New York Cable Co. v. Mayor of New York

4 N.Y. St. Rep. 330
New York Court of Appeals·Decided February 8, 1887·Published

Opinion

Rapallo, J.

The petitioner in this matter moves for a reargument of the appeal therein, alleging as one ground for such motion, that since the- decision of this court on [331]*331such appeal, it has obtained from the general term of the supreme court an order to show cause why the report of the commissioners appointed by it should not be remanded to them for further hearing, which order0 to show cause is now pending, and that, in order to comply with the opinion of this court, the petitioner has taken proceedings for the amendment of its articles of association, by inserting therein an amended article X, in relation to the forfeiture ■of its rights and franchises to the supervisors of the county, and that to further comply with such opinion, the petitioner has, by resolution of its board of directors, requested the president of the board of commissioners appointed by the mayor, who framed the said articles of association, to call a meeting of said commissioners for the purpose of correcting the defects and supplying the omissions pointed out in said opinion. That the president of said board of commissioners had reconvened them, and they have further determined as to the plans for the construction of the petitioner’s railway, and have amended them in the particulars mentioned in the opinion, and the petitioner is willing to do such other things as may conform to the judgment of this court.

The petitioner claims that the functions of the mayor’s commission have not expired, but were continued, and were still existing at the time of this amendment, said commission having at its meeting in June, 1884, reserved the right to reconvene at the call of its president; that the times fixed by the rapid transit act for the performance of the several acts to be performed by the mayor’s commission, were not mandatory, but merely directory; that under the circumstances of this case they could be performed at the time of the amendment, and that the amendment of the articles of association was authorized by chapter 135 of the Laws of 1870, which empowered corporations formed under general laws to amend their certificates of incorporation in case of any informality therein.

Many grave objections are suggested to the validity of these proceedings to amend; but they cannot be considered on this motion. Even if the proceedings to amend were effectual, they would not afford ground for a reargument of the appeal. The jurisdiction of this court is confined to a review of determinations actually made by the supreme court, and this review must be had upon the same papers which were before the general term. We cannot rehear the matter upon a different state of facts from those upon which the general term acted, for that would be an exercise of original jurisdiction on the new state of facts presented, and not a review of the actual determination of the court below.

[332]*332If a new state of facts, giving rise' to new questions and obviating the legal objections which existed to the application originally made by the petitioner, is now presented (a question which is not now properly before us, and upon which, therefore, we do not express any opinion), the order made by this court, affirming the order of the general term denying the application of the petitioner, will be no obstacle to a rehearing of the matter at the general term on the alleged new state of facts, should that tribunal see fit to grant such a rehearing, or to a new application based upon new facts (Riggs v. Pursell, 74 N. Y., 370), and on such new hearing, or new application, if the legislation of 1884 has not precluded the petitioner from proceeding under the rapid transit act to obtain authority,through the action of the mayor’s commission since 1884 to construct a surface road, it will be open to the supreme court to exercise its discretionary power over the whole matter, or to pass, as it did in the first instance, only on questions of law.

We, however, cannot make any modification of our decision, or any order in the matter based upon the alleged change of facts, or alleged amendment of the proceedings of the mayor’s commission and of the articles of association.

Some other grounds, however, are urged in support of this application for a reargument, which will be briefly noticed.

First. It is alleged that the articles of association of the petitioner were prepared upon the model of the articles of association of the Manhattan Elevated Railway Company, which company is said to have been organized under the rapid transit act. On this point it is sufficient to say that the articles of association of the Manhattan Elevated Railway Company have never been before this court, nor have we any judicial knowledge of their provisions, or their existence, unless they came incidentally in question in The Matter of the Gilbert Elevated Railway Company (71 N. Y., 361). They are not even mentioned, either in the arguments of counsel, or in the opinion of the court, in that case. None of the questions involved in the decision of this case were discussed in that case, nor was the attention of the court called to any of them, if they existed. The sufficiency of those articles has not been litigated or considered in any case which has been before this court.

Secondly. It is claimed that from the opinion in this case the court appears to have overlooked its decision in The Matter of the New York Elevated Railroad Company (70 N. Y., 327). That case was fresh in the memory of the court, several of the judges who participated in its decision, including the judge who delivered the opinion, having con[333]*333curred in the decision of the present case, and we are unable to find that any point decided or discussed in that case conflicts with the decision in the present one in any particular. In so far as the validity of the organization of the present petitioner is concerned, it is impossible that there should be any such conflict, because the New York Elevated Railroad Company was not organized under the rapid transit act. Chapter 606 of the Laws of 1815.

The New York Elevated Railroad Company was originally incorporated under the general railroad law of 1850, and the supplementary act of 1866. It was recognized as an existing corporation by chapter 595 of the Laws of 1815, entitled “An act to authorize and require the New York Railroad Company to continue and complete its railroad in the city of New York, and to regulate the construction, operation and management thereof,”

That act recited the corporation of the Elevated Railway Company under the general law of 1850; that it had acquired by purchase, under a foreclosure of a mortgage, the powers and franchises of the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway Company, and was by the act last referred to confirmed in the possession and enjoyment of said rights and franchises; and the powers of certain commissioners previously appointed were extended to it; and prior to the passage of the rapid transit act it had constructed and was actually operating an elevated steam railway on a portion of its route.

After the passage of the rapid transit act it proceeded under section 36 of that act to make certain connections and additions to its route, and no question could arise in the case except with respect to those connections. But even as to those, nothing was discussed in the opinion or decided which touches the present case.

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New York Cable Co. v. Mayor of New York, 4 N.Y. St. Rep. 330 (N.Y. 1887).

4 N.Y. St. Rep. 330 (New York Cable Co. v. Mayor of New York) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Matter of B., W. and N. Railway Co.
72 N.Y. 245 (New York Court of Appeals, 1878)
Riggs v. . Pursell
74 N.Y. 370 (New York Court of Appeals, 1878)
In re the New York Elevated Railroad
70 N.Y. 327 (New York Court of Appeals, 1877)