United States v. Nash

111 F. 525, 1901 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 96
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Kentucky
DecidedNovember 7, 1901
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 111 F. 525 (United States v. Nash) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Nash, 111 F. 525, 1901 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 96 (W.D. Ky. 1901).

Opinion

EVANS, District Judge.

The first count in the indictment in this case charges, in brief, that the defendants, being the owners of a certain vessel of more than 15 tons burden, bearing the name of “R. Nash,” and propelled by means of fluid and gasoline power, engaged the said vessel in freight and passenger carriage for hire to and from Louisville, Ky., and to and from other points on the Ohio river, and that while so engaged the hull, tank, and appliances for storing, generating, and applying such fluid and gasoline as its motive power were not under license or certificate of inspection as required by law, nor were said hull, tank, and appliances then, nor had they theretofore been, inspected as required by law. The second count charges the defendants with having unlawfully and knowingly navigated said vessel without having thereon, and in charge and control of its engines and machinery, an engineer duly licensed as such, as required by law. The defendants have moved the court to quash the indictment upon two grounds, namely-—First, that the court has no jurisdiction of the offenses charged; and, second, that jurisdiction to punish such offenses is, by the laws of the United States, given exclusively to the surveyor of customs.

By the provisions of many enactments now grouped in title 52 of the Revised Statutes, congress has undertaken to make a comprehensive code for regulating navigation,, and providing for the safety of vessels propelled by steam and other motive powers, and for the safety of the passengers and freight carried thereon, and from time to time has since improved this code by various separate amendments. The chief object of all this legislation was, of course, to secure the protection of life and property as against the many dangers naturally incident to the navigation of vessels of every character. At the time, however, of the enactment of the original legislation, steam was mainly the motive power in vogue. Eater, others were introduced, and, becoming prevalent, vessels propelled by them were [527]*527embraced in certain amendments to tlie various sections of the Revised Statutes in the title referred to.

In some cases congress, it is contended, has authorized the imposition and collection of penalties by the surveyors of customs, and sections 4496 and 4499 are relied upon to support 'that view, and probably many persons subjected to sucb exactions have paid them without questioning the power of congress to authorize this mode of procedure. It. the case now before the court it is quite unim portant to attempt definitely to determine whether congress has such power or not. The question does not necessarily arise, particularhas the two last-named sections do not seem to reach the point at issue here, but, as I am pressed to do so, I will say this much upon if. The sixlh amendment to the constitution of the United States expressly provides that:

“In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy tlie right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of tlie state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of tlie nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have tiie assistance of counsel for his defense.”

This being so, I should be greatly predisposed to hold that those provisions of the legislation referred to, if fairly susceptible of the construction contended for, would he unauthorized—First, because they did not, in conformity to that constitutional principle, in anyway provide for a trial by a jury of tlie issue of the guilt or innocence of die person accused; and, second, because it is an attempt to bestow judicial powers upon merely executive officers, and to make them at. once judges, jurors, and executioners. While? therefore, 1 should he much disposed to so hold if the question were involved in the pending motion, I make no decision upon it, for the reason indicated.

The real question to be determined is, has this court jurisdiction of the offenses charged in the indictment? It may be said that, even if the surveyor of customs had die power to enforce the penalties prescribed for violating any law or regulation respecting such matters, it would by no means necessarily follow that the courts would not also have jurisdiction if a public offense had been committed, and especially in order to give efiect to the sixth amendment to the constitution. The matter now to be decided is, does the indict mem charge any public offense made punishable under the criminal law-of the United States? It is essential, therefore, to inquire whether the facts stated in the indictment, if true, constitute offenses, under the laws of the United States, which are punishable through its courts. It is argued by the learned counsel for the defendant that sections 4496, 4499, Rev. St., put the matter entirely in the hands of the surveyor of customs. Those sections read as follows:

"Sec. 4496. All collectors or other chief odieers of the customs, and all innuH-ior.s within the several districts, shall enforce the provisions of this titV against, all steamers arriving and departing.”
"Sec. 4469. If any vessel propelled in whole or in part by steam be navigated witlumt complying with the terms of this tifie, (be owner shall be liable to the railed States in a penalty of live hundred dollars for each [528]*528offense, one-half for the use of the informer, for which sum the vessel so navigated shall be liable, and may be seized and proceeded against by way of libel in any district court of the United States having jurisdiction of the offense.”

He contends that the facts alleged in the indictment do not constitute public offenses punishable by the courts, not only because the matter is committed entirely to the surveyors, but also because only a “penalty” is prescribed, and in his argument he cites authorities tending to show the difference between a “fine” as such and a “penalty” as such. He says that:

“A ‘fine’ is defined as follows: ‘In ordinary legal language, the term “fine” means a sum of money, the payment of which is imposed by a court according to law, as a punishment for a crime or misdemeanor.’ 13 Am. & Eng. Enc. Law (New Ed.) p. 53, § 2. ‘A fine is a pecuniary punishment imposed by a lawful tribunal upon a person convicted of crime or misdemeanor.’ 1 Bouv. Law Dict. p. 786. A ‘penalty’ is defined as follows: ‘Specifically, a penalty' means a sum of money, the payment of which the law exacts by way of punishment for doing some act which is prohibited, or omitting to do some act which is reauired.’ 13 Am. & Eng. Enc. Law (New Ed.) pp. 53, 54, § 3; Huntington v. Attrill, 146 U. S. 657, 13 Sup. Ct. 224, 36 L. Ed. 1123.”

From the two statutory provisions last quoted and these authorities he deduces the conclusion that, while the court can impose a “fine,” it cannot inflict a “penalty,” through an indictment. The court, however, is of opinion that, while the word “penalty” has a broader meaning than the word “fine,” still that a fine, in the judicial sense, is always a penalty, although a penalty may sometimes not be a fine, or even a criminal punishment. For example, penalties are often inserted in bonds, official or otherwise, as a measure of damages, and the enforcement of them in no way invokes the criminal processes of the courts.

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Bluebook (online)
111 F. 525, 1901 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 96, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-nash-kywd-1901.