9 Iowa 104 | Iowa | 1859
The city court of Dubuque was established by chap. 210, laiys of 1856-7, entitled “an act for revising and consolidating the laws incorporating the city of Dubuque and to establish a city court therein.” The last section of this act provides that it shall be published in certain newspapers, after which it was to be submitted for the approval of the electors of said city, at an election to be held on the first Monday in March, 1857. If a majority of the electors voted in favor of the charter, then the act was to take effect from and after its publication in two newspapers named; if against it, then it was not to be in force, “ until after the next session of the General Assembly of the State of Iowa.” On the 10th of February, 1858, this act was repealed. Ch. 16, Laws of 1858, p. 20. The judge of said city court provided for in sec. 29, of said chap, 210, was elected on the first Monday in April, 1859. From this statement it will be seen that the question presented is, whether the repealing act of February 10th, 1858, is valid and constitutional; for if so, it is conceded that there was no power to elect the city judge, and as a consequence that the city court had no jurisdiction to hear and determine this, or any other case.
It is finally urged that the constitution provides that the judicial power of this State shall be vested in a Supreme Co.urt, District Court and such other courts inferior to the Supreme Court, as the General Assembly may from time to time establish; that this city court has within certain limits concurrent jurisdiction with the District Court, and is therefore not an inferior court within the meaning of the constitution. To this argument there are several answers, but a conclusive one lies in this fact, that the act does not give concurrent jurisdiction to this city court. In some respects, or over some matters, it does. It has original jurisdiction of all offences under the city ordinances; the District Court has
Judgment affirmed.
. Stockton J., dissented from the majority of the court, hut never a filed dissenting opinion.