City Council of Charleston v. Pepper
City Council of Charleston v. Pepper
Opinion of the Court
Curia, per
The cases referred to by the Recorder, are decisive of the first ground of appeal. That
It will be remarked that that case depends altogether upon the common law, and if the city court depended upon the same for its jurisdiction, the objection might be fatal. But the establishment and jurisdiction of the city court commences with the Act of 1801. (7 Stat. 300.) By that Act it is clothed with the power of trying all offences against the by-laws of the city, and for that purpose is given concurrent jurisdiction with the court of Sessions. This grant of power is from all the people of the State, through their Legislature, and surely they have the power to dispense with the common law objection, that the cor-porators were interested, and ought not to be intrusted with the enforcement of their laws against others. The authority given to the city court to try all offenders against the city ordinances, impliedly declares, that notwithstand
The other grounds raise the questions, whether the defendant’s offence is such an one as the corporation had the power to provide against by its by-laws, and whether he has violated the ordinance.
The power given to the city council to make such bylaws, rules and ordinances, respecting the harbor, streets, lanes, public buildings, work-houses, markets, wharves, public houses, carriages, wagons, carts, drays, (fee. as to them shall seem expedient and necessary, is certainly wide enough to embrace the defendant’s case. It is possible that the city council might even (if they could be mad enough to commit such a suicidal act,) provide that no carriage, cart, wagon or dray, should pass any of the streets, without paying for a license or paying toll. For it might be very well said, we make the streets, we have power to make laws respecting them, and we think it right to be paid for the convenience which we afford the people. But when a man outside of the city proposes to make his
The 3d section of the city ordinance, under which the penalty is claimed against the defendant, (City Ordinances, 41,) provides, that in case any person or persons shall let or drive for hire, any cart, dray, wagon, omnibus, or other carriage, within the city, without having first obtained such license as aforesaid, and without having the number of such license (and no other) printed on tin, in figures not less than three inches long, on the after part of either shaft, upon the square thereof, so as to be easily seen, and without having- for the management of the same, a sober, discreet and able person, such person or persons shall forfeit and pay a sum not less than twelve dollars nor more than twenty dollars.
That the defendant did drive a wagon for hire, through the streets of the city, is proved. This is within the very words of the ordinance, and the penalty is incurred.
The motion for a new trial is dismissed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.