133 Ind. 69 | Ind. | 1892
This suit was brought by the prosecuting attorney of Greene county, Indiana, to recover penalties under an act of the legislature requiring persons and corporations operating railroads to place blackboards in conspicuous places at their stations, and write upon them the fact as to whether or not the trains stopping at such stations are on time, and if late, how much.
The complaint consists of numerous paragraphs. A demurrer was addressed to the complaint for want of facts, and sustained, exceptions were reserved, and this appeal was prosecuted, and such ruling assigned as error. The error assigned presents the question as to the validity of the statute upon which such action is based. Section 1 of the statute, approved March 9, 1889, reads as follows: “ That every corporation, company or person operating a railroad within this State shall, immediately after taking effect of this, act, cause to be placed in a conspicuous place in each passenger depot of such company erected at any station in this State, at which there is a telegraph office, a blackboard at least three feet long and two feet wide, upon which such company or person shall cause to be written, at least twenty minutes before the schedule time for the arrival of each passenger train stopping upon such route at such station, the fact whether such train is on schedule time or not, and if late, how much.” Section 2 provides “ That for such violation of the provision of this act, in failing to report or in making a false report, such corporation, company or person so neglecting or refusing to comply with the provisions of this act shall forfeit and pay the sum of twenty-five dollars, to be recovered in a civil action to be prosecuted by the prosecuting attorney of the county in which the neglect or refusal occurs, in the name of the State of Indiana, one-half of which shall go to said prosecuting attorney and the remainder shall be paid over to the county in which
Numerous objections are urged to the validity of this, statute.
Some criticism is made in regard to the wording of the-statute, in that it is indefinite aiad inoperative, for the reason that it provides that a “ corporation, company or person ” operating a railroad shall place in the passenger depot of such “ company” a blackboard upon which such “company or person” shall cause to he written, etc. It is contended that as it is a penal statute it must receive a strict construction, and that nothing can be supplied as intended by the Legislature to determine its meaning, and, therefore, the statute does iaot apply to corporations for the reason that the word corporation is omitted, the statute providing that blackboards shall be placed in the company’s office, axxd that the company or person shall cause to he written upon the board. The further objection is made that the statute provides that the blackboard shall be placed in each passenger depot located at any station at which there is a telegraph office, and that a passenger depot is commonly undei’stood to be a house for the accommodation of passengers, while a station is a place such as a city, town and intermediate way stations where trains stop, so that if there is a telegraph office in the city or town where the railroad company has a passenger depot, no difference to whom the telegraph line belongs, or by whom operated, or whether it has any connection with the operation of the railroad or not, yet at each passenger depot within such city or town there must be placed a blackboard, upon which shall be written the fact whether the trains are on time, and if late, how íxxuch. It is true that penal statutes, as a rule, are to receive a strict construction, hut this rule is not violated by adopting the sense of the words which best hai-monize with the object and intent of the Legislature, and the whole context of
The draftsman was careless in the use of language in constructing this statute. It might have been framed so as to have avoided the criticism urged, but we think the intent and object of the Legislature is clear and certain, ■notwithstanding it is awkwardly expressed.
It is manifest and certain that it was intended to require all persons, whether natural or artificial, who were engaged in operating a railroad in this State to put up in a conspicuous place at each passenger depot provided for the use of passengers traveling upon such railroad, in connection with which depot there was a telegraph office, a blackboard, and to enter upon such blackboard at least twenty minutes before the schedule time for the arrival of each train the fact whether such train is on time or not, and if late, how much. By “passenger depot” was not meant merely the station-house built for the accommodation of passengers, but the grounds prepared and used as depot grounds for the benefit of persons traveling upon the particular railroad, and used by the company, at such point, in operating it as a common carrier of passengers.
It is evident that it was intended that a board should be put up at every station where the train was stopped, if there was a telegraph office at such point, at which office was received information as to the time of the arrival of trains at such stopping place, and it is equally certain that it was not intended to require such notices written if there was not a telegraph office at such place, which re-' ceived information as to the time of the arrival of trains. .It is not essential that such telegraph office should be in
It is next contended that section 2 only provides a penalty for failing to report, or in making a false report as to whether a train is on time, or if late, how much, and that no penalty can be incurred until a blackboard is put up on which to note the fact as to whether the train's are on time or late, and if late, how much. We can not concur in this interpretation of the statute. The plain and evident intention of the statute is that the object sought is to require the noting of the fact as to whether trains are on time or not, and if late, how much, and the putting up of blackboards is a mere incident. Section 2178, R. S. 1881, provides a penalty for failing to sound the engine whistle upon approaching a road crossing, at a distance of not more than one hundred nor less than eighty rods from such crossing; and section 4020 makes it the duty of railroad companies to have attached to such engine a whistle and bell. We do not think that the penalty in section 2178 could be avoided by a failure to comply with section 4020 in providing a whistle and bell for each engine, and yet, if the contention of counsel for the appellees be correct, railroad companies might, with impunity, run engines without any whistle or bell attached, and the persons
Section 4020, as originally passed, Acts of 1879, p. 173, made it the duty of railroad companies to have attached to each and every locomotive engine a whistle, and made it the duty of the engineer, or other person in charge of an engine, on approaching a road crossing, to sound the whistle at a distance of not more than one hundred nor less than eighty rods, and to continue to sound it until the engine passed the crossing. Section 2 of the act provided a penalty of not less than $10 nor more than $50 for a violation of the provisions of section 1, and this act was held to be constitutional in the case of Pittsburgh, etc., R. W. Co. v. Brown, 67 Ind. 45.
Indeed, to hold the law under consideration void, on the grounds contended for by counsel, would be to hold that a party can avoid the penalty prescribed by the statute by a failure or refusal to comply with a duty imposed upon him by the same statute. In other words, the law makes it the duty of persons operating a railroad to put up blackboards at such stations where there is a telegraph -office, and to write on the same the fact as to whether or not each train is on time, and if late, how much, and prescribes a penalty for failure to note on the board the fact as to whether or not each train is on time, etc. The contention is that the penalty can be avoided by a refusal or' neglect to perform the duty of putting up the blackboard, for the reason that this duty precedes the entering of the fact as to the time of the trains. We do not think a party can avoid the doing of an act, for the omission of which a penalty is prescribed by statute, by a failure to do what is necessary to be done in performing the act. If the act had made it the duty of all persons and companies operating railroads within this State to enter upon a blackboard in a conspicuous place, at each station where there was a telegraph office, twenty minutes before the sched
The statute, by making it the duty of persons or companies operating railroads to enter the fact as to the time-of the arrival of trains upon a blackboard in a conspicuous place at the station, imposes upon such persons the-necessity and burden of placing blackboards in conspicuous places, for they could not make such entries without doing so, unless they were already provided. The duty of putting up blackboards would be imposed if it were-not specifically stated in the act. It is suggested that-railroad companies might be compelled by mandate to-put up the boards, and when compelled to put them up,, then they would be liable for the penalty for a failure to-enter the fact required on the boards. If the theory of counsel is correct, this would not avoid the objection urged to the law, for if the argument be carried to its legitimate length, and the technical and strict construction contended for placed upon the statute, it requires that “ such company or person shall cause to be written, at least twenty minutes before the schedule time for its arrival,” etc., “ the fact whether such train is on schedule time,” etc., and if there were blackboards up, it might then be said that it required chalk or some other like substance to write upon the board, and there is no provision for compelling the-company to provide chalk and no penalty for failure to provide it, and as it is necessary to have something to write with before you can write, a penalty could not arise for failure to write, unless you have something to write with. "We do not think statutes should be construed by
It is suggested that the statute is repugnant to the Constitution, on the grounds that it is class legislation, and only applies to stations where there is a telegraph office. The law applies alike to all persons operating railroads, and to the same class of stations, and is uniform in its application. It does not designate at what stations the company shall maintain a telegraph office. That is left to the discretion of the companies to determine at what points along the line of the road it is necessary to maintain telegraph offices to properly operate the road and transact the business of the company, and the statute does not impose on the companies the burden of maintaining an office at points not necessary for the purpose of properly operating the road, but does impose the duty on the companies of designating the fact as to the arrival of trains at all points where it is necessary, and where they do maintain a telegraph office in connection with the road, and this duty is imposed alike on all companies operating railroads. The court judicially knows that telegraph lines are maintained, operated and used in connection with railroads, and that it is necessary to do so to properly operate a railroad, and give advice as to the time of running trains, and the arrival of them at certain points along the line, and in directing the running of trains, and transacting the business of the road; that the telegraph is generally used and is necessary in connection
It is further contended that the statute is in conflict with section 2, article 8 of the Constitution, providing that the common school fund of the State shall consist of, and be derived from, among, other things, “ the fines assessed for breaches of the penal laws of the State, and from all forfeitures which may accrue.” In the case of Burgh v. State, ex rel., 108 Ind. 132, a question very similar to this was passed upon and decided adversely to the contention of counsel for the appellee. The statute, sec. 6339, R. S. 1881, provided that, “ If any person or corporation shall give a false or fraudulent list, schedule, or statement required by this act; * * * he or it shall be liable to a penalty of not less than fifty dollars nor more than five thousand dollars, to be recovered in any proper form of action in the name of the State of Indiana, on the relation of the prosecuting attorney. The assessor shall forthwith notify the prosecuting attorney of such delinquency or offense, and he shall prosecute such offender to final judgment and execution; and such fine, when collected, shall be paid into the county treasury for the use of the county, and the prosecuting attorney shall receive ten per centum commission on all moneys so collected and
It is further contended that but one penalty can be recovered for the violation of the act. It seems to us that the statute is clear upon this- subject. It provides “that for each violation of the act, in failing to report or in making a false report, such corporation, company or person so neglecting or refusing to comply with the provisions of this act shall forfeit and pay the sum of twenty-five dollars,” etc. The first section makes it the duty of persons operating a railroad, twenty minutes before the schedule time for each passenger train stopping at a station where there is a telegraph office, to write the fact as to whether such train is on time or not, and if late, how much. This creates a duty to note the fact in regard to each train stopping at such station, and the second section creates a forfeiture for failing to note the fact as to any passenger train stopping at such station; also creates a forfeiture for making a false report as to how much the train is late. Of course, if there is a failure to make any entry, there would be but one forfeiture as to such train, or if there is a false entry, there would be but one forfeiture as to such train. There can only be one forfeiture as to one train at a particular station during one trip, and that may be either for a failure to make the entry, or for making a false entry, whichever may be the fact.
There is a further objection urged to the law, which is that the statute is void because it assumes to regulate in
Counsel thus state the proposition, that “ this act imposes penalties on corporations engaged in interstate commerce for failure of telegraph companies to send telegrams from other States,” and counsel, in support of this position, quote from the decision of the United States Supreme Court, in the'case of the Western Union Tel. Co. v. Pendleton, 7 Supreme Court Reporter, 1128, involving the validity of a statute of this State, making telegraph companies liable for failure to deliver messages, in which opinion the court says: “ In these cases the supreme authority of Congress over the subject of commerce by the telegraph with foreign countries or among the States is affirmed whenever that body chooses to exert its power; and it is also held that the States can impose no impediments to the freedom of that commerce,” and in that case the court further holds that “Whatever authority the States may possess over the transmission and delivery of messages by telegraph companies within her limits it does not extend to the delivery of messages in other States.”
To the doctrine enunciated in these decisions, while we think it must he conceded that some of the language used carries it to the border line, yet we readily yield our assent to it, hut the cases referred to enunciated and applied the principles laid down in cases where it involved the rights
"While this statute may be on the border of legislative authority, yet we do not think it attempts to regulate interstate commerce or to interfere with it, nor that it places any impediments to the freedom of commerce so as to render it invalid.
We have considered and passed upon all the material questions discussed in the case.
"While the statute is clumsily worded, yet we think its meaning and object is clearly apparent, and not subject to the objections urged against it.
It is suggested that the blackboards should be put up immediately after the taking effect of the act, and that some of the violations are alleged to have occurred upon the day the act took effect, and there was no opportunity given to comply with the law. This is not an objection to the law. Possibly, persons would have a reasonable time to comply with the act in this respect by putting up boards after it went into effect, but we do not intimate our opinion upon this question, as it is not before us.
PTo objection is urged to the averments of the complaint.
The conclusions we have reached being adverse to the rulings of the Circuit Court, the judgment must be reversed.
Judgment reversed with costs, with instructions to overrule the demurrer to the complaint.