People v. . Havnor

31 L.R.A. 689, 43 N.E. 541, 149 N.Y. 195, 12 N.Y. Crim. 25, 1896 N.Y. LEXIS 698
CourtNew York Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 14, 1896
StatusPublished
Cited by125 cases

This text of 31 L.R.A. 689 (People v. . Havnor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. . Havnor, 31 L.R.A. 689, 43 N.E. 541, 149 N.Y. 195, 12 N.Y. Crim. 25, 1896 N.Y. LEXIS 698 (N.Y. 1896).

Opinions

VANN, J.

The main ground upon which the defendant asks us to reverse the judgment against him is that the statute under which he was convicted is in conflict with that provision of the constitutiou which provides that “ no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” Const, art. 1, § 6. The statute in question, entitled “An act to regulate barbering on Sunday,” provides that “ any person who •carries on or engages in the business of shaving, hair cutting or other work of a barber on the first day of the week shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor * * * provided that in the city of New York and the village of Saratoga Springs barber shops * * * may be kept open and the work of a barber performed therein until one o’clock of the afternoon of the first day of the week.” Laws 1895, c. 828. The defendant claims that this statute deprives him to a certain extent of his “ liberty,” by preventing him from carrying on a lawful calling as he wishes, and also of his “ property,” by preventing the free use of his premises, tools, and labor, and thus rendering them less productive. It is not claimed that his occupation is of a noisy nature, or that he so carried on his business as to disturb the peace, quiet, and good order of the neighborhood, or that the act for which he was convicted, if done on any day of the week other than the first, or at any hour of that day prior to one o’clock in the afternoon, would *28 have been a violation of law. Nor is it .claimed that the conviction was authorized by the common law, or that it was based upon any statute except the one above cited, and, indeed, the judgment of the court of special sessions expressly refers to that act, and adjudges the defendant guilty of a misdemeanor because he1 violated its command.

The phrase “ due process of law” is not satisfied by a judgment, pronounced, after an opportunity to be heard, by a court of competent jurisdiction, in accordance with the provisions of a statute,, unless that'statute accords with the provisions of the fundamental law. Wynehamer v. People, 13 N. Y. 378, 393. In a broad sense, whatever prevents a man from following a useful calling is an invasion of his “liberty,” and whatever prevents him from freely using his hands or chattels is a deprivation of his “ property.” Bertholf v. O’Reilly, 74 N. Y. 515 ; In re Jacobs, 98 N. Y. 98, 105. Yet, during the history of our state, many laws have been passed which, to some extent, have interfered with the right to liberty and property; but their accord witli the constitution has seldom been questioned, and, when questioned, has been generally sustained. The power of taxation, the right to preserve the public health, to protect the public morals, and to provide for the public safety, may interfere somewhat with both liberty and property, yet proper statutes to effect their ends have never been held to invade the guaranties of the constitution. While the confinement of the insane or of those afflicted with contagious diseases infringes upon personal liberty and the destruction of buildings to prevent the spread of fire, the exercise of the power of eminent domain, and the prevention of cruelty to animals encroach upon the right to property, still the proper exercise of these powers, under the authority of the legislature, although constant and known of all men, gives rise to no question of moment under the constitution. The sanction for these apparent trespasses upon private rights is found in the principle that every man’s liberty and property is, to some extent, subject to the general welfare, as each person’s interest is presumed to be promoted by that which promotes the interest of all. Dependent upon this principle is the great police power, so universally recognized but so difficult to define, which guards the health, the welfare, *29 and the safety of the public. While this power may not be employed ostensibly for the common good, but really for an ulterior purpose, when its object and effect are manifestly in the public interest, as was said in the Jacobs Case, “ it is very broad and comprehensive, and * * * under it the conduct of an individual and the use of property may be regulated so as to interfere, to some extent, with the freedom of the one and the enjoyment of the other.” Page 108. In the exercise of this power the legislature has the right generally, to determine what laws are needed to preserve the public health and protect the public safety, jet its discretion in this respect is not wholly without limit, for our courts have been steadfast in holding that the statute must have some relation to the general welfare; that the purpose to be reached must be a public purpose, and that “ the law must in fact be a police law.” Thus, it has been held that “ an act to improve the public health by prohibiting the manufacture of cigars and preparation of tobacco in any form in tenement houses in certain cases ” (Laws 1884, c. 272), was unconstitutional, because it did not tend to promote the public health, and that this was not the end actually aimed at. In re Jacobs, supra. For the same reason “ an act to prevent deception in sales of dairy products” (Laws 1884, c. 202) was declared to conflict with the constitution, as it absolutely prohibited an innocent industry that was not fraudulently conducted, solely for the reason that it competed with another, and might reduce the price of an article of food. People v. Marx, 99 N. Y. 377; 2 N. E. 29. When, however, the act was so changed as to make the substance accord with the title (Laws 1885, c. 183), it was held to be constitutional. People v. Arensberg, 105 N. Y. 123; 11 N. E. 277. In a recent case, an act prohibiting the sale of any article of food, upon the inducement that something would be given to the purchaser as a premium or reward (Laws 1887, c. 691), was held to be an unauthorized invasion of the rights of property and an improper exercise of the police power of the state. People v. Grillson, 109 N. Y. 389; 17 N. E. 343. It was expressly declared in that ease that the courts must be able to see, upon a perusal of the enactment, that there is some fair, just and reasonable connection between it and the common good, and that, unless such relation *30 exists, the statute cannot be upheld as an exercise of the police power. Subject, however, to the limitation that the real object of the statute must appear, upon inspection, to have a reasonable connection with the welfare of the public, the exercise of the police power by the legislature is well established as not in conflict with the constitution. Heister v. Board, 37 N. Y. 661, 669; In re Deansville Cemetery Ass’n, 66 N. Y. 569; In re Ryers, 72 N. Y. 1, 7; People v. D’Oench, 111 N. Y. 359; 18 N. E. 862; People v. Ewer, 141 N. Y. 129; 36 N. E. 4; People v. Warden of City Prison, 144 N. Y. 529; 39 N. E. 686; Health Department of City of New York v. Rector, etc., of Trinity Church, 145 N. Y. 32; 39 N. E. 833. When thus exercised, even if the effect is to interfere to some extent with the use ox property or the prosecution of a lawful pursuit, it is not regarded as an appropriation of property or an encroachment upon liberty, because the preservation of order and the promotion of the general welfare, so essential to organized society, of necessity involve some sacrifice of natural rights. Phelps v. Racey, 60 N. Y. 10 14; Prentice v. Weston, 111 N. Y. 460; 18 N. E. 720.

The vital question, therefore, is whether the real purpose of the statute xinder consideration has a reasonable connection with the public health, welfare, or safety.

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Bluebook (online)
31 L.R.A. 689, 43 N.E. 541, 149 N.Y. 195, 12 N.Y. Crim. 25, 1896 N.Y. LEXIS 698, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-havnor-ny-1896.