40 Mo. App. 650 | Mo. Ct. App. | 1890
delivered the opinion of the court.
This a proceeding by mandamits to compel the defendants, as judges of the county court of St. Louis
There is no dispute about the facts; hence only legal questions are presented for determination. The petition states, and the return to the alternative writ admits, that the relator Hugo S. Jacobi is, and was at the times hereinafter stated, a duly elected and qualified justice of the peace for Bonhomme township, in St. Louis county. The town of Kirkwood is located in this township, and the other relator, Charles D. Bennett, at the times hereinafter stated, held the position of constable or marshal of Kirkwood. By virtue of a special act of the legislature incorporating the town of Kirk-wood, and the ordinances of the town council passed in compliance with the charter requirements, the marshal, within the corporate limits of the town, possessed all the powers of a constable. Several persons’ charged with being vagrants were arrested by Bennett under warrants issued by Jacobi as justice of the peace, and they were prosecuted and convicted under the general law of the state for vagrancy. For the costs incurred in these prosecutions. Jacobi made out fee bills, in which were included his and Bennett’s costs, and certified and returned them to the clerk of the circuit court of St. Louis county, as required by law. R. S. 1879, sec. 2117. The cost bills were examined, approved and certified by the rjadge of the circuit court, and the prosecuting attorney of the county. R. S. 1879, secs. 2108, 2110, 2111. The county court refused to order a warrant to pay the fee bills, and the relators have resorted to this action for the enforcement of their rights.
We will not notice the reasons assigned by the defendants for their refusal to pay Jacobi’s fees, because we do not deem them of sufficient consequence. It is admitted that he was a justice of the peace of St. Louis county; that the cases, in which the costs were incurred, were prosecutions under the state law for vagrancy; and that the costs taxed by him had been examined, approved and certified by the officers, whose duty it was to pass on such claims. Under such admissions there can be no question as to Jacobi’s right to
The determination of the question touching Bennett’s charges is attended with more' difficulty, but we have concluded that the taxation of costs in his favor as constable was authorized by law.
The town of Kirkwood was incorporated by a special act of the legislature, and, in the charter thus granted, the board of trustees was authorized and required to appoint a town constable, or marshal, and it was made the duty of the board to prescribe his .duties by ordinance. In pursuance of the power thus conferred, the board of trustees passed an ordinance defining his duties and powers. The first section of the ordinance reads as follows : “The marshal of the town of Kirkwood shall, within the corporate limits of the town, possess all the powers and perform all the duties, which are now or shall hereafter be given by the general laws of this state to any constable of any municipal township.”
The legislature has the authority by charter to delegate to municipal corporations the power to make by-laws and pass ordinances, and the ordinances passed in pursuance of the authority, thus delegated, have, within the territorial limits of the corporation, the force and effect of laws passed by the legislature itself. The only difference is that one class of laws emanates directly from the law-making power of the state, and the other is presented in a delegated form. A city council has been denominated, “a miniature general assembly.” City of St. Louis v. Foster, 52 Mo. 513; Spitler v. Young, 63 Mo. 42; 1 Dillon’s Municipal Corporations, sec. 308. Under this view of the law, it necessarilv^follows that Bennett, within the corporate
It is conceded that the arrest of the vagrants was made within the town limits; that the process was directed to Bennett as constable, and that his charges were such, as are allowed by law to constables for like services. In our opinion he is entitled to his fees, and we will, therefore, affirm the judgment. It is so ordered.