19 Ala. 707 | Ala. | 1851
The ordinance passed by the corporate authority of Mobile, for the violation of which the judgment now sought to be reversed was rendered against the plaintiff in error, is in these words : “ Sec. 1. Be it ordained by the Mayor, Aldermen and Common Council of the City of Mobile, that from and after the passage of this ordinance^ it shall not be lawful for any person, or persons, to establish within the corporate limits of the city of Mobile the boiling of any materials of which soap or candles are made, or any factory of soap or candles, except in tlie manner provided for in the second section of this ordinance. Sec. %. Be it further ordained, that any person or persons desirous of engaging in the business of making soap or candles, shall first obtain the written certificate of the board of health, that the location which he or they have selected for the purpose, is such as will not prove injurious to the health or comfort of the neighborhood. This certificate shall be submitted to the Mayor-of the City of Mobile, and if he approve the same, he shall grant a license for the boiling or making of soap at the place named in said certificate.” The third section provides a penalty against any one who shall establish within the corporate limits of the city any manufactory of soap or candles, without having obtained the license provided for in the se'c'ond section-, of 'twenty-five dollars for each day the same shall be continued.
This ordinance was approved on the 4th of August, 1847, and the plaintiff in error, insisting that it was not the design of the Common Council to subject to such ordinance manufactories of soap and candles which had been established previous to its passage, proved that his soap factory had been established and was in 'operation several years before and at the time the 'ordinance was passed, and that he had not established any factory or materials for the boiling of soap or making of candles within said corporate limits, since said ordinance was passed. The case lias been argued before us by the counsel for the plaintiff in error, under the apprehension that this proof was excluded by the 'Circuit Court; hut upon inspecting the record, it will be seen that ho was under a niisapprehension, and that the proof was admitted.
We entirely agree with him that the ordinance is alone appli-
We entertain no doubt but that the corporation has full poiver given it by the Legislature (Acts of 1844,179, § 15,189, § 43,) to pass such ordinance. It is but a statutory police regulation, designed to promote the health and comfort of the citizens i
There is no force in the exceptions that the court rejected evidence showing that a committee of the corporation had, previous o the passage of the ordinance, examined the establishment of the plaintiff in error and pronounced it a public benefit. It is not pretended that this amounted to a contract between the city
Let the judgment he affirmed,.