23 Minn. 232 | Minn. | 1876
Whether, in exercising the power of taxation, under § 1, art. 9, of the constitution, it is competent for the legislature to confer upon the common council or board of public works of a city authority to decide upon the local character of any contemplated public improvement within said city, to fix the amount necessary to be raised by taxation for that purpose, to ascertain what property will be benefited by the improvement, to prescribe the tax
It is claimed by the petitioner that section 60 of the act of March 5, 1874, compiling the several acts relating to the incorporation of the city of St. Paul, and amending the same, (Sp. Laws 1874, p. 73,) gives no authority for a reassessment in any case originating prior to the passage of such act. The language of the section is: “In all cases whore application has been or shall bo made for judgment, under sections thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, and thirty-nine of this chapter,” etc. This clearly recognizes.
The point was made, in opposition to the application for judgment, on the hearing in the court below, and overruled,, that the street in question, concerning the grading of which the proceedings herein were being had, was not a legally established public highway, inasmuch as the land over which it ran — the fee of which was in the petitioner — had never been lawfully condemned and appropriated to the public use as such. It was admitted that proceedings for its condemnation had theretofore been properly instituted, and that the same had been prosecuted to a final determination
Under a provision in the charter, it was made the duty •of the city clerk “to advertise for proposals for doing the work,” and “to continue such advertisement, for at least ten days, in the official paper of the city.” The advertisement in this case, inviting the submission oí proposals for •June 23, 1873, was first given by publication in the official paper of the city on the 12th, and continued in each successive daily issue of such paper until the 22d day, inclusive, of that month. This was a compliance with the statute, although, as is claimed, one of these intervening publications occurred on Sunday, and no paper was issued the following Monday, as was the custom with such official daily paper. In the case of Sewall v. City of St. Paul, 20 Minn. 511, cited by counsel, the statute required the notice to be given “by six days’ publication,” and the court held it to mean six distinct publications, on as many ■different lawful days of publication. The- statute in this case only required the advertisement to be given and continued, in the official paper, for the space often days ; and, if it was published in every legal daily issue of such paper ■during such period, it was sufficient.
The question raised by the sixth point of the petitioner ■does not appear to have been made in the court below, and is not properly before us for consideration.
Judgment affirmed.
Gilfillan, C. J., haying been of counsel, did not sit in this case.