Gembler v. City of Seward

285 N.W. 542, 136 Neb. 196, 1939 Neb. LEXIS 81
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedApril 28, 1939
DocketNo. 30471
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 285 N.W. 542 (Gembler v. City of Seward) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gembler v. City of Seward, 285 N.W. 542, 136 Neb. 196, 1939 Neb. LEXIS 81 (Neb. 1939).

Opinion

Eberly, J.

The defendant prosecutes error to this court from a conviction for violating an ordinance of the city of Seward, Nebraska. In the complaint it is charged that defendant, within the city of Seward on May 2, 1937, did “wilfully .and unlawfully operate a motor vehicle on the streets of the city of Seward,” while he was intoxicated. This complaint was filed on May 3, 1937, before the police magistrate of the city of Seward, and from an adverse judgment the defendant sought a review in the district court for Seward county, where, after a trial, on March 11, 1938, he was adjudged guilty as charged in the complaint. Thereupon the defendant was fined in the sum of $50 and costs of suit, and it was further adjudged that the said defendant do not drive a motor vehicle within the state of Nebraska for a period of one year from date of conviction. From the •order of the trial court overruling his motion for a new trial, and also denying defendant’s application for a parole and a suspended sentence, the defendant prosecutes error to this court, as above stated.

Defendant’s first contention is, that the title of Ordinance [198]*198No. 503 of .the city of Seward, enacted and approved November 6, 1936, under which this prosecution was had, is defective, in that the scope of the same is not broad enough to include the provision of section 12 of the ordinance, providing that “It shall be unlawful for any person to drive any motor vehicle on the streets of such city while in a state of intoxication,” and providing a penalty and relief therefor. The title is, in part, “An ordinance relating to alcoholic liquors; * * * making drunkenness a misdemeanor.” The words of the controlling statutory provision are: “Ordinances shall contain no subject which shall not be clearly expressed in its (their) titles.” Comp. St. 1929, sec. 17-520.

The provisions of section 14, article III of the state Constitution, have no application to city ordinances, nor the adoption thereof, and decisions thereunder are valuable only as analogies. The statutory provision above quoted being a restriction, it should be liberally construed. 25 R. C. L. 850, sec. 96; 856, sec. 101; 858, sec. 104.

In the construction of similar language it has been said: “It is intended to prevent the practice of joining in the same ordinance incongruous subjects, having no relation or connection with each other, and foreign to the subject embraced in the title. Matters germane to the general subject expressed in its title may be united. * * * The title need not be an index to the act; nor need it state a catalogue of all the powers intended to be bestowed. ‘An abstract of the law is not required in the title;’ nor need the title state the mode in which the subject is treated, nor the means by which the end sought by the enactment is to be reached.” McQuillin, Municipal Ordinances, sec. 141. See, also, 43 C. J. 523.

Where the title indicates the subject of the proposed ordinance, the essential requirements of the statutory language quoted have been met, even though more appropriate language might have been employed therein. Nebraska Loan & Bldg. Ass’n v. Perkins, 61 Neb. 254, 85 N. W. 67.

Therefore, the conclusion is that section 12 of the ordi[199]*199nance here involved is not vulnerable to the attack thus made thereon.

Defendant further contends that the inherent nature of the matters included in this ordinance is not within the legislative powers conferred on municipalities; that the state has appropriated the field so far as the subject of intoxicated drivers of motor cars is concerned, and the ordinance, so far as related to that subject, is forbidden by the state, both expressly and by necessary implication.

However, it is thought that the history of our legislation on, and related to, this precise subject, as well as the express terms of our existing law governing the same, support the contrary conclusion.

The intent of the legislature properly expressed is controlling in the disposition of the proposition thus presented.

It will be remembered that by the terms of its charter the city of Seward is empowered, by ordinance, “to prevent intoxication * * * and all disorderly conduct” (Comp. St. 1929, sec. 17-131) ; “to regulate traffic * * * upon the streets, sidewalks and public places” (Comp. St. 1929, sec. 17-141) ; “shall have the care, supervision and control of all public highways * * * streets, alleys, public squares and commons within the city * * * and shall cause the same to be kept open * * * and free from nuisances” (Comp. St. 1929, sec. 17-507). And, in addition, the city of Seward is vested with general powers “to make all such ordinances, by-laws, rules, regulations and resolutions not inconsistent with the laws of the state, as may be expedient, in addition to the special powers in this chapter granted, for maintaining the peace, good government and welfare of the corporation, and its trade, commerce and manufactories, and to enforce all ordinances by inflicting fines or penalties for the breach thereof,” etc. (Comp. St. 1929, sec. 17-428).

The first legislation on the subject here for consideration was chapter 129, Laws 1905. It was, “An Act requiring registration of motor vehicles and regulating their use or operation upon the highways or streets.” It contained twelve sections, but no provisions relative to intoxicated [200]*200drivers. Section 11 thereof provided: “Cities and towns shall have no power to pass, enforce or maintain any ordinance, rule or regulation requiring of any owner or operator of a motor vehicle any license or permit to use the-public highway or exclude or prohibit any motor vehicle whose owner has complied with * * * this act from the free use of such highways, and all such ordinances, rules or regulations now in force, are hereby declared.to be of no validity or effect.”

Had section 11 .been continued, it would of course have furnished support for defendant’s contention. But in 1911 there was enacted chapter 115 of the session laws of that year. The title of the act included, “An Act defining motor vehicles, * * * regulating their use and operation upon the highways and streets,” and providing for the repeal of previous legislation. It contained 13. sections. Section 6 thereof declared the operation of a motor vehicle by an intoxicated person by permission of the owner thereof to be unlawful. Section 10 provided penalties for the violation of its provisions. Section 11 provided: “ (Local Ordinances.) Nothing in this act shall be construed in limiting the power of local authorities to make, enforce and maintain any ordinance, rule or regulation, in addition to the provisions of this act affecting motor vehicles.”

By section 13 of this 1911 act, chapter 129, Laws 1905, as an entirety, was expressly repealed. Thus, the public policy of the state to in no manner interfere with municipal authorities in the due exercise of their charter powers over the subject here for consideration was definitely and clearly thereby established and declared.

The course of subsequent legislation evidences a like intent.

Sections 6, 10, and 11 of the act of 1911, we find as sections 3048, 3052, and 3053, of the Revised Statutes of 1913 of Nebraska. In 1919 they were reenacted as sections 27, 32, and 26 of title VII, article IV of chapter 190, Laws 1919, our Civil Code. They likewise appear in the Compiled Statutes of 1922 as sections 8391, 8396, and 8390. They are [201]

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Bluebook (online)
285 N.W. 542, 136 Neb. 196, 1939 Neb. LEXIS 81, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gembler-v-city-of-seward-neb-1939.