State v. Peterson

36 N.W. 443, 38 Minn. 143, 1888 Minn. LEXIS 341
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedJanuary 30, 1888
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 36 N.W. 443 (State v. Peterson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Peterson, 36 N.W. 443, 38 Minn. 143, 1888 Minn. LEXIS 341 (Mich. 1888).

Opinion

Vanderburgh, J.

The defendants were tried upon the following; indictment, viz.: “Fred Peterson and John Pierson are accused by the grand jury of the county of Hennepin, in the state of Minnesota* by this indictment, of the crime of keeping open on the Sabbath day a place where the sale of intoxicating liquors was licensed, committed, as follows: The said Fred Peterson and John Pierson did on the 24th day of July, 1887, at the city of Minneapolis, in said Hennepin county, wilfully, unlawfully, and wrongfully keep open that certain place where the sale of intoxicating liquors was then and there licensed, said place being then and there known, designated, and described as 323 on 20th Ave. North, in said city of Minneapolis, the said 24th day of July, 1887, being then and there the Sabbath day; contrary to the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the state of Minnesota. * * *”

1. The indictment is sufficient. It thereby appears that the place where the alleged offence was committed was within the city of Minneapolis, in Hennepin county. It was established on the trial that the defendants were keeping a saloon at the place designated during the month of July, 1887, and there was evidence reasonably tending to prove that it was kept open by them on the 24th day of that month, being the Sabbath day.

2. The prosecution is brought under the provisions of Laws 1887, c. 81, § 1, which among other things provides as follows: “All places where the sale of intoxicating liquors shall be licensed, under the provisions of any law or ordinance, shall be closed during all hours of [145]*145every Sabbath day, and of every general or special election day; and any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof by any court having jurisdiction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $30 nor more than $100, and costs of prosecution, and by imprisonment in the county jail not less than ten nor more than thirty days.”

The validity of this act is attacked by the defendants, on the ground that it was not constitutionally passed, in that it appearb to have been read twice on the same day in the house of representatives, without suspending the rules, as required by article 4, section 20, of the constitution, which provides as follows: “Seel 20. Every bill shall be read on three different days in each separate house, unless, in ease of urgency, two-thirds of the house where such bill is depending shall deem it expedient to dispense with this rule; and no bill shall be passed by either house until it shall have been previously read twice at length.” The defendants contend that this rule was disregarded by the house, in violation of the plain provisions of this section, and rely upon the following entry in the House Journal, (p. 559 :) “S. F. 454. A bill for ‘An act to amend chapter 16, General Statutes of 1878, relating to intoxicating liquors,’ was read the first time, and on motion of Mr. Potter the bill was read the second time, and placed on file for third reading. ”

We do not think that the inferences to be drawn from this record support the contention of the defendants. It is true the constitution (article 4, § 5) directs that the houses shall “keep journals of their proceedings;” but in respect to such journals this court held, in State v. City of Hastings, 24 Minn. 78, that, except in cases where the constitution specifically requires certain facts to be entered, this clause leaves the question of how full and minute the journals shall be in the uncontrolled discretion of the legislature, so that the failure of the journals to show by an entry that any particular thing was done furnishes no evidence or presumption whether it was done or not, save in cases where an entry is specially directed by the constitution. It is not questioned, in this instance, that the bill was duly enrolled, authenticated, and approved. The act is therefore presumed to have been passed in conformity with the requirements of the constitution, [146]*146unless the contrary be made affirmatively to appear. And the proof furnished by the journals, in matters of procedure, as the reading of bills, etc., must be clear and convincing, in order to overcome this presumption. Miller v. State, 3 Ohio St. 475; Williams v. State, 6 Lea, 549; Supervisors v. People, 25 Ill. 181; Larrison v. Peoria, etc., R. Co., 77 Ill. 11; Worthen v. Badgett, 32 Ark. 496. We see no force in the suggestion of .counsel that, from the peculiar form of the record in this instance, there is necessarily implied a fatal irregularity in the proceeding; that is to say, that the house ordered the second reading of the bill in question in disregard of the constitutional direction above referred to. On the contrary, it will be presumed, in support of the action of the legislature, that the motion for the second reading was adopted by the requisite two-thirds vote, and that the house deemed it a proper case to dispense with the rule, and to proceed with the second reading out of its regular order. The rule must therefore necessarily have been suspended, and the procedure regular. We cannot, therefore, affirm that the rules were not suspended, or assume upon this record that the members of the house disregarded a constitutional obligation. Worthen v. Badgett, supra, 516, 518.

3. The next question presented is whether it was necessary, in order to render the legislation of 1887 upon the subject operative and effectual in the city of Minneapolis, that there should be supplementary legislation by the city, in the form of ordinances or by-laws. The several acts (chapter 5, chapter 6, and chapter 81, Laws 18871,) which must be read and considered together, and in themselves contain many effective police regulations, are made specially applicable to cities, and include plenary provisions as to the terms and conditions upon which licenses to sell intoxicating liquors may be granted. The only change permitted is that the city council may increase the license fee, (chapter 5, § 1;) and doubtless, under the police power usually conferred by city charters, ordinances may be passed in aid of and supplementary to these acts, but not inconsistent therewith. But the law as framed by the legislature is complete in itself and self-executing, and, without the aid of supplementary local legislation, applications may be filed with the city clerk, and brought before. [147]*147the council for action thereon, as was done in the case at bar, in the same manner, substantially, as, in proper cases, similar applications are made to county commissioners. Chapter 81, § 4, subsec. 29. And the city council, which is the proper municipal authority to act in the premises, may consider and pass upon such cases by vote or resolution. The provisions of the statute are in themselves full and clear, and there is no room for mistake as to the intention of the legislature. The procedure for obtaining licenses is provided by chapter 81, § 4, subsec. 29, chapter 6, § 1, and chapter 5, § 1. Specific provisions are made for the application, a hearing thereon, the form and approval of the bond, and the revocation of licenses by the city council. All these matters are of course to be determined by vote of the council. The statute also requires that the licenses shall contain a description of the premises and room where liquors are licensed to be sold, and provides for the prosecution and punishment of offenders violating the different provisions.

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Bluebook (online)
36 N.W. 443, 38 Minn. 143, 1888 Minn. LEXIS 341, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-peterson-minn-1888.