People v. Gilbert

68 Misc. 48, 123 N.Y.S. 264
CourtNew York County Courts
DecidedMay 15, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 68 Misc. 48 (People v. Gilbert) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York County Courts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Gilbert, 68 Misc. 48, 123 N.Y.S. 264 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1910).

Opinion

Kellogg, J.

This is an appeal from the judgment of conviction, rendered in the City Court of Oneonta, upon the verdict of a jury, wherein the defendant was duly convicted of the crime of misdemeanor for having violated amended [49]*49ordinance Ho. 4 of the said city on the 16 th day of October, 1909.

The ordinance in question is as follows: “ Ho person or persons or corporation shall be permitted or licensed to occupy or obstruct any portion of any street within this city with a cart, wagon, or other vehicle, unless drawn by a horse or -horses, for the purpose of selling, or offering for sale, peanuts and popcorn, and either of them. Any violation of this ordinance shall constitute a misdemeanor.”

The appellant contends that his arrest, pursuant to the ordinance in question, was illegal and unlawful, and that he had the right to vend the prohibited articles at the time and place in question, by reason of a license which was duly issued to him by the clerk of the county of Uassau, in this State, as an honorably discharged soldier of the United States, under and pursuant to section 32 of the General Business Law of this State.

The facts are practically undisputed. It appears that the appellant, on the evening of October 16, 1909, was on Main street in said city with his peanut roaster and corn popper, a cart about two feet wide and about four feet long, on the pavement of the street or roadway, close to the curb. There i-s no proof whatever that his cart obstructed the street, or disturbed any one, or that he was-asked to move along. So far as the proof shows, the only selling and vending, and the only alleged violation of the law, took place when one of the aldermen purchased a bag of popcorn for five cents.

Section 32, General Business Law (Consol. Laws, chap. 20), formerly chapter 371, Laws of 1896, provides:

“ Licenses to soldiers and sailors.—"Every honorably discharged soldier, sailor or marine of the military or naval service of the United States, who is a resident of this state and a veteran of the late rebellion, or of the Spanish-American war, or who shall have served beyond sea, shall have the right to hawk, peddle, vend and sell by auction his own goods, wares and merchandise or solicit trade within this state, by procuring a license for that purpose to be "issued as herein provided,

[50]*50On the presentation to the clerk of any county in which any soldier, sailor or marine may reside of a certificate of honorable discharge "x' * * which discharge shall show that the person presenting it is a veteran of the late rebellion or of the Spanish-American war, * * * such county clerk shall issue without cost to such soldier, sailor or marine a license certifying him to be entitled to. the benefits of this article.”

Chapter 371, Laws of 1896, was apparently passed, originally, to relieve war veterans from taking the license provided for by section 60.of the Domestic Commerce Law of the State (Laws of 1896, chap. 376) ; but this license under this statute did not relieve a person from the effect of any municipal regulations as to licenses, but was in addition to any such regulations (§ 64) ; and the same rule was held to apply under the Veteran Act. City of Buffalo v. Linsman, 113 App. Div. 585; City of Gloversville v. Enos, 35 Misc. Rep. 724, 728, 729.

Even though the law of that date (Laws of 1896, chap. 371) was correctly stated in Buffalo v. Linsman, supra, the enactment of section 35, General Business Law (Consol. Laws, chap. 20), has changed the law and expressly excepted soldiers’ licenses from municipal regulations. Section 35, last referred to, reads as. follows:

“Municipal regulations.—-This article shall not affect the application of any ordinance, by-law or regulation of a municipal corporation relating to hawkers and peddlers within the limits of such corporation, except as otherwise provided in section thirty-two hereof, but the provisions of this article are to be "complied with in addition to the requirements of any such ordinance, by-law or regulation.”

The provisions relating to hawkers and peddlers, which are thus to be complied with in addition to the requirements of any ordinance or by-law of a municipality, are those of section 30 of the Business Law, which relate to hawkers and peddlers, and specify what they may and may not do, and how they may procure a license; but this appellant is exempted from the provisions of section 30, and such exception is again provided in section 35 thereof.

[51]*51Thus it clearly appears, from section 35 of this statute, that every honorably discharged soldier, sailor or marine of the military or naval service of the United States, who is a resident of this State, and a veteran of the late Rebellion, or of the Spanish-American War, shall have the right to hawk, peddle, vend and sell by auction his own goods, wares and merchandise or solicit trade within this State, by procuring a license for that purpose to be duly issued to him as provided by section 32 of said laws.

The appellant, therefore, having produced a license, duly issued to him by the ISTassau county clerk, was authorized to hawk, peddle and vend merchandise anywhere in the State of Hew York, under the provisions of chapter 25, section 32, of the Laws of 1909, known as the General Business Law, and had a lawful right to vend and sell his peanuts and popcorn from his push-cart, not only outside of, but within, the corporate limits of the city of Oneonta, and upon, along and about the streets thereof; subject, however, to such reasonable regulations, as regards the use of his push-cart on the streets and thoroughfares of said city, as the board of aldermen thereof may have made, not amounting to a prohibition.

The ordinance in question, therefore, is invalid, so far as it contravenes section 32 of the General Business Law.

The power of a municipal council “to enact by-laws, delegated by the Legislature, cannot be more extensive than the power of the delegating body; therefore, by-laws and ordinances enacted must not be in contravention of the Constitution or statutes of the United States or State. 1 Smith Mun. Corp., § 519; 1 Dillon Mun. Corp., § 317. For a Legislature to delegate powers which might be used in hos; tility to the general laws of the State would be a felo de se that might render all general legislation inoperative within the limits of the corporation. It is a well-settled rule of law that, in general, all ordinances which irreconcilably conflict with the charter or with the State statutes are void. 1 Smith Mun. Corp., § 521; State v. Camden, 50 N. J. L. 57; 1 Dillon Mun. Corp., § 319.

A by-law, enacted in pursuance of a special charter au[52]*52thority, has the same force an'd effect as a law within the municipal boundaries as though it had been enacted by the general Assembly; and such a by-law has been repeatedly sustained by the courts, although contravening general laws, on the ground that it is equivalent to a special statute repugnant to a general one and, therefore, operative as an implied repeal of the general law within the municipal territory.

But, lacking such special authority to enact a particular ordinance, a municipality may not ordain by-laws in contravention of said statute, whether general or special. It is a well-settled rule of law that what the statute has licensed, or expressly permitted, the municipality cannot forbid, nor may it license what the State has expressly interdicted. 28 Cyc. 267; Cowen v.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
68 Misc. 48, 123 N.Y.S. 264, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-gilbert-nycountyct-1910.