Methodist Protestant Church v. Mayor of Baltimore

6 Gill 391
CourtCourt of Appeals of Maryland
DecidedJune 15, 1848
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 6 Gill 391 (Methodist Protestant Church v. Mayor of Baltimore) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Methodist Protestant Church v. Mayor of Baltimore, 6 Gill 391 (Md. 1848).

Opinion

Dorsey, C. J.,

delivered the opinion of this court.

Various grounds have been assigned by the complainant, why the injunction issued in this case, should not have been dissolved. And first, it is insisted, that the ordinance, of the 20th April, 1846, No. 49, for the opening of Msquith street, is invalid, because it is not apparent on its face, whether it was passed in execution of the powers delegated to the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, by the act of 1817, ch. 148, or by the act of 1838, ch. 226. It is not essential to the validity of an ordinance, executing powers conferred by the legislature, that it should state, or indicate, the power in execution, of which the ordinance was passed. If it state no particular power, as its basis, judicial courtesy requires that we should regard it as emanating from that power, which would have warranted its passage. If two such powers exist, it may be imputed to either; in conformity to which its provisions and prerequisites shew, that it has been adopted. If, in these respects, in accordance w’ith both, no incongruity or injustice can result, in regarding it as the offspring of both, or either of [400]*400the powers. It is, therefore, no fatal objection to the proceedings of the city commissioners, that they do not, therein distinctly unfold under what act of Assembly, or ordinance their powers were exerted. If sustainable on either, their proceedings cannot be invalidated on that ground, in a court of equity.

The allegation and offer to prove in the bill, that the public welfare or convenience does not require the widening of Jlisquith street, furnishes no ground for relief, by the interference of a Court of Chancery. By the act of 1838, ch. 226, the determination of that question is exclusively vested in the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore; and whether their judgment be right or wrong, is no subject for revision or correction in a court of equity.

The appellant seeks to sustain the injunction issued in its behalf, on the ground, that it had no actual notice in fact of the assessment complained of, until the attempt was made to enforce such assessment by a sale of its property.” If such fact were at all material, it is a sufficient answer to it, to state, that it is unsustained by any proof; and that the bill discloses no-such ground for equitable relief; and that for aught appearing therein, it might be true, that the complainant had full knowledge of every proceeding of the city commissioners at the time it occurred: and could, in the mode prescribed by the act of 1838, by an appeal to the City Court of Baltimore, have been amply protected and redressed against all the illegality and injustice of which it now complains. But, it is immaterial whether such “ actual notice in fact” were given to, or possessed by the complainant or not. By the act of 1838, the legislature have provided the mode, by which all persons are to be notified, whose interests are to be affected by the widening, opening, or straightening of streets in the city of Baltimore; and the time during which such notice shall be published in the newspapers. Which being complied with; ignorance thereof, in..any owner on whose property benefits have been assessed, is his misfortune or his fault, but can furnish no [401]*401ground for relief to him, either on a bill in equity, or an appeal to the City Court.

Before the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore could proceed to execute the powers vested in them by the act of 1838, at least sixty days notice must be given of any application, which may be made for the passage of any ordinance, by advertisement, in at least two of the daily newspapers in the city of Baltimore. And “before any commissioners, appointed by any ordinance to be passed in virtue of this act, shall proceed to the performance of their duty, they shall give notice in at least two of the daily newspapers in the city of Baltimore, of the subject of the ordinance, under which they propose to act, at least thirty days before the time of their first meeting, to execute the same.” And it is further enacted, “ That upon the return of any assessment to be made under any ordinance, to be passed in virtue of this act, the register of the city of Baltimore, shall cause a copy of said assessment to be published for thirty days, in at least two of the daily newspapers of said city.” It is not pretended that all these publications have not been regularly made pursuant to the provisions of the act of Assembly. Against the validity of such proceedings, a want of notice in point of fact can form no objection. The law imputes notice, and will not admit testimony to disprove it, in a case like the present. The time for an appeal from any such assessment, is thirty days after the register’s publication.

The ordinance of 9th March, 1841, No. 10, sec. 6, requires sixty days previous notice of the meeting of the commissioners to discharge their duties, to be published in at least two daily newspapers of the city of Baltimore: whereas, the act of 1838, in virtue of which that ordinance was passed, required the publication of such notice for but thirty days. Without deeming it necessary to inquire, whether the commissioners have not legally executed their powers, by giving the notices specified in the act of Assembly, it may be sufficient to say, that this objection, as to the time during which the notice was given, is, of itself, of a purely legal or technical [402]*402character; and it not being even pretended, that the complainant was damnified thereby, it forms not the slightest ground for equitable relief; much less for the interposition of a court of equity, by way of injunction. A Court of Chancery, except when acting as an appellate tribunal, never interferes to arrest or set aside the proceedings of courts of law, or other judicial tribunals, upon the ground of legal error therein, unless prompted by conscience to prevent wrong and injustice; but leaves the party complainant to his redress in a court of law.

As an authority that an appellant having failed to avail himself of the means provided by law for the redress of the wrong of which he complains, (the means in this case being an appeal to the City Court,) is without remedy in a Court of Chancery. See the case of Gott & Wilson vs. Carr, 6 G. & J. 312.

Another, and it is conceived, a conclusive objection to the injunction issued in this case, is, that by the 9th section of the ordinance of March 9th, 1841, No. 10, and of May 15th, 1846, No. 59, on an appeal from the proceedings of the commissioners, the City Court are authorized, after an examination into the same, in the mode therein pointed out, to amend or supply all defects and omissions in the return and proceedings of the commissioners, “ and alter, modify and correct the said record of proceedings in all, or any of its parts,” as it “ shall deem just and proper.” To the Court of Chancery or County Court, sitting as a court of equity, no such power is delegated; nor can it be lawfully or judiciously exercised by those tribunals. To persons aggrieved by the proceedings of the commissioners in cases like the present, the legislative enactments upon the subject have provided the tribunal and means of redress, and there only can it be successfully sought.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Priester v. Baltimore County
157 A.3d 301 (Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, 2017)
(2011)
96 Op. Att'y Gen. 93 (Maryland Attorney General Reports, 2011)
Maryland Attorney General Opinion 96 OAG 093
Maryland Attorney General Reports, 2011
Maryland Commission on Human Relations v. Downey Communications, Inc.
678 A.2d 55 (Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, 1996)
Mylander v. Mayor of Baltimore City
172 A. 234 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1934)
Browne v. Mayor of Baltimore
161 A. 24 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1932)
Etchison v. Mayor of Frederick
91 A. 161 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1914)
Safe Deposit & Trust Co. v. Mayor of Baltimore
88 A. 267 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1913)
Wannenwetsch v. Mayor of Baltimore
73 A. 701 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1909)
Town of Poulan v. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
51 S.E. 657 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1905)
State v. Mayor of Englewood
40 A. 653 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1898)
Board of Com'rs v. Searight Cattle Co.
31 P. 268 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1892)
Cumberland & Pennsylvania Railroad v. Pennsylvania Railroad
57 Md. 267 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1881)
Hazlehurst v. Mayor of Baltimore
37 Md. 199 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1872)
Western Maryland Railroad v. Patterson
37 Md. 125 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1872)
Brooks v. Shelton
47 Miss. 243 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1872)
Page v. Mayor of Baltimore
34 Md. 558 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1871)
Budd v. Long
13 Fla. 288 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1869)
County Commissioners v. Clagett
31 Md. 210 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1869)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
6 Gill 391, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/methodist-protestant-church-v-mayor-of-baltimore-md-1848.