In re Snyder

Dec 30, 1895
Reporters:
,
Before:
Hooker
Hooker, J.

The petitioner is confined by reason of his conviction ‍​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‍under Act 99-of the Public Acts of 1889, being section 9314c? of 3 How. Stat., entitled “An act ‍​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‍to provide for the punishment of crimes in certain cases.”

This act created a felony. Its title gives no hint ‍​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‍as to the character of the act to be punished, and therefore fails to comply with the provisions ‍​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‍of section 20 of article 4 of the Constitution, requiring the object of the act to be expressed ‍​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‍in its title.

The prisoner will be discharged.

The other Justices concurred.