Christy v. Elliott

74 N.E. 1035, 216 Ill. 31
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedJune 23, 1905
StatusPublished
Cited by68 cases

This text of 74 N.E. 1035 (Christy v. Elliott) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Christy v. Elliott, 74 N.E. 1035, 216 Ill. 31 (Ill. 1905).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Magruder

delivered the opinion of the court:

Pirst—It is strenuously insisted by the appellee that this court has no jurisdiction to entertain this cause, and that the appeal from the judgment of the circuit court should have been taken to the Appellate Court. The ground, upon which the cause is brought by the appellant to this court, is that the constitutionality of the act, regulating the speed of automobiles, etc., set forth in the statement preceding this opinion, is involved in the cause. The appellee contends that, inasmuch as the constitutionality of the act was not challenged or questioned by the appellant upon the trial below, nor until the written reasons were filed in support of the motion for new trial, the record is not in such condition as to present to this court the question of the constitutionality of the act. In the investigation of this subject we have entertained much doubt as to whether the case is properly here, and think there is much force in the position of appellee.

This court has held that the constitutionality of a statute may be raised by demurrer to the declaration. (Shepherd v. City of Sullivan, 166 Ill. 78; Woodruff v. Kellyville Coal Co. 182 id. 480). Here, however, no demurrer was filed to the declaration. This court has also held that the constitutionality of a statute may be .raised by an objection to evidence offered under it. (Pearson v. Zehr, 125 Ill. 573). Here, no objection was made to the introduction of any testimony by the appellant upon the ground that the statute was unconstitutional, so far as the bill of exceptions shows. After the verdict was rendered, however, the appellant made a motion for new trial, and filed fifteen written .reasons in support thereof. The fourteenth reason was as follows: “The court erred in the giving of instruction for plaintiff No. 1, as the act of 1903 to regulate the speed of automobiles is void.” The fifteenth reason was as follows: “The court erred in the giving of plaintiff’s instruction No. 4, as section 2 of the act of 1903 to regulate the speed of automobiles is void, not being expressed in the title of said act.” The position of the appellee is, that the question of the constitutionality of the act could not be raised for the first time on motion for new trial, inasmuch as no ruling had been asked of the trial court upon this question during the progress of the trial.

Appellant, however, excepted to the giving of instructions numbered 1 and 4 in behalf of the appellee. Instruction numbered 1 told the jury that the statutes of this State provide that it shall be unlawful for any person to drive, run, conduct or propel any automobile, whether propelled by steam, gasoline, or electricity, or any other mechanical power, at a rate of speed in excess of fifteen miles an hour upon any road or highway in the State, unless the same was within some village or city where" such speed was allowed by ordinance ; and also instructed them that if they found from the evidence, that, at the time the injuries in question occurred, the defendant was driving an automobile at a rate of speed in excess of fifteen miles an hour upon a public highway as described in the declaration, and that, on account of the defendant so driving such automobile, the plaintiff was injured, as alleged in the first count of the declaration, and was then and there exercising reasonable care and caution in that behalf, they should find for the plaintiff, etc. The exception, taken to the giving of this instruction, raised the question whether the instruction correctly stated the law or not, and if the act limiting the speed of automobiles to fifteen miles an hour was unconstitutional, then the instruction did not state the law correctly.

Instruction numbered 4, given in behalf of appellee, told the jury that, if they believed from the evidence that the appellant was driving the automobile along the public highway, and that it appeared to him, or might, by the exercise of reasonable diligence on his part have appeared to him, that the team of mules, drawing the conveyance in which the plaintiff was riding, was about to become frightened, and if they further found that the defendant did not thereupon cause the automobile to come to a full stop until said team had passed, and that plaintiff was himself exercising reasonable care and caution, and was injured by reason of the failure of the defendant to bring the automobile to a full stop, then the defendant was liable to the plaintiff for the loss and damage sustained by him by reason of such injuries, etc. The exception to the giving of this instruction raised the question whether or not it stated the law correctly, and if section 2 of the act is unconstitutional, for the alleged reason that the subject matter of the section is not expressed in the title of the act, then instruction numbered 4 did not state the law correctly. If a demurrer to a declaration, which sets up the provisions of a statute, under which suit is brought, raises the question of the constitutionality of such statute, it would seem that exception, taken to an instruction based upon the provisions of a statute, would also raise the question whether the statute was constitutional or not. We find in the record, among the reasons in favor of the motion for new trial, two reasons which expressly specify the unconstitutionality of the statute as grounds for challenging the correctness of the court’s action in giving two of the instructions, which were specifically excepted to by the appellant. We are inclined, therefore, to the opinion that the validity of the statute is involved upon the record.

Second—The first section of the statute is challenged as being unconstitutional, upon the alleged ground that it is class legislation, because, as.is insisted, it unjustly discriminates against automobiles, and other horseless conveyances, and, therefore, against manufacturers of the same. In other words, appellant contends that the owners of automobiles or horseless conveyances and drivers of the same are entitled to the same rights and privileges under the law, as the owners or drivers of any other vehicles, and that any law, which deprives them of such rights, or that restricts and limits such rights, is unconstitutional as being in conflict with section 2 of article 2 of the State constitution, which provides as follows : “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” We are of the opinion that the act is not unconstitutional for the reason thus stated.

The passage of the act was clearly within the power of the legislature, because it is a police regulation. 'The legislature is entitled to exercise the police power wherever the public health or comfort or the safety or welfare of society requires it to do so. We have said: “The State inherently possesses, and the General Assembly may lawfully exercise, such power of restraint upon private rights as may be found to be necessary and appropriate to promote the health, comfort, safety and welfare of society. This power is known as the police power of the State. In the exercise of this power the General Assembly may, by valid enactments,—i. e., ‘due process of law,’—prohibit all things hurtful to the comfort, safety and welfare of society, even though the prohibition invade the right of liberty or property of an individual.” (Bailey v. People, 190 Ill. 28; Booth v. People, 186 id. 43; Ruhstrat v. People, 185 id. 133).

The act in question was designed to secure the safety of travelers upon the public highway.

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Bluebook (online)
74 N.E. 1035, 216 Ill. 31, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/christy-v-elliott-ill-1905.