1 Port. 130 | Ala. | 1834
The parties in this cause both applied at the same time to< the court of commissioners of roads and revenue for Limestone county,, for an order to establish a ferry at the same place on Elk river. The order was made in favpr of the defendant in error, and refused to the .plaintiff; whereupon, the latter took a writ of error to this court.
The legislation upon the subject of establishing ferries, is' exceedingly meagre ; but it is apparent that great latitude of discretion is allowed in the matter to the commissioners court. If that discretion had been exercised in this case, and from a consideration of all the circumstances proper to be weighed, the court had determined that the license to the ■defendant in error, would produce the most public benefit* and the least private injury ; a different question from the one now before us, would have been presented. In this record,, the idea is expressly negatived, that any consideration, was?
The decision of the .court below, being evidently founded upon an erroneous supposition, must be reversed, and the matter Remanded,