State ex rel. Wausau St. Ry. Co. v. Bancroft

• Decision Date: 30 January 1912
• Citation: 134 N.W. 330,148 Wis. 124
• Parties: STATE EX REL. WAUSAU ST. RY. CO. v. BANCROFT, ATTY. GEN., ET AL. STATE EX REL. JACKSON MILLING CO. ET AL. v. BANCROFT, ATTY. GEN., ET AL.
• Court: Wisconsin Supreme Court

148 Wis. 124

134 N.W. 330

STATE EX REL. WAUSAU ST. RY. CO.

v.BANCROFT, ATTY. GEN., ET AL.

STATE EX REL. JACKSON MILLING CO. ET AL.

v.BANCROFT, ATTY. GEN., ET AL.

Supreme Court of Wisconsin.

Jan. 30, 1912.

Original actions by the State, on the relation of the Wausau Street Railway Company, the Jackson Milling Company, the Nekoosa Paper Company, Rudolph P. Koenig, and another, the Southern Wisconsin Power Company, the Chippewa Valley Railway, Light & Power Company, and the Northwestern Steel & Iron Works against Levi H. Bancroft, Attorney General, and others to restrain defendants from acting under or attempting to enforce Laws 1911, c. 652. Injunction granted in part and denied in part.

A series of suits, as above indicated, was brought in this court, involving the validity of chapter 652, Laws of Wisconsin for 1911. When leave to bring these suits was granted, the question of the jurisdiction of this court to entertain the suits was expressly reserved.

For the relators, there was cited, among other authorities, the following: Resolution of Congress of October 10, 1780; Act of Congress September 12, 1783; Resolution March 1, 1784; Acts of April 20, 1836 (5 Stat. 10), August 6, 1846 (9 Stat. 56), and May 29, 1848 (9 Stat. 233); Acts and Resolutions of Virginia Legislature, January 2, 1781 (10 Hening's St. at Large, p. 564), October 20, 1783, and March 22, 1784 (11 Hening's St. at Large, pp. 326, 566, 571); Ordinance of 1787, art. 4; Act Establishing the Territory of Wisconsin, §§ 6, 9, 12; Const. Wis. § 2, art. 2; Id., § 13, art. 14; Ratification by Virginia, December 30, 1788 (12 Hening's St. at Large, p. 780), of the Ordinance of 1787; Huber v. Merkel, 117 Wis. 355, 94 N. W. 354, 62 L. R. A. 589, 98 Am. St. Rep. 933;Head v. Amoskeag, etc., 113 U. S. 9, 5 Sup. Ct. 441, 28 L. Ed. 889;Wurts v. Hoagland, 114 U. S. 606, 5 Sup. Ct. 1086, 29 L. Ed. 229; Laws 1849, c. 212, § 8; R. S. 1858, c. 28, § 24; R. S. 1878, §§ 195, 1052; R. S. 1878, § 135; chapter 95, Laws 1901; chapter 374, Laws 1909; chapter 335, Laws 1907; chapters 591 and 640, Laws 1911; proposed constitutional amendment of 1911 (Laws 1911, pp. 1152, 1153); chapter 72, Laws 1853; Spensley v. Valentine, 34 Wis. 154;Smith v. Ford, 48 Wis. 115, 2 N. W. 134, 4 N. W. 462;Jones v. Soulard, 24 How. 41, 16 L. Ed. 604; The Propeller Genesee Chief v. Fitzhugh, 12 How. 443, 13 L. Ed. 1058;Jones v. Pettibone, 2 Wis. 308;Walker v. Shepardson, 4 Wis. 486, 65 Am. Dec. 324;Mariner v. Schulte, 13 Wis. 692;Arnold v. Elmore, 16 Wis. 509;Wis. Riv. Imp. Co. v. Lyons, 30 Wis. 61;Olson v. Merrill, 42 Wis. 203, 211;Green Bay & M. Co. v. Kaukauna W. P. Co., 70 Wis. 635, 35 N. W. 529, 36 N. W. 828;Koenig v. Watertown, 104 Wis. 409, 80 N. W. 728;Kimberly-Clark Co. v. Hewitt, 79 Wis. 334, 48 N. W. 373;West v. Fox River Paper Co., 82 Wis. 647, 52 N. W. 803;Fox River F. & P. Co. v. Kelley, 70 Wis. 287, 35 N. W. 744;Kaukauna W. P. v. G. B. & M. Canal Co., 75 Wis. 385, 44 N. W. 638;Conn. Co. v. Little Suamico, 74 Wis. 652, 43 N. W. 660;Wis. River Imp. Co. v. Pier, 137 Wis. 325, 118 N. W. 857, 21 L. R. A. (N. S.) 538;Blanchard v. Doering, 21 Wis. 477;Samuels v. Blanchard, 25 Wis. 329;Clark v. Plummer, 31 Wis. 442;Lawson v. Mowry, 52 Wis. 219, 9 N. W. 280;Clark v. Stewart, 56 Wis. 164, 14 N. W. 54;Valley P. & P. Co. v. West, 58 Wis. 599, 17 N. W. 554;Mack v. Densley, 74 Wis. 112, 42 N. W. 215;Pioneer W. P. Co. v. Chandos, 78 Wis. 526, 47 N. W. 661;Janesville Cotton Mills v. Ford, 82 Wis. 416, 52 N. W. 764, 17 L. R. A. 564;Jackson Milling Co. v. Chandos, 82 Wis. 437, 52 N. W. 759;Falls Mfg. Co. v. Oconto R. I. Co., 87 Wis. 134, 58 N. W. 257;Green Bay & M. C. Co. v. Kaukauna W. P. Co., 90 Wis. 370, 61 N. W. 1121, 63 N. W. 1019, 28 L. R. A. 443, 48 Am. St. Rep. 937;Appleton P. & P. Co. v. K. & C. Co., 100 Wis. 195, 75 N. W. 889;Consol. W. P. Co. v. Nash, 109 Wis. 490, 85 N. W. 485;G. B. & M. Canal Co. v. Telulah Paper Co., 140 Wis. 417, 122 N. W. 1062;Holyoke W. P. Co. v. Conn. River (C. C.) 20 Fed. 71;Kaukauna W. P. Co. v. G. B. & M. C. Co., 142 U. S. 254, 12 Sup. Ct. 173, 35 L. Ed. 1004;U. S. v. Great Falls Mfg. Co., 112 U. S. 645, 5 Sup. Ct. 306, 28 L. Ed. 846;Great Falls Mfg. Co. v. Atty. Gen., 124 U. S. 581, 8 Sup. Ct. 631, 31 L. Ed. 527;U. S. v. Rio Grande Dam, etc., Co., 174 U. S. 690, 19 Sup. Ct. 770, 43 L. Ed. 1136;State v. Railroad Commission, 140 Wis. 145, 121 N. W. 919;Close v. Glenwood Cemetery, 107 U. S. 466, 2 Sup. Ct. 267, 27 L. Ed. 408;N. Y. & N. E. R. Co. v. Bristol, 151 U. S. 556, 14 Sup. Ct. 437, 38 L. Ed. 269;Holyoke Co. v. Lyman, 15 Wall. 500, 522, 21 L. Ed. 133;Madison Co. v. Reynolds, 3 Wis. 287;Huber v. Martin, 127 Wis. 412, 105 N. W. 1031, 1135, 3 L. R. A. (N. S.) 653, 115 Am. St. Rep. 1023;Little Chute v. Van Camp, 136 Wis. 526, 117 N. W. 1012, 128 Am. St. Rep. 1100;Atty. Gen. v. Railway Companies, 35 Wis. 425;Atty. Gen. v. Eau Claire, 37 Wis. 400;State ex rel. Atty. Gen. v. Cunningham, 81 Wis. 440, 51 N. W. 724, 15 L. R. A. 561;State ex rel. Atty. Gen. v. Frost, 113 Wis. 623, 88 N. W. 912, 89 N. W. 915;State ex rel. Lamb v. Cunningham, 83 Wis. 90, 53 N. W. 35, 17 L. R. A. 145, 35 Am. St. Rep. 27;In re Court of Honor, 109 Wis. 625, 85 N. W. 497;State ex rel. Anderson v. Timme, 70 Wis. 627, 36 N. W. 325;State ex rel. Bell v. Harshaw, 76 Wis. 230, 45 N. W. 308;State ex rel. Rosenheim v. Frear, 138 Wis. 173, 119 N. W. 894;State ex rel. Cook v. Hauser, 122 Wis. 534, 110 N. W. 964;Wisconsin Water Co. v. Winans, 85 Wis. 26, 54 N. W. 1003, 20 L. R. A. 662, 39 Am. St. Rep. 813;A. C. Conn Co. v. Little Suamico L. Mfg. Co., 74 Wis. 652, 43 N. W. 660;Charnley v. Shawano W. P. Co., 109 Wis. 563, 85 N. W. 507, 53 L. R. A. 895;Rossmiller v. State, 114 Wis. 169, 89 N. W. 839, 58 L. R. A. 93, 91 Am. St. Rep. 910;Eastern Wis. R. Co. v. Hackett, 135 Wis. 464, 115 N. W. 376, 1136, 1139;Western U. T. Co. v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 195 U. S. 540, 25 Sup. Ct. 133, 49 L. Ed. 312;Interstate Com. Com. v. Chicago G. W. R. Co., 209 U. S. 108, 28 Sup. Ct. 493, 52 L. Ed. 705;Norcross v. Griffiths, 65 Wis. 599, 27 N. W. 606, 56 Am. Rep. 642;Gratz v. Land & R. I. Co., 82 Fed. 381, 27 C. C. A. 305, 40 L. R. A. 393;Janesville v. Carpenter, 77 Wis. 288, 46 N. W. 128, 8 L. R. A. 808, 20 Am. St. Rep. 123;Willow River Club Co. v. Wade, 100 Wis. 86, 76 N. W. 273, 42 L. R. A. 305;Kelley v. Salvas, 146 Wis. 543, 131 N. W. 436;Papworth v. Milwaukee, 64 Wis. 389, 25 N. W. 431;Kansas City G. Co. v. Haskell (C. C.) 172 Fed. 545;Yates v. Milwaukee, 10 Wall. 497, 19 L. Ed. 984;Stevens Point B. Co. v. Reilly, 44 Wis. 295;In re Southern Wis. P. Co., 140 Wis. 245, 122 N. W. 801;Sellers v. Union L. Co., 39 Wis. 525;Wisconsin R. I. Co. v. Manson, 43 Wis. 255, 28 Am. Rep. 542;State v. Kreutzberg, 114 Wis. 530, 90 N. W. 1098, 58 L. R. A. 748, 91 Am. St. Rep. 934;State v. Redmon, 134 Wis. 89, 114 N. W. 137, 14 L. R. A. (N. S.) 229, 126 Am. St. Rep. 1003;Bonnett v. Vallier, 136 Wis. 193, 116 N. W. 885, 17 L. R. A. (N. S.) 486, 128 Am. St. Rep. 1061;Dartmouth College v. Woodward, 4 Wheat. 518, 4 L. Ed. 629;State ex rel. Board of Education v. Haben, 22 Wis. 660;Mills v. Charleton, 29 Wis. 400, 9 Am. Rep. 578;Wahlschlager v. Liberty, 23 Wis. 362;New Orleans M. & T. R. Co. v. Ellerman, 105 U. S. 166, 26 L. Ed. 1015; Act of Congress July 26, 1866, c. 262, 14 Stat. 253 (U. S. Comp. St. 1901, p. 1437); Boquillas Land, etc., Co. v. Curtis, 213 U. S. 339, 29 Sup. Ct. 493, 53 L. Ed. 822;U. S. v. Chandler-Dunbar Co., 209 U. S. 447, 28 Sup. Ct. 579, 52 L. Ed. 881;Water Co. v. Water Board, 168 U. S. 349, 18 Sup. Ct. 157, 42 L. Ed. 497;Packer v. Bird, 137 U. S. 661, 11 Sup. Ct. 210, 34 L. Ed. 819;Fallbrook I. D. v. Bradley, 164 U. S. 112, 17 Sup. Ct. 56, 41 L. Ed. 369;Hardin v. Jordan, 140 U. S. 371, 11 Sup. Ct. 808, 838, 35 L. Ed. 428;Broder v. Water Co., 101 U. S. 274, 25 L. Ed. 790;Grand Rapids Co. v. Butler, 159 U. S. 87, 15 Sup. Ct. 991, 40 L. Ed. 85;Franzini v. Layland, 120 Wis. 72, 97 N. W. 499;Rundle v. Del. & Raritan C. Co., 14 How. 80, 14 L. Ed. 335;U. S. v. Great Falls Mfg. Co., 112 U. S. 645, 5 Sup. Ct. 306, 28 L. Ed. 846;Illinois Cent. R. R. Co. v. Illinois, 146 U. S. 387, 13 Sup. Ct. 110, 36 L. Ed. 1018;Union Bridge Co. v. United States, 204 U. S. 364, 27 Sup. Ct. 367, 51 L. Ed. 523;C., B. & Q. R. R. Co. v. Drainage Com'rs, 200 U. S. 561, 26 Sup. Ct. 341, 50 L. Ed. 596.

For defendants, counsel cited, among other authorities, the following: Railroad Co. v. State, 53 Wis. 509, 10 N. W. 560;Fitts v. McGhee, 172 U. S. 516, 19 Sup. Ct. 269, 43 L. Ed. 535; Ex parte Ayers, 123 U. S. 443, 8 Sup. Ct. 164, 31 L. Ed. 216;Morenci Copper Co. v. Freer (C. C.) 127 Fed. 199;Union Trust Co. v. Stearns (C. C.) 119 Fed. 790;Arbuckle v. Blackburn, 113 Fed. 616, 51 C. C. A. 122, 65 L. R. A. 864;Boise, etc., v. Boise City, 213 U. S. 276, 29 Sup. Ct. 426, 53 L. Ed. 796;Cohn v. Wausau Boom Co., 47 Wis. 314, 2 N. W. 546;State ex rel. Kellogg v. Currens, 111 Wis. 431, 87 N. W. 561, 56 L. R. A. 252;Strange v. Oconto Land Co., 136 Wis. 516, 117 N. W. 1023;Benz v. Kremer, 142 Wis. 1, 125 N. W. 99, 26 L. R. A. (N. S.) 842;Wadhams Oil Co. v. Tracy, 141 Wis. 150, 123 N. W. 785;State ex rel. Buell v. Frear, 146 Wis. 291, 131 N. W. 832, 34 L. R. A. (N. S.) 480;Allaby v. Mauston, etc., Co., 135 Wis. 345, 116 N. W. 4, 16 L. R. A. (N. S.) 420;Whisler v. Wilkinson, 22 Wis. 572;Sellers v. Union L. Co., 39 Wis. 525;East Hartford v. Hartford B. Co., 10 How. 511, 13 L. Ed. 518;State ex rel. Drake v. Doyle, 40 Wis. 175, 22 Am. Rep. 692;State ex rel. Covenant, etc., v. Root, 83 Wis. 667, 54 N. W. 33, 19 L. R. A. 271;In re Eldred, 46 Wis. 530, 1 N. W. 175;Shively v. Bowlby, 152 U. S. 1, 14 Sup. Ct. 548, 38 L. Ed. 331;Barney v. Keokuk, 94 U. S. 324, 24 L. Ed. 224;Eldredge v. Trezevant, 160 U. S. 452, 16 Sup. Ct. 345, 40 L. Ed. 490;McLennan v. Prentice, 85 Wis. 427, 55 N. W. 764;Priewe v. Wis. S. L. & I. Co., 93 Wis. 534, 67 N. W. 918, 33 L. R. A. 645; Atty. Gen. ex rel. Askew v. Smith, 109 Wis. 532, 85 N. W. 512;Ill. Steel Co. v. Bilot, 109...