44 Pa. Super. 128 | Pa. Super. Ct. | 1910
Opinion by
The defendant, an unnaturalized foreign-born resident of this commonwealth, was adjudged guilty of violating the provisions of the Act of May 8, 1909, P. L. 466, — in owning and having in his possession a double-barreled shotgun. The facts are not in dispute, and it is conceded that the proceedings in the summary conviction before the justice of the peace, and on appeal in the court of quarter sessions, were regular. The principal contention is, that the provisions of this act are in violation of the stipulations of the fourteenth amendment of the federal constitution, viz.: "Nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
The act in question is entitled: "An act to give additional protection to wild birds and animals and game, within the commonwealth of Pennsylvania: prohibiting the hunting for, or capture or killing of such wild birds or animals or game by unnaturalized foreign-born residents; forbidding the ownership or possession of shotgun or rifle by any unnaturalized foreign-born resident, within the commonwealth, and prescribing penalties for violation of its provisions.” The first section provides: "It shall be unlawful for any unnaturalized foreign-born resident to hunt for or capture or kill, in this commonwealth, any wild bird or animal, either game or otherwise of any description, excepting in defense of person or property; and to that end, it shall be unlawful for any unnaturalized foreign-born resident within this commonwealth to either own or be possessed of a shotgun or rifle of any make. Each and every person violating any provision of this section shall, upon conviction thereof, be
As stated by the learned trial judge: “The right to hunt game is but a privilege given by the legislature, and is not an inherent right in the residents of the state. Wild animals and game of all sorts have from time immemorial been the property of the sovereign, and in Pennsylvania the property of the state. Its power to regulate and prohibit the hunting and killing of game has always been conceded.” This subject has been a fruitful source of legislation, and the frequent changes in our game and fish laws represent a zealous intention to define and supervise wild birds, animals, game and fish; to regulate how they are to be preserved and taken, de
In Lawton v. Steele, 152 U. S. 133, the supreme court of the United States declared: “Thepreservation of game and fish, has always been treated as within the proper domain of the police power, and laws limiting the season within which birds and wild animals may be killed and exposed for sale, and prescribing the time and manner in which fish may be caught, have been repeatedly upheld by the courts .... it is within the authority of the legislature to impose restrictions and limitations upon the time and manner of taking fish and game, considered valuable as articles of food or merchandise. The power to enact such laws has long been exercised, and so beneficially for the public that it ought not now to be called into question.” Even as between states, restrictions may be placed upon nonresidents, which differ from those imposed on residents, in regard to license charges and other regulations: Allen v. Wyckoff, 48 N. J. L. 90; Geer v. Connecticut, 161 U. S. 519; James v. Wood, 8 L. R. A. 448, and note.
The authority of the legislature being conceded, and the purpose being so meritorious, then every lawful provision deemed necessary to effect the purpose is within the legislative power. Due process of law is observed in the destruction of fish nets (Lawton v. Steele, 152 U. S. 153), in the forfeiture of vessels even though engaged for the coasting trade under the act of congress (Smith v. Maryland, 59 U. S. 71), and in the summary abatement of nuisances and destruction of property. Cards, dice and other articles used for gambling purposes are perfectly harmless in themselves, but may fall under the ban of the law and may be summarily destroyed. Many instances of the use of the police power are to be found (the segregation of bawds, and prohibiting the use of public sidewalks by public prostitutes, L’Hote v. New Orleans,
As stated in Barbier v. Connolly, 113 U. S. 27, “Neither the amendment (XIV) broad and comprehensive as it is, — nor any other amendment was designed to interfere with the power of the state, sometimes termed its police power, to prescribe regulations to promote the health, peace, morals, education and good order of the people.” We are within the provisions of the constitution when we regulate the manufacture and sale of food stuffs, Com. v. McCann, 14 Pa. Superior Ct. 221; the number of hours adult females should labor, Com. v. Beatty, 15 Pa. Superior Ct. 5; and in prohibiting women and children from working in coal mines, Act of May 15, 1893, P. L. 52; in prescribing the qualifications for physicians and undertakers, Com. v. Hanley, 15 Pa. Superior Ct. 271; when musical bands may play in the public streets, Wilkes-Barre v. Garabed, 11 Pa. Superior Ct. 355; when we authorize the killing of dogs following the track of protected game, Com. v. Frederick, 27 Pa. Superior Ct. 228; and in denying the right to aliens to obtain licenses to sell intoxicating liquors: Trageser v. Gray, 73 Md. 250; 9 L. R. A. 780.
The creation of the board of game commissioners of the state, whose duty it is to protect and preserve the game, song and insectivorous birds and mammals (Act of June 25, 1895, P. L. 273), and the department of fisheries having charge of the protection, propagation and distribution of fish (Act of April 2, 1903, P. L. 128) are but legislative conclusions that have been reached after more than a century’s experience on this subject, and it was deemed necessary and important to add the provisions of the act of 1909 in order to carry out more effectually the provisions of the earlier enactments.
This legislation is not directed against any particular na
An alien while domiciled with us is entitled to the protection of the laws and owes in return for this protection a temporary and local allegiance which continues during the period of his residence: 2 Am. & Eng. Enc. of Law (2d ed.), 64. We legislate primarily for our own citizens in granting the special privileges that are independent of our inherent rights. The alien is prohibited from doing many things to which a native-born or a naturalized citizen is entitled. He cannot exercise any political rights whatever, nor be compelled to fill any elective or appointive office; he is not qualified to serve as a juror; or to receive a license to sell liquor, hawk or peddle. A nonresident debtor is not entitled to the benefit of our $300 exemption law. Each state has its own exemption laws for the benefit of its own citizens: Collom’s App., 12 W. N. C. 309; Bank v. Lowery, 93 U. S. 72; Deni v. Penna. R. R. Co., 181 Pa. 525. The privilege to hunt game has been limited to our citizens, and, as was said in Presser v. Illinois, 116 U. S. 252: “If the plaintiff in error has any such privilege he must be able to point to the provision of the constitution or statutes of the United States by which it is conferred. For as was said by this court in United States v. Cruikshank, 92 U. S. 542, the government of the United States, although it is within the scope of its powers supreme and beyond the states, can
A state has the same undeniable and unlimited jurisdiction over all persons and things within its territorial limits as any foreign nation, when the jurisdiction is not surrendered or restrained by the constitution of the United States; by virtue of this it is not only the right but the bounden duty of the state to advance the safety, happiness and prosperity of its people, and to provide for its general welfare by any and every act of legislation which it may deem conducive to these ends: New York v. Miln, 36 U. S. 102. The act of 1909 defines two, several and independent offenses: first, the hunting of game by an alien; second, for an alien to either own or be possessed of a shotgun or rifle of any make. The primary subject of the act is the preservation of wild birds, animals and game, and under all our authorities, the privilege of hunting and taking game is limited, under defined restrictions, to our own citizens. Since long-range firearms, —shotguns and rifles, — are generally used in killing wild birds and animals, it is clear that the legislature, in prohibiting a foreign-born, unnaturalized resident from hunting game, intended to make the hunting of game by an alien the more difficult by taking away from such persons the means by which game is usually killed. This prohibition against having deadly and long-range firearms does not in any way deprive the alien of property without due process of law, but simply defines and limits his right to use firearms, by restricting such right to the use of short-range firearms, — revolvers, and pistols, and such other weapons, as may be necessary for defense of his person and property. “Whatever one may claim as a right under the constitution and laws of the United States by virtue of his citizenship, is a privilege of a citizen of the United States. Whatever the constitution and laws of the United States entitle him to ex
This defendant is not a citizen of the United States nor of this commonwealth. While he is within our jurisdiction he is entitled to the equal protection of the laws, subject to the limitations of the class of which he is a member. He is one of a very large class of aliens, whose sojourn in the country is but temporary and whose place of abode is capricious and uncertain, who cannot speak our language nor understand our customs or laws, who pay no taxes and share no part of the public burden. Under all our decisions his right to remain among us is subject to the limitations imposed upon all of his class: Trageser v. Gray, 73 Md. 250; 1 Bouvier’s Law Dict., title Alien; 1 Am. & Eng. Ency. of Law, 64. “Equal protection of the laws” cannot.be said to be denied whenever the law operates alike upon all persons and property similarly situated: Barbier v. Connolly, 113 U. S. 27; Walston v. Nevin, 128 U. S. 578.: And in determining what is due process of law we are bound to consider the nature of the property, the necessity for its sacrifice, and the extent to which it has heretofore been regarded as within the police power. ... So far as it is dangerous to the safety or health of the community, due process of law may authorize its summary destruction: Santell v. R. R. Co., 164 U. S. 701; Com. v. McComb, 39 Pa. Superior Ct. 411; In re Campbell, 197 Pa. 581.
An unnaturalized foreign-born resident cannot comply with the conditions imposed on a native-born or natural
The assignments of error are overruled and the judgment is affirmed.