Speer v. Commonwealth
Speer v. Commonwealth
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The information in this case charges that the plaintiff in error, who was not at the time a resident merchant or manufacturer of this State, did by sample, card, description, and other representation, offer to sell in the city of Alexandria, in the State of Virginia, wines, brandies, •goods, wares and merchandise, without having obtained the license therefor required by law. There was a demurrer to the information which was overruled. Then issue was joined upon a plea of not guilty; and upon this issue the defendant was found guilty and fined $200. •Hone of the facts are certified, and the only question raised by the record, is upon the demurrer to the information. Ho the facts which it avers constitute an of-fence against the commonwealth, for which an information lies?
The offence is charged to have been committed by a person who was not a resident merchant, mechanic or manufacturer. And the specific license tax on every such person was $100. Sess. acts of 1870-71, chap. 193, ;§ 20, p. 278. And by section 148 of chap. 72, Ibid. p. .113, it is. enacted that whenever a license shall be spe
But it is contended that the statute is unconstitutional and void, or that provision of section 101 thereof, which prohibits “ any person or persons, not residents of the State, to sell or offer to sell,” &c., “ by sample,” &c., “ without first having obtained a license therefor,” because it is repugnant to Art. 1, § 8, of the constitution of the United States, which gives Congress the power “ to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian tribesand also to ai’t. IY, § 2, which declares that “the citizens of each State shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States.”
It seems to have been the intention of the legislature to have inhibited such sales by sample, &c., by any person who was not a resident merchant, mechanic or manufacturer, whether he was a resident citizen of this State or not. And the effect of .this act would be the same if
But the appellant states in his petition that he was not a resident citizen of Virginia. Taking the fact to be as stated, and that it so appeared from the informar tion, the court is of opinion, that there was no ei’ror in the judgment of the court below overruling the demurrer, upon the ground that the act of Assembly under, which
Judgment appirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Speer v. The Commonwealth
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. S. 101 of ch.193, Sess. acts of 1870-71, p. 99, prohibits the sale of goods by sample, &c. by any person not a resident merchant, mechanic or manufacturer, and applies to citizens of the State who are not merchants, &e., as well as to citizens of other States; and the charge in the information that (he party is not a resident merchant, &c., is not equivalent to the charge that he is not a resident citizen. The question therefore does not arise whether the statute is in violation of the constitution of the United States. 2. The word resident in the statute, in connection with the words merchant, &c., does not import a personal residence; but refers to the place of business; and any person though a citizen of and living in another State, may tahe out a license to transact business as a merchant, &e., in the State, and the statute therefore is not unconstitutional. 3. The statute is not a regulation of commerce, hut is simply a revenue law.