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Michigan Law Review

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Full-Text Articles in State and Local Government Law

Recent Important Decisions Jan 1928

Recent Important Decisions

Michigan Law Review

A collection of recent important court decisions.


The Institute's Restatement And The Michigan Law, Herbert F. Goodrich Dec 1927

The Institute's Restatement And The Michigan Law, Herbert F. Goodrich

Michigan Law Review

The task which the American Law Institute has undertaken is to make a statement of the common law, in its various branches. The end in view is not codification; indeed the idea is directly opposed to codification. It is hoped to have, when the work is completed, an accurate statement of existing common law, carefully and systematically made, from which local variations and peculiarities have been ironed out. It is hoped, in other words, to restore both accuracy and continuity to the pattern of the common law fabric as it is woven in our judicial mills.


Unconstitutional Conditions And State Powers, S. Chesterfield Oppenheim Dec 1927

Unconstitutional Conditions And State Powers, S. Chesterfield Oppenheim

Michigan Law Review

The genesis and development of the so-called doctrine of unconstitutional conditions represent a phase of the general problem of the division of state and federal powers. Its importance was first recognized in the series of cases dealing with the power of the state over foreign corporations seeking to do business within its borders, for it was in those decisions that the Supreme Court moderated the absolutism of the principle announced in Paul v. Virginia, by the indefinite qualification that the conditions of admission must not be "repugnant to the Constitution or laws of the United States".


Constitutional Law-Taxation Of Foreign Corporations Dec 1927

Constitutional Law-Taxation Of Foreign Corporations

Michigan Law Review

The constitutional limitations on the power of the states to tax foreign corporations present many intricate questions. In general it may be said that a state may tax foreign corporations the same as it may tax domestic corporations, but subject to the limitations found in the commerce clause and the Fourteenth Amendment of the Federal Constitution. The commerce cause takes certain subjects out of the realm of state taxation altogether. The state cannot directly impose a burden of any sort upon interstate commerce. It cannot even lay an excise on the privilege of doing intrastate business if the basis includes …


Constitutional Law-Eminent Domain-Michigan Constitutional Provision Dec 1927

Constitutional Law-Eminent Domain-Michigan Constitutional Provision

Michigan Law Review

The necessity for the exercise of the power of eminent domain in a given case is a legislative question into which the courts cannot inquire, unless an abuse of legislative power is asserted. This results from the very nature of the power to take property for a public use, which power in itself is inherent in sovereignty. When the legislature determines to take a piece of property it is exercising the power in the normal manner. If the use is public, no further determination is necessary once the legislative decision is made. The real reason for the rule would seem …


Conflict Of Laws-Jurisdiction-Foreign Corporation Not Doing Business In The State Nov 1927

Conflict Of Laws-Jurisdiction-Foreign Corporation Not Doing Business In The State

Michigan Law Review

A summons addressed to the defendant corporation was served upon one of its officers at his private residence in Minnesota. The defendant, appearing specially, moved to set aside the service on the ground that it was a foreign corporation not transacting business in the state and that it had empowered no one to accept service of process there in its behalf. The plaintiff contended that the acquisition and ownership of property in Minnesota brought the defendant into the state and under the jurisdiction of its courts. Held, jurisdiction over the corporate property did not give jurisdiction over the corporate …


Public Utility Valuation For Rate Making Purposes Nov 1927

Public Utility Valuation For Rate Making Purposes

Michigan Law Review

Ever since Munn v. Illinois (1876) 94 U. S. 113, which first decided that the charges to be made for services rendered by public utilities were to be subject to governmental regulation, the courts have been confronted with a problem, so elusive and indefinite, that over five decades of litigation and wrangling have failed to provide a satisfactory solution. The so called "rule" of Smyth v. Ames (1898) 169 U. S. 466, specifying the elements to be considered in ascertaining the value of public utilities for the purpose of rate-making, has only served to submerge the problem further in its …


Constitutional Law-Regulation Of Resale Of Tickets Of Admission To Places Of Entertainment Jun 1927

Constitutional Law-Regulation Of Resale Of Tickets Of Admission To Places Of Entertainment

Michigan Law Review

An addition has been made to a series of cases indicating that the United States Supreme Court is turning away from a tendency to sustain state legislation, especially where the factual basis constituting the inducement of the enactment involves debatable factors. in a five to four decision that gives the unscrupulous ticket scalpers free rein to shear all the fleece from the theatre going lambs of greater New York, the Supreme Court has held to be in violation of the Fourteenth-Amendment a New York statute limiting the resale price of tickets of admission to places of entertainment to fifty cents …


Constitutional Law-Statutory Prohibition Of Possession Of Liquor May 1927

Constitutional Law-Statutory Prohibition Of Possession Of Liquor

Michigan Law Review

The Michigan court has recently declared the state statute prohibiting the mere possession of liquor to be constitutional. People v. Burt, 236 Mich. 62, 210 N. W. 97. The court does not enter into any: discussion as to the constitutionality, but relies on a previous decision, People v. Stambosva, 210 Mich. 436, 178 N. W. 226. This phase of the case is stressed, however, in a vigorous dissent by Chief Justice Bird, who denies that the Stambosva case is controlling. That case held the statutory provision in question to be valid, as not violative of due process, but …


The Indeterminate Permit For Public Utilities, E. Blythe Stason Feb 1927

The Indeterminate Permit For Public Utilities, E. Blythe Stason

Michigan Law Review

Public utilities possess the privilege of furnishing services to the public and most of them use the streets, highways and public places to deliver their services to their customers. Franchises are required to confer the privilege of serving and to authorize the use of public property. Franchises were formerly perpetual; more recently they have been limited to short terms of years; and now we are acquiring still another variety-the indeterminate permit. The last deserves more than a casual acquaintanceship. In fact, it demands close scrutiny. Rightly conceived, it is a device of decided promise. Conceived in unfairness, partiality or ignorance, …


Joinder And Splitting Of Causes Of Action, Charles E. Clark Feb 1927

Joinder And Splitting Of Causes Of Action, Charles E. Clark

Michigan Law Review

The pleading rules concerning joinder and splitting of causes of action are complements of each other, though designed to achieve different objectives. The joinder rule is that separate causes cannot be "joined" or pleaded in the same suit unless they fall within one of the classes of permissible joinder specified in the codes. The purpose of the rule is to prevent too wide a field of litigation and too diverse issues in a single suit and thus to avoid a case of undue confusion and complexity. The rule against splitting is that a single cause shall not be "split" or …


Situs Of Corporate Shares For Administration Purposes Feb 1927

Situs Of Corporate Shares For Administration Purposes

Michigan Law Review

Questions concerning the situs of corporate shares for tax purposes have been productive of much litigation and a fairly extensive body of authority on the subject has accumulated. Cases dealing with the situs of shares for purposes of administration, on the other hand, arc very rare. This latter fact may be ascribed to the acceptance, in all states except Illinois and Mississippi, of the common law rule that the distribution of personal property shall be governed by the law of the decedent's domicil. But in those two jurisdictions, the legislature has provided that, "All personal property situated in this state …


Privity Of Parties And Attack For Fraud On Judgments Of Sister State Dec 1926

Privity Of Parties And Attack For Fraud On Judgments Of Sister State

Michigan Law Review

An interesting recent decision in Minnesota, Schendel v. C. M. & St. P. Ry. Co., raises two important questions concerning the effect to be given in one state of the Union to a judgment rendered in the courts of another. An action was brought in Minnesota by a special administrator, there appointed, to recover damages for the death of his decedent. The accident resulting in death had occurred in Iowa while the decedent, it was claimed, was engaged in inter-state commerce, so as to bring the claim within the federal statute. To this Minnesota action the defendant set up …


Conflict Of Laws-Adoption-Jurisdiction Mar 1926

Conflict Of Laws-Adoption-Jurisdiction

Michigan Law Review

Sociologists treat of the subject of adoption very sparsely. It is but a desired end in their work, and having its foundation in law, yields but slightly to sociological supervision. However, there exist many reports and treatises in the field of child placement and the effect thereof on the child. The most cursory examination of these works reveals that from the social point of view, at least, the work is conducted with but one end in view, i. e., the welfare of the child. Adoption, as a means to this end, has the same reason for its foundation. To this …


Book Reviews Mar 1926

Book Reviews

Michigan Law Review

A collection of book reviews by multiple authors.


Sterilization Of Mental Defectives, Burke Shartel Nov 1925

Sterilization Of Mental Defectives, Burke Shartel

Michigan Law Review

In 1923 the legislature of Michigan passed an act "to authorize the sterilization of mentally defective persons". This act has recently been sustained in its main provisions by the Michigan supreme court in a case brought to test its constitutionality. Probably the United States Supreme Court will also have an opportunity to pass upon the validity of this law, but the Michigan decision, although not final on the question whether the sterilization of defectives is violative of the "due process clause" of the Fourteenth Amendment, is nevertheless very significant. It is the first instance so far as the writer can …


Negotiable Instruments-Carelessness In Making Checks May 1925

Negotiable Instruments-Carelessness In Making Checks

Michigan Law Review

In a recent case the supreme court of Texas held that the drawer of a check could recover from the drawee bank money paid on a check which had been fraudulently altered in amount by the payee even though the drawer was negligent in drawing the check in such a manner as to facilitate the fraudulent alteration. Glasscock v. First National Bank of San Angelo (Nov. 26, 1924) 266 S. W. 393. The court takes the view, though the decision is not based on it, that sec. 124 of the Negotiable Instruments Law which provides that: "Where a negotiable instrument …


The Equitable Conversion Fiction As A Basis For Inheritance Taxation Apr 1925

The Equitable Conversion Fiction As A Basis For Inheritance Taxation

Michigan Law Review

No one would dispute the jurisdiction of the state where land is situated to impose an inheritance tax upon its transfer at the death of the owner. Callahan v. Woodbridge, 171 Mass. 595, 51 N. E. 176; Matter of Majot, 199 N. Y. 29, 92 N. E. 402, Chamberlain's Estate, 257 Pa. 113,101 Atl. 314. Equally clear is the converse proposition: that no other state except the state where the land lies can impose such a tax. Succession of Westfeldt, 122 La. 836, 48 So. 281; In re Rust's Estate, 213 Mich. 138, 182 N. W. …


Distinction Between Governmental And Proprietary Functions Of Municipal Corporations, Delmar W. Doddridge Feb 1925

Distinction Between Governmental And Proprietary Functions Of Municipal Corporations, Delmar W. Doddridge

Michigan Law Review

There are many places in the law where the making of a distinction has resulted in a difficulty in application that has greatly increased litigation, but there are few places where this is more true than in the distinction made between the governmental and the proprietary functions of municipal corporations. The distinction has taken a firm grip upon the law of municipal corporations and seems well settled, although its propriety as applied to particular subjects may be doubted. The terminology of the distinction is in itself productive of doubt, the function or duty in the one branch being denominated "governmental", …


Tax On Income Received From Foreign Sources Feb 1925

Tax On Income Received From Foreign Sources

Michigan Law Review

In the recently decided case of Cook v. Tait, 44 Sup. Ct. 444, the Supreme Court of the United States decided that the federal government could lawfully tax the income of a citizen of the United States, although the citizen was domiciled in Mexico, and the income came from real and personal property there situated. Suppose instead of the federal income tax, a state tax on incomes had been involved. A Michigan man, say, has among his other sources of revenue, a house and lot in Cleveland which is rented at a price which insures him a comfortable addition …


Constitutional Law-Liberty Of Contract-Regulation Of Loaves Of Bread Nov 1924

Constitutional Law-Liberty Of Contract-Regulation Of Loaves Of Bread

Michigan Law Review

A Nebraska statute aimed at short weights in loaves of bread, forbade the manufacture or sale of loaves weighing either more or less than specified standard amounts. It applied only to quantities of 25 loaves or more and a "tolerance" of two ounces per pound was allowed in excess of the standard weights, to be measured by taking an average of the whole consignment. The prohibition of excess weights was explained by the Nebraska court as an attempt "to prevent a loaf of one standard from being increased in size until it can readily be sold for a larger standard". …


Fair Value Of Public Utilities, Edwin C. Goddard Jun 1924

Fair Value Of Public Utilities, Edwin C. Goddard

Michigan Law Review

Such being the decisions, we turn to the practical working of the theories that have been applied. The law is a practical subject. Even in so sacred a matter as protection of property, rules of law should regard the practical results of any theory. A theory that works badly, presumptively at least, is defective, and may be wrong. The guaranties of the Constitution were made for man, not man for the guaranties, and a conception of property that does not work out for the advantage of man may raise a query whether the Constitution demands that conception. It was that …


Simplified Civil Procedure Under The Wisconsin Code Jun 1924

Simplified Civil Procedure Under The Wisconsin Code

Michigan Law Review

A rare illustration of the possibility of simplified procedure, under the modern codes, is presented by a recent decision of the Wisconsin court. Singularly enough the case was also productive of some very interesting problems of substantive law, and will be commented upon, from that standpoint, elsewhere in this publication. As for the fact situation, it will be sufficient for our present purposes, to note that the plaintiff was injured, while riding as a guest, as the result of a collision occasioned by the negligent driving of her host and the operator of another automobile. The guest and the driver …


Book Reviews Apr 1924

Book Reviews

Michigan Law Review

A collection of book reviews by multiple authors.


Conflict Of Laws-"Full Faith And Credit"-Injunction Restraining Suit In Foreign State Mar 1924

Conflict Of Laws-"Full Faith And Credit"-Injunction Restraining Suit In Foreign State

Michigan Law Review

X, an Iowan, is injured by Y, a fellow citizen, who obtains an injunction in Iowa restraining X from suing in Minnesota. X having subsequently commenced suit in Minnesota, Y files his bill asking the court of that state to enforce the Iowa decree. Should the Minnesota court enforce the foreign injunction decree, as a matter of "comity"? Must it do so, under the "full faith and credit" clause? Strangely enough the Minnesota court has had two of the comparatively small number of cases involving these particular questions. In State ex rel. Bossung v. District Court, 140 Minn. 494, …


Recent Important Decisions Jan 1924

Recent Important Decisions

Michigan Law Review

A collection of recent important court decisions.


Perpetuity Statutes, Edwin C. Goddard Dec 1923

Perpetuity Statutes, Edwin C. Goddard

Michigan Law Review

The common law of perpetuities is one of the most interesting examples of almost pure judicial legislation. De Donis, The Statutes of Uses and of Wills, but· gave wider scope to the development by the courts of rules of law to thwart the attempt of the great landowners to tie up their landed estates in their families in perpetuity. One body of rules to this end limited restraints upon alienation, another the creation of future interests vesting at too remote a period. Restriction of restraints upon alienation, and the rule against perpetuities, these two were developed for the same end, …


Constitutional Law--Due Process--Kansas Industrial Court Dec 1923

Constitutional Law--Due Process--Kansas Industrial Court

Michigan Law Review

Has the State power to regulate wages and to secure continuity of functioning in essential industries? The U. S. Supreme Court, in Wolff Packing Co. v. Court of Industrial Relations of Kansas, -- U. S. -- Adv. Op. June 11, 1923, says no, at least as to individuals or corporations, engaged in the production of food, but not strong enough to dominate or control the industry. The case involves the validity, under the Federal Constitution, of the Kansas Act establishing the Court of Industrial Relations, referred to hereinafter as the "Industrial Court." Special Session Laws of Kansas, 1920, Chap. …


Conciliation Of Controversies Nov 1923

Conciliation Of Controversies

Michigan Law Review

It is a matter of common criticism more or less just that the administration of law is unnecessarily tedious and expensive. Particularly among those of the poorer classes is it true that the delay and expense incident to the enforcement of small claims amounts to a practical denial of justice. With a view toward relieving this situation, North Dakota adopted the first state-wide act for the conciliation of controversies. Chapter 38, Laws of North Dakota, 1921. That act has recently been put to the test and upheld in the case of Klein v. Hilton (N. D., 1922), 191 N. W. …


Book Reviews Nov 1923

Book Reviews

Michigan Law Review

A collection of book reviews by multiple authors.