Evans v. Chamber of Commerce of Minneapolis

91 N.W. 8, 86 Minn. 448, 1902 Minn. LEXIS 538
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedJune 20, 1902
DocketNos. 12,977-(157)
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 91 N.W. 8 (Evans v. Chamber of Commerce of Minneapolis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Evans v. Chamber of Commerce of Minneapolis, 91 N.W. 8, 86 Minn. 448, 1902 Minn. LEXIS 538 (Mich. 1902).

Opinion

COLLINS, j.

The following correct statement of the facts herein was made by the court below: Plaintiff was a member of the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, defendant association,' and still holds a membership in the same. While he was a member in good standing, a fellow member asserted a claim against him, growing out of board dealings between them, made under the customs and regulations of the association relating to the purchase and sale of wheat and other cereals for future delivery, and demanded that said claim be submitted to voluntary arbitration, in accordance with the by-laws and rules of the association. The plaintiff failed to submit the matter after notice duly given. Thereupon, such failure being properly brought to the attention of the board of directors, the plaintiff was. expelled from the association. He brought this action to obtain a decree of this court that he is a member in good and regular standing of the defendant association [450]*450and a judgment that it accord to him all the rights and privileges of membership therein.

Under the stipulated facts no question has been raised as to the regularity of the proceedings had by the defendant under its bylaws — hereinafter referred to as rules — which resulted in plaintiff’s expulsion, and it is expressly agreed that the right and power of the association to expel him is the question at issue in the action. The rules of the defendant respecting arbitration between its members, by virtue of which plaintiff was expelled, asserted by him to be invalid, are in substance as follows: A board of arbitrators consisting of members is created, and the power and duty conferred to investigate and decide all disputes and differences between members of the association, of a financial or commercial character, which may be voluntarily submitted to it. If a member desires to submit a dispute or difference he is required to fide a complaint with the secretary stating all the facts and particulars of the controversy and the name of the member with whom it has arisen. A copy of this complaint is served on the latter, and he is required to appear and answer within six business days after service of such copy. Failing so to do* he is deemed in default “and to have incurred the penalties of a refusal to join in submitting to arbitration.” He may then be charged with failure to comply with the rules and an investigation may be ordered, which is had before the board of directors. If the charges shall be sustained upon a hearing, the member stands suspended from all the privileges of membership until, in the judgment of the board, the matter complained of shall have been satisfactorily settled. Should, however, the gravity of the offense be deemed such as to merit expulsion, the member in fault may be expelled from the association. It was under these rules that the plaintiff in this action was expelled, and his counsel contends that the statute under which the defendant was organized (G. S. 1894, § 2982) not only fails to authorize such rules, but, on the contrary, that they are in contravention of its plain implication and spirit.

1. This corporation derives its authority to act from the statute, and in no manner can it exceed this authority, but, inherently, it possesses the power to make all necessary rules and regulations [451]*451for its government and operation, although such power may not be expressly conferred in its charter, in the creating statute, or in any other statute. This, because inherent power is an incident to all corporations, and is independent of the conferred statutory right to adopt rules not opposed to the law under which they are organized. And by statute this corporation was expressly authorized, in addition to its ordinary powers, to appoint and constitute a committee or board of arbitration to which could be referred for settlement all business disputes and differences which might arise between members. The association itself was authorized to prescribe proper rules and regulations for the government of this board, which was clothed with quasi judicial powers for the discharge of its duties. But all submissions to it were to be voluntary and optional, not compulsory arbitrament. Provision was made for the filing of all awards of this board in the office of the clerk of the district court, and, upon application, orders of the court might be made confirming such awards, and judgments may be entered thereon. In fact these proceedings amount to arbitrations at common law. Clearly, under these statutory provisions, the association had the right to make membership conditional upon a submission to arbitration of business disputes arising between its members, and the rules in question went no farther than this.

2. It is further contended that under the articles of incorporation there was no power in the association to adopt, establish, or enforce the rules questioned here. Among the powers to be exercised, according to these articles, we find the following:

“The general business and purpose of this incorporation are to facilitate the buying and selling of all products; to inculcate principles of justice and equity in trade; to facilitate the speedy adjustment of business disputes; to acquire and disseminate valuable commercial information; and, generally, to secure to its members the benefits of co-operation in the furtherance of their legitimate business pursuits, and to advance the general prosperity and business interests of the city of Minneapolis.”

The purpose of these rules was to provide for and to secure the prompt arbitration of all business disputes and differences arising [452]*452between members of the association. They have no other office, and were clearly within the power, expressly granted, to adopt rules which would “facilitate the speedy adjustment of business disputes.” Rules providing for prompt arbitration must necessarily facilitate and promote the adjustment-of differences which arise between members of an association such as this, where most of the trading and dealing is between persons belonging to it. The article above quoted expressly empowered the association to adopt the rules now in issue, and, as a consequence, to enforce them, if valid.

3. The next proposition is that the rules enforced in this case are invalid because they contravene the constitution and the law of the state and are against public policy. It is undoubtedly true that parties cannot control the course of justice or effectually oust the courts of the jurisdiction which has been conferred on them, by mutual agreement so to do. That an agreement to submit disputes to arbitration will be held invalid, in law and in equity, when the effect is to deprive the courts of jurisdiction to determine such disputes, is conceded. The principle on which this doctrine rests is that every citizen is entitled to resort to all the courts of the country and to invoke the protection which all the laws of all these courts may afford him. He cannot bind himself in advance to forfeit his right to this protection, at all times and on all occasions, whenever the case may be presented. The law, and not the contract, prescribes a remedy for all disputes, and parties have no more right to enter into stipulations against a resort to the courts for the remedy in a given case than they have to provide a, remedy prohibited by law.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
91 N.W. 8, 86 Minn. 448, 1902 Minn. LEXIS 538, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/evans-v-chamber-of-commerce-of-minneapolis-minn-1902.