State v. Treasurer of Beverly
State v. Treasurer of Beverly
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The first objection urged against these proceedings is embraced in the first and eighth reasons assigned, to the effect that the prosecution should have been in the name of The Mayor, Clerk and Common Council of the City of Beverly, the corporate title, instead of the name of the treasurer of the city.
The city charter (Pamph. L. 1857, p. 430, § 9,) authorizes the council to enforce the observance of its ordinances by prescribing a forfeiture or penalty, not exceeding '$50, to be recoverable by action of debt, with costs, in any court of record in said city, in the name of the treasurer of the city of Beverly, for the use of said city, or by prescribing punishment therefor by fine or imprisonment in the city prison, or both, to be imposed by the mayor or any resident justice of the peace,'the fine not to exceed $50 and the imprisonment thirty days, and until the fine and costs be paid. This evidently gives to the council a choice between two modes of procedure; one, an action of debt, which must be brought in the name of the treasurer; the other, the ancient and familiar summary proceeding on information. Hershoff v. Beverly, 14 Vroom 139.
When prosecuted to punish offenders against municipal ordinances, the papers are commonly entitled in the corporate name; but I can find no reason for doubting their validity if this were omitted. In the present case, the ordinance directs that the complaint shall be made in the name of the city treasurer, and hence the complainant so complained, and the papers are so endorsed ; but this, at the worst, is only superfluous. It affords no ground for reversing the proceedings.
The second, seventh and eleventh reasons assigned are, in substance, that the law controlling actions of debt was not obeyed. These are all disposed of by remarking that the proceeding was not, and did not purport to be, such an action.
The third and fourth reasons are that the evidence of Mary McCloskey that defendant sold beer on November 5th, does not warrant a conviction on a complaint of selling on November 3d. Such a variance between the averment of time and the proof is entirely immaterial. Greeley v. Passaic, 13 Vroom 37, 91.
The fifth reason is that the testimony of the other witnesses is insufficient. But this is unimportant, if the evidence of Mary McCloskey be sufficient.
The sixth reason is that the evidence only shows that the defendant sold a small quantity of beer by the quart on November 5th, and does not warrant a conviction under the ordinance against keeping a tippling-house.
The ninth, tenth, twelfth and thirteenth reasons, with the argument under them, are to the effect that the common council could not create offences or provide punishments different from those which the general laws of the state prescribed.
The grant of power to the common council is under the ninth and tenth sections of the city charter. The tenth section gives to the ■ council “ the sole, only and exclusive right and power of granting licenses to all and every inn-keeper and retailer of spirituous liquors residing within said city, subject to the same provisions and in like manner as the same may lawfully be done by the Courts of Common Pleas in this state, * * * and the sole, only and exclusive right and power of licensing such and so many keepers of oyster-houses and cellars, and places for the sale of fermented liquors within said city, upon such terms and conditions and under such regulations as they may deem most conducive to the good of said city.”' The ninth ' section authorizes the council to pass such ordinances for promoting the peace, good order and prosperity of the city as they may deem expedient, not repugnant to the constitution of this state or of the United States.
Now, with regard to the licenses mentioned in the first clause of this tenth section, there is certainly ground for the contention that the power there given is subject to limitation by the general Inns and Taverns act, which controls Courts of Common Pleas in granting licenses, but as to the power given by the second clause, no such limitation is expressed or could have been implied, for the reason that when this charter was passed, there was no general law for the licensing of the occupations in that clause mentioned. The keeping of oyster-houses and places for the sale of fermented liquors, (as distinguished from spirituous liquors,) was free to all. This power
■ The prosecutqr has assigned no sufficient reason for the reversal of the judgment below, and therefore it should be affirmed, with costs.
The reasons assigned by the same prosecutor for reversal of his conviction before the mayor of the city upon a similar charge are all substantially covered in the foregoing opinion. Objections to the proceedings which are not distinctly pointed at by the reasons assigned, cannot' be considered by the court.
The judgment must be affirmed, with costs.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STATE, EUGENE HERSHOFF, PROSECUTOR v. TREASURER OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published