Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-09-16


OPiaion Of The Supreme Court orhe u. Strles.
GREEN AND OTuERs Y. RIDDLE
- (Coucludei)
hi,. Justice JOHNSON. Whuever will canni,ly
weigh The intrinsic difficulties which this case n, -
sen's, must acknowledge, thar the questions cert6.,,
:" ms Coat are among those which any Two
minds may differ wiilout incui ring the inntat,on NJ
wiiinl, or precpuale error.
we are Fortunate, in this instance, in being placed
a'Ool nom that unavoidable jealousy which awaits
1e'iS'ona founded on appeals from The exercise al
o''r Juri>dciIuu This suii was originally insiu,cd
~ he C'rr"' Court of the United States aud the
H"'y NOW Imposed upon U.s. 10 decide aeon, Zinc
10 The heN' Judgment can furn, on The ,,y al
hentucky. We sit, aud adiuIrate in the pra,e,t IN,
sane, ~ TIE capacity OF Judges OF ,hat Stale !
"n hound 10 decide according 10 those nrinri,ies
winch ought To govern the Courts of thar State when
i1lndcainig between its ci'iasHs
re h'S' ct ti.e Two questions certified to this Cuu,i
~ "halher the laws, we'll known Ly the ,lescrint;op
constitutional? "''
The laws known hy thar denomination are The arts
passed the 27th of Fehru1rv 1897 and the al, Of
january, 1872. The general nurpori mi ,he Cnrn,or
- y" give to defendant IN ejeCment compensation
"' ''.' improvements lnnoceniiy nalde uDon the
!'"u r' 'nn'"er' The praclicaI effect cihe latter,
""SiVe NM compensation lur all the lahor aud .. =
p""@e 5'Nio" ed upon H. whether productive of inn,
pinvent NJ or not " -"
Tue iyy" acts differ the lime from which dam
aS's am'i renis are 10 be estimated hut concur
's' Ira enlornng the Courts the sul,stitn,ion o(
S,'""ers, Tor jury, in assessing damages
IN converting he plaintiffs right TO a jutle
Heh,, alter having established his ripl; In land ,,,
an absolute into u conditional rpht and
C"N' Onher some circumstances in reonirioe that
J"smenl should %" given fur The defendant and ,hat
'"e Il''hiif, !" lieu of land, should recover mn ,s
SesSed sum UG money, or, r,rhcr bonds n Man., ,I ,
s"r, l. e another right Of actinn .r anv tbing
'' sfcHnd qiPsfiun certified Is, on which of these
TWO acts the Court shi' give Judgment and sac,s 10
have arisen nnt OF the argument ;nsjs,eJ ,,, -, ~
TRIAL, ia' as the suit instituted nrior r., ,ba ~
@ VI 'le i's' ac' 1t onehi Ia he adudic tel undcr
III force wheH judgmen, WIS given
As tue Ianaungr of TIE fr.i question il srrcic,,l,
t ".'" :" eHpF'ce an questions that oay arise Ell
i"'r under the Sla,c, Upitcd St,,c,' cons,,,,,;
p.n o. ne a,9nment before dis Couri t,inrtI ,i,on
tie inquiry whether The rights of the ua,t;.s -,
affected 10y that article of ;hr Urio, Strrcsl cnnst-
contracts W. "O" u
me general question shall decline nassigr an n
pni"h upon. consider such an inquiry as 3, ,,crk
Of supcferng ,or, until The benefit of ,,,,, 80
inihe constitution shall be claimed in nm a,,,,,l
.rnm Tue decision OF a Cour of ,hc Slate There j.
however, one view OF JhiS point, presented hy oue ri
.Ir grh"'"en who appeared on hehai al lie STATE
H"lVn cannon pass unnoIiced. IL was cOntcn,leu
'h" ~" constitution of kPnfuc kv IN recoanier, a. .
c"miict wiih virginia, recognises IL On ~ ms a com,
I''' h"h, ihereiote that acquires no more force
uti 'hat constitution, than il had before aud that
!ol oi me constitution of kenurky, questions arts
I"2 "ndtr were OF mere dipiomotic cornizouce g.
""'' We're not by the constitutions transnlulcd into
su JeciS oI Judicial cognz1nce
: am constrained TO entertain a different Wow IF
.''S >" Jc't ahG, without passing an Upjnon ON the
ieeH eIirc OF The compact "a its separate existence
up"n nliN'u"ai rights, must adopt the opinion iai
"heh me people OF Kentucky declared Thar - tho
compact with tie STATE Of Virginia suiipcf ~ sucb
"eIRtions as may he made therein aercp,blv Tn tle
'aue i'es'r'pen by the said compact, shall he con-
s"eret spdrt OF this constitutions Ihty enacted il ne
fHc ioI themselves, IN all those pDrts u ,,i,;c -
was previously obligatory then, rs u conirgcf and
maue u iundtmental law, one Which conld ONLY be
repeated N The mode prescribed for altering thai
constitution Had been enacted IN The oi1l;n,r,
Iorm OF eesi1uon, Notwithstanding The nbsurtl;,v IN
sseu on OF enacitng laws obligatory on Virginia IL
~ cP'"in lhai the maxim, Utie pey il'ie 7o, ,ij,
"' "'n' nave been applied TO H., and il would have
hern enforced rs Il law Of Kentucky in every C,nrt
@, J"s''ce setting IN judSmeni upon Kentucky riebis
10" much more So when he nenpia u,,,sht 1,n
iai law " '"''"e"-
therefore consider the article of the con,noci
"a'cn n''el'ton 10 his question, as operating On
we FI'is "ni Interests nf the parties with the force
"' p iund'"eHial law OF the Slate and cariaiu!v il
''" "tn' heed no support from viewing il as a con
F"r'' unless II be, that the constitution NAV be
6eps"od W one OF HE parties, bat the contract
cannot. While the constitution continues rure
p'HHd, ~ is putting tith wheel 10 the r,r,i,ge
~ invoke me co"'r'c' INTO this cause Il can oniy
eVe"i"1'c ~ ~ wdng dockels with appeals from
thr State Courts ~ ~ '""
consider, therefore, the following exrract from,
I've compact as as enacied llw of Kcptvckv Thai
"I p'I'alr rghs and interests nj lands within (k nm
mes, . derived FROM iie laws Of Virqin, p,ior te
mar separations shs rcm.iin valid aud scene nm
Ger ihe tVs Of the proposed 9f,ip and a, IA t ,t,
'nrm'nrd ht The a'vs (eris,fHg in E1,rojgi, NJ H..
iN"@ az shs seprai0H'J The alterations he re- made
I'D 'h' HF'seoi"sys are suCh as essari!y ,eeul,
rom Tue adaptation Of IL ioH legislative form Tbe
occnp}iua claimant laws therefore must c,,,r,,- ~,
,iI-t"nHliiuit0n"i provision be void for a lrris-
htUre5 constituted under tlat corstititio, c,r evc,
c''e no powers inconsistent with ,bn ipsfrnp,n,,
"nrh creHedit. TIE wiil az ilr pepiio has derrcrJ
ohfF"isf; and the Interests nf the individual, cu,,utt
he lHfcttd!y he exercise OF power. WHICH fl nom
". nave iurlilddon tie legislator 10 eHptci.e
c"nsuime The sovereign apd inGrgertIDu, state
or hfniucky WIS, uuQHestouabg, the ir.diro oi i.~t
o. me het ot frguui of rhe l3fl of Drron,ber ,g
% fNrrcte unlimited Legislature power oyc, lie ,,r
foiJ "thin her u"n limits, Is dne Of tbs essential
a'''nhes % thi' +oscfeigrF and rvety rcefr,iuf i'm
"H exercise ~ THIS power, CONSIDER as a restriction,
on to- Intended grant, aud subject ly q, 4,,r,,,s con
Nrucuun. On general principles priysio tr,pc,t,.
W"uh nNfe' remained unaffected hy the transfer n
soyrrrie"y hut lhcncei1rii would hove continued
SUBJECT Both 1s 10 right aud rcmcdy 10 t,.. loy;s
ave p1w"r Oi uir state nctsiy crested IIte er,,
m'ni lur thr piaiud is ha' Che provision now IN
1er consiierfion goes botoud iue recognition ,r r,
I1caur" oil ibis principle md Restraints The late al
hf"i6rEy from nny legislative act fiat cau io an,
WY impHr, or cucumber, vary the beneficiary ia
'f"s 1'cli ile grantees OF tud acquired nude, the
laws Oh Virginia. o. m other words o. 70 90 cta,tee
peculiar tenure on ulc ltrl. granted ~ V,r,ir,s
Wnfrh fEcuuts fhom irom thst cvfrnt Of rp,af,ticr
ttpn io "lich ihe residue nt fto III ptr i- unonas.
u"'NA' suilechd. u mus urn fhis if it in,.,t,.
any ihug. For s1u3us.1e si' lao g.aotces of f,r,ls
unier rie laws OF Virginia Iu actual rosaes.iou u,
ihc" tespfcavc pr"m'srs, nai s8 the la.s n,u. re-
ouced iHiO possession be sdlI under tlr sr..osof
protection o. 'f'a comp'ct neither could they have