presumptively valid, and will not be declared void on the ground that it is for revenue, when the testimony fails to show that the amounts required to be paid for market privileges are in excess of the necessary expenses imposed by the maintenance of the market. i. The portions of the ordinance of the City of Jacksonville passed in August, 1897, objected to as containing a delegation to the board of public works of the powers and duties which are vested exclusively iij the mayor and council, held not to be amenable to such objection.