Munn v. Illinois

 

MUNN V. ILLINOIS March 1, 1877| C.J C.J.. Waite . | Digester: Endaya, Ana Kristina R. SUMMARY:  Munn & c!tt "ere #!und gui$ty "ith !%erating a %u$ic "areh!use in Chicag! in "hich they un$a"#u$$y transacted usiness "ith!ut %r!curing a $icense and charging rate ey!nd "hat is %rescried y the 'rain Act !# ($$in!is )An Act t! Regu$ate *u$ic Wareh!uses and the Wareh!using and (ns%ecti!n !# 'rain, and t! 'i+e Eect t! C!nst. art. -((( )'rain Act. /hey n!" a%%ea$ t! the C !# 0 arguing that the 'rain Act is unc!nstituti!na$ since it c!ntra+enes )1 due %r!cess and eua$ %r!tecti!n c$ause )2 C!ngress has %!"er t! regu$ate c!33erce )4 5! %re#erence sha$$ e gi+en y any regu$ati!n !# c!33erce t! the %!rts !# !ne state !+er the !ther.

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C he$d that the statute in uesti!n "as n!t unc!nstituti!na$ ecause they "ere engaged in a %u$ic usiness t! such an e6tent that the state "as %er3itted t! regu$ate, and the statute did n!t i3%er3issi$y inter#ere "ith the C!33erce C$ause !# C!nstituti!n ecause the states regu$ati!n !# c!33erce "as "ithin i ts !"n !undaries. DOCTRINE: When %ri+ate %r!%erty is aected "ith a %u$ic interest, it ceases t! e 9uris %ri+ati )!# %ri+ate right n!t c$!thed "ith a %u$ic interest !n$y !n$y..

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*r!%erty d!es ec!3e c$!thed "ith a %u$ic interest "hen used in a 3anner t! 3a;e it !# %u$ic c!nseuence, and aect the

FACTS: •

 Art. -((( !# the C!nstituti!n !# ($$in!is s%ea;s !# ins%ecti!n !# grain and its st!rage in %u$ic "areh!uses.

3i6ed the grain !# dierent !"ners t!gether in said "areh!use /he "areh!use "as $!cated in city !# Chicag! "hich c!ntained 3!re than 1??,??? inhaitants /hat %$aintis un$a"#u$$y transacted the usiness !# %u$ic "areh!use3en, as a#!resaid, "ith!ut %r!curing a $icense #r!3 the Circuit C!urt !# said c!unty, %er3itting the3 t! transact usiness as %u$ic "areh!use3en, under the $a"s !# the tate *$ainti c!3%$ied "ith a$$ the reuire3ents !# the said act E-CE*/: 

c!33unity at $arge. When !ne de+!tes his %r!%erty t! a use in "hich the %u$ic has an interest, he, in eect, grants t! the %u$ic % u$ic an interest in that use.  As c!nseuence, he 3ust su3it t! e c!ntr!$$ed y the %u$ic #!r the c!33!n g!!d, t! the e6tent !# ! # the interest he has thus created. niti!n !# the "!rd de%ri+e, as used in the 1@ th A3end3ent. /! deter3ine its signi>cati!n it is necessary t! ascertain the eect "hich usage has gi+en it, "hen e3%$!yed in the sa3e !r a $i;e c!nnecti!n.

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 History  Tracing the appearance of the provision /his is ne" in the 0 c!nstituti!n ut this $i3itati!n !n the %!"er !# the states is as !$d as a %rinci%$e !# ci+i$iFed g!+ern3ent. o G!und in Magna Charta o  Ad!%ted in c!nstituti!n !# se+era$ states !# the uni!n )in sustance n!t in #!r3 o th a3end3ent H intr!duced in int! the 0 C!nstituti!n as $i3itati!n u%!n %!"ers !# the nati!na$ g!+ern3ent o 1@th a3end3ent H guaranty against any encr!ach3ent u%!n an ac;n!"$edged right !# citiFenshi% y the $egis$atures !# the tates. •

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The separation of the United Colonies fr om Great Britain When they se%arated, they changed the #!r3, ut n!t the sustance, !# their g!+ern3ent. o /hey retained #!r the %ur%!ses !# g!+ern3ent a$$ the %!"ers !# the Iritish *ar$ia3ent o /hr!ugh their tate c!nstituti!ns, !r !ther #!r3s !# s!cia$ c!3%act, undert!!; t! gi+e %ractica$ eect t! such as they dee3ed necessary #!r the c!33!n g!!d and the security !# $i#e and %r!%erty %r!%erty.. o  A$$ the %!"ers "hich they retained they c!33itted t! their res%ecti+e tates, un$ess in e6%ress ter3s !r y i3%$icati!n

reser+ed t! the3se$+es.

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useuent$y,, "hen it "as #!und necessary t! es ta$ish a useuent$y nati!na$ g!+ern3ent #!r nati!na$ %ur%!ses, a %art !# the %!"ers !# the tates and !# the %e!%$e !# the tates "as granted t! the 0nited tates and the %e!%$e % e!%$e !# the 0nited tates. o /his grant !%erated as a #urther $i3itati!n u%!n the %!"ers !# the tates, s! that n!" the g!+ ern3ents !# the tates %!ssess a$$ the %!"ers !# the *ar$ia3ent !# Eng$and, e6ce%t such as ha+e een de$egated t! the 0nited tates !r reser+ed y the %e!%$e. o /he reser+ati!ns y the %e!%$e are sh!"n in the %r!hiiti!ns !# the c!nstituti!ns

 Parting with some rights or privileges for the common good When !ne ec!3es a 3e3er !# s!ciety, he necessari$y %arts "ith s!3e rights !r %ri+i$eges "hich, as an indi+idua$ n!t aected y his re$ati!ns t! !thers, he 3ight retain.  A !dy %!$itic )de>ned in the %rea3$e !# the C!nstituti!n !# Massachusetts is a s!cia$ c!3%act y "hich the "h!$e %e!%$e c!+enants "ith each citiFen, and each citiFen "ith the "h!$e %e!%$e, that a$$ sha$$ e g!+erned y certain $a"s #!r the c!33!n g!!d. o /his d!es n!t c!n#er %!"er u%!n the "h!$e %e!%$e t! c!ntr!$ rights "hich are %ure$y and e6c$usi+e$y %ri+ate o Iut it d!es auth!riFe the esta$ish3ent !# $a"s reuiring each citiFen t! s! c!nduct hi3se$#, and s! use his !"n %r!%erty,, as n!t unnecessari$y t! in9ure an!ther. %r!%erty Common good gave rise to police power 

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/his is the +ery essence !# g!+ern3ent, g !+ern3ent, and has #!und e6%ressi!n in the 3a6i3  sic utere tuo ut alienum non loedas (use your own property in s uch a way that it does not harm others) o Gr!3 this s!urce c!3e the %!$ice %!"ers, "hich, as "as said y C.J. /aney are n!thing 3!re !r $ess than the %!"ers !# g!+ern3ent inherent in e+ery s!+ereignty. /he %!"er t! g!+ern 3en and things. o 0nder these %!"ers the g!+ern3ent regu$ates the c!nduct !# its citiFens !ne t!"ards an!ther, and the 3anner in "hich each sha$$ use his !"n %r!% %r!%erty erty,, "hen such regu$ati!n ec!3es necessary #!r the %u$ic g!!d.

 

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 History shows that police power did not necessarily deprive owners of his property without due process of law (t has een cust!3ary in Eng$and #r!3 ti3e i33e3!ria$, and in this c!untry 0L #r!3 its >rst c!$!niFati!n, t! regu$ate #erries, c!33!n carriers, hac;3en, a;ers, 3i$$ers, "har>ngers, inn;ee%ers. o /hey >6 a 3a6i3u3 !# charge t! e 3ade #!r ser+ices rendered, acc!33!dati!ns #urnished, and artic$es s!$d. /here has een n! success#u$ c!ntenti!n that such $egis$ati!n ca3e "ithin any !# the c!nstituti!na$ %r!hiiti!ns against inter#erence "ith %ri+ate %r!%erty %r!% erty.. )5!te: /hey use "e thin; th A3end3ent H C!ngress c!n#erred %!"er u%!n the city !# Washingt!n t! regu$ate the rates !# "har#age at %ri+ate "har+es, the s"ee%ing !# chi3neys, and t! >6 the rates !# #ees and the "eight and ua$ity !# read, t! 3a;e a$$ necessary regu$ati!ns res%ecting hac;ney carriages and the rates !# #are !# the sa3e, and the rates !# hau$ing y cart3en, "ag!ners, car3en, and dray3en, and the rates !# c!33issi!n !# aucti!neers.

 

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 When one (e!o"e$ h$ proper"# "o a )$e n wh'h "he p)*l' ha$ an n"ere$"+ he+ n e&e'"+ /ran"$ "o "he p)*l' an n"ere$" n "ha" )$e o Con$e2)en'e: 3e m)$" $)*m" "o *e 'on"rolle( *# "he p)*l' or "he 'ommon /oo(+ "o "he e4"en" o "he n"ere$" he ha$ "h)$ 'rea"e(. o t, ut #!r the %r!tecti!n !# the %e!%$e and the %r!3!ti!n !#  the genera$ "e$#are. C.or"*)$ Mar$ a$ "o whar!e$ an(  whar6n/er$:  A 3an, #!r his !"n %ri+ate ad+antage 3ay set u% a "har# !r crane, and 3ay ta;e "hat rates he and his cust!3ers can agree o