State v. City of Bayonne
State v. City of Bayonne
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of ttie court was delivered by
The ordinance in this case is for opening, regulating and grading Hudson avenue from Avenue A to Yew York bay, as tire same is laid down upon a map made by the map and grade commission, and filed in the office of the clerk of the city of Bayonne. This ordinance was approved by the mayor, February 24th, 1870, and in March, 1870, the council, by regulation, referred the same to the commissioners of assessments for their action. They made a survey and preliminary map, with an estimate and assessment of the cost of the improvement, and filed the map and report thereof with the city clerk, July 5th, 1870. Very soon after that this certiorari was issued. By section fifty of the charter, (Laws 1869, p. 394,) these commissioners were required to file such report and map within twenty days after the ordinance was referred to them. It is not within twenty days after the commissioners were notified, but within twenty days after the ordinance is referred. They have failed to perform that duty within the time required, and their proceedings diQuld, fin: that reason, be set aside. This point is res judicata. State, Ackerman, pros., v. Town of Bergen, 4 Vroom 39; State, Gleason, pros., v. Town of Bergen, 4 Vroom 72.
The ordinance should also be set aside for the following reason: The opening of a street, under this charter, is treated as a distinct proceeding from the laying out. The charter was passed iu 1869. Previous to that, under an act of April 7th, 1868, (Laws of 1868,) there existed a board of commissioners, commonly known as the map and grade commission, who were empowered to lay out new streets, or parts of new streets, &c., and to establish grades. These powers were expressly reserved fo the commissioners by section thirty-one of the charter,
The ordinance and subsequent proceedings ar-e set aside, leaving untouched the action of the map and grade commissioners, as their proceedings may again be brought in review when more fully developed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- THE STATE, THE CENTRAL RAILROAD COMPANY, PROSECUTORS v. THE CITY OF BAYONNE
- Status
- Published