City of Wellsville v. O'Connor

1 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 253, 1903 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 172
CourtOhio Circuit Courts
DecidedApril 10, 1903
StatusPublished

This text of 1 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 253 (City of Wellsville v. O'Connor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Circuit Courts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Wellsville v. O'Connor, 1 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 253, 1903 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 172 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1903).

Opinions

O’Connor was convicted before the mayor of the city of Wells-ville upon the charge of having committed the crime of assault and battery in violation of an ordinance of the city; was adjudged to pay a fine of fifty dollars and costs, and to stand committed- to the work-house -till fine and costs were paid. This judgment was reversed by the-court of common pleas on the ground that the ordinance was invalid, and we are now called upon to review this judgment of the court of common pleas.

[254]*254The ordinance is said to be invalid because the city was not authorized' to create such offense,, and "because the ordinance-does not conform to the requirements of Section 1694, Revised Statutes, which provides that “No by-law or ordinance shall contain more than one subject', which shall be clearly expressed in its title.”

As to this second ground of complaint we are unanimous in the opinion that it is not well founded. The ordinance in question contains fifteen sections, defining fifteen separate offenses against the city. They all relate to one subject — the punishment of offenses against the city; and there is nothing in the ordinance upon any other subject, and nothing which is not clearly expressed in its title: “An ordinance to prohibit and punish certain offenses therein named, and for the more effectual preservation of peace and good order in the city of Wellsville, Ohio.”

We do not think that any discussion of this question is required, as- it has been settled, in principle at least, by the Supreme Court. Ohio v. Covington, 29 O. S., 102.

As to the other ground of objection to the ordinance — that it is not authorized by statute — we are not agreed;'but in the opinion of the majority of the court this objection is well taken.

The only disagreement between members of the court is upon the proper construction to be placed upon certain provisions of the statute. There is no dispute as to.the essential facts of the case. It is an undisputed fact that the City of Wellsville undertook by ordinance to prohibit and punish the crime of assault and battery, defining it in the precise language adopted by the Legislature in defining the offense; and' that the authority of the city to enact the ordinance is given, if at all, by Section 1692, Par. 1, and Section 2108 of Revised Statutes.

Neither is there any disagreement as to the general rules of law applicable to the case. It is agreed that the Legislature can authorize a municipal corporation to prohibit and punish minor offenses, which are also punished by the state, whatever may be the-law elsewhere. Koch v. The State, 53 O. S., 433.

The majority of the court think the following propositions are well settled by approved text-writers and courts: That the prohibition of crimes and offenses lies within the domain of police power; that the exercise of police power is an exclusive prerogative of the state; that a municipal corporation has no inherent power to enact by-laws or -ordinances for punishment of offenses; that it has only [255]*255such, powers as are clearly and expressly'conferred upon it by tbe Legislating, or.mdst necessarily be implied in order to- carry into effect those expressly granted; that where the Legislature by general law has exercised its jurisdiction as to the punishment of an offense, there is a presumption of an intention to make its jurisdiction over such subject exclusive; and that in all cases where the grant is uncertain or doubtful the power must be denied.

These general propositions are fully established and illustrated by authority. 18 Am. & Eng. Ency., 739; Ravenna, v. Pennsylvania Co., 45 O. S., 118; Markley v. Village, 58 O. S., 430; Dillon’s Mun. Corp. (2d Ed.), Sees. 301, 302; St. Louis v. Telephone Co., 96 Mo., 623; Minturn v. Larue, 23 Howard (U. S.), 435.

We now come to the only disputed question in the case: Was the City of Wellsville authorized by statute to make the crime of assault and battery an offense against the city ? This must be determined from the sections of the statute referred to, which,.so far as pertinent, read as follows:

“Sec. 1692. In addition to the powers specifically granted in this title, and subject to the exceptions and limitations in other parts of it, cities and villages shall have the general powers enumerated in this section, and the council may provide by ordinance for the exercise and enforcement of the same.
“1. To prevent riots, gambling, noise, and disturbance, indecent' and disorderly conduct or assemblages, and to preserve the peace and good order, and protect the property of the municipal corporation and its inhabitants.”
“Sec. 2108. The council of a city or village shall have power to provide for the punishment of persons disturbing the good order and quiet' of the corporation, by clamor and noise in the night season, by intoxication, drunkenness, fighting, using obscene or profane language in the streets or other public places, to the annoyance of the citizens, or otherwise violating the public peace by indecent and disorderly conduct, or by lewd and lascivious behavior.”

These sections are found in the same title and relate to the same subject matter — the maintenance of peace and good order in municipal corporations.

It may be assumed at the outset of the discussion that the contention of the city is narrowed down to the construction of a single clause in Section 1692, Rev. Stat.

Counsel for the city claim that the authorization of the council “to preserve the peace and good order” of the corporation is an [256]*256adequate and clear grant of power for the enactment, of this ordinance; and they base their claim solely upon this clause.

This claim of the city is controverted and denied; and the counter-claim is made that Section 2108 limits the power of the city to pass ordinances to preserve the public peace.

Since a city has no inherent power to make by-laws or ordinances it is incumbent upon t'he city to demonstrate that the requisite power to pass this ordinance is expressly given, or of necessity implied in the language used in this clause.

The full import of Section 1692 as applicable to this contention would read as follows :

Subject to the exceptions and limitations in other parts of this title, the council of cities and villages may provide by ordinance for the exercise and enforcement of the power “to preserve the peace and good order” of the municipal corporation.

This grant is not unlimited. Ordinances must be reasonable, and they must be appropriate to effect the purpose and objects for which they are authorized by the Legislature. It is certain that the purpose of this statute was to permit the council to provide by ordinance for the punishment of disorderly 'conduct which disturbs or annoys the citizens of the corporation. To give it larger scope would extend the power beyond the necessities of the case and make its limits subject, substantially, to the discretion of the council.

There seems to be some difference of opinion between counsel as to the meaning of the word peace, as used in this statute. It is a word in common use among the people, and itte meaning is well understood by them, and their understanding of its meaning is the same as that of lexicographers.

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Bluebook (online)
1 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 253, 1903 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 172, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-wellsville-v-oconnor-ohiocirct-1903.