, 1863-05-20
THE ICE MONOPOLY.
Arc Ice Dealers Liable to indictment,
Conviction. Imprisonment
and Fiue3

Are Fec Dealers Liable to indictment,
Conviction. Imprisonment
and Flne3
Afonopolics can hardly be suffered In times
like the present. People will endure the rise
Of nccesearie6 Of life when produced by the |
established rules Of supply and demand, and |
avoid luxuries rs superfuous, but when set
OF men combine to raise the price Of ncces-
sity Of life upon the basis ofpure speculation,
when the supply Is amply sufficient, people |
will not, and cannot endure It, It becomes
IN offense against morality. and against the
rights OF the people, and in the enjoyment Of
those rights the people must be protected.
Everybody will remember the old Chicago |
Ice Company which commanded the trade Of
the city, md turning 1t into mere monopoly
asked, and obtained, an3 price their rapaclty
suggested. Opposition, however, chokel of
this monopoly. The Ice business of Chicago
Is 1t present In the hands Of three companies
Who have combined and agreed upon 4 scale
ofprices which Is outrageously exorbitant.
The same character Of ice which last year could
be obtained for thirty and thirty-seven and
charge one dollar for! This gigantic swindlc.
has already provoked the formation of new
company with capital Of $25 900. The build
ings win probably be put up this year and the
Company will be ready next season to COM
mcnce operations, furnishing ice for CSC per
hundred to butchers and others, and families
at Soc per week.
This will do awny with the monopoly next
year, but In the meantime is there no remedy
this year? We think there is and that the
Courts furnish that remedy.
Tbs common law of England, so tar as the
came is applicable and Of general nature,
and all statutes or acts of the British Parlla-
ment made prior to 1867, in aid and to supply
the defects Of The common law, and which
are Of general nature and not local to that
Kingdom, are the rule Of decision, and in full
force in the State of Illinois, with three spec
fled exceptions, and except as repealed by
legislative authority. Statute Of Laws, Sec /.
Our criminal code prescribes punishment
for offences not enumerated, which can mean
nothing but common law offences, showing
conclusivcly that it was not the intention Of
the Legislature to repeal that portion Of the
common law by Implication. Smith Il. al. ss..
1,o,. or III D o. 1.hnea,, .,x r,,,5o f,3
leol''c' ~ LII. H. '10' "o1li''on w. 1eoP1s' ~@
III. R. :}14-
Blackstone eays.
.,
The total ensross1ng OF Any commooity, with IN.
tent to sell it at unreasonable price, fe an Of
frnec fndictable and Unable at the common law.
The punishment 4 hne and Imprisonment at the
discretion q the Court-Dtd<kdt0He BOOK !, l5S,
1b9, Sec. :.
The King ye. Wnddinrton. u East. 143. deci-
g., ,cot *,,:s 4.,, a-....
ueo III 4oola - u AeaAd'n6 csAse VI In4e euuJecI'
The defendant was charged with spreading
f,1sn -,,1rore ,,a ro,or+s - r,;so t1a ,r;cc of
hops; and NTH tersuading and attempting TO
,,,yx,,o,7> o,1er dealers tn ,rith2o,d mir 1on.
J'o"' "a'Aft' % e't''a"ee t'te Ano WIZ io-
crossing large Quan'1lles ol hops "'AH "aeas
to teN the tame at an, unreasonable price. The
t3ef.,a,n+ 1xee conr;rfed f,Drd i've hup1,cd
""7
pounds, and imprisoned one month, and until
.,o a,a orJ oosts ha ,,.;d Tho ;n,r;eon
LIZ An1 ALA" @e''7 ~ fA'" ~ 1eoi'
mcnt was mlt1gated, because the defendant
,,u, ,,oo,, r-o,,t ~ ,,-;son arr;nr r,,,+;o.,
Hill ueeu hepe AA f'41on uu'1a5 oAs f-eAeAoa
hctBecn the term of his conviction and that
of h;a ecntenco Tn t,;r;nu in,,rmcnt m tho
ooso Lord Kenyon sa;d.
=, a,nha. ~ ~,.,, narzon. ~. ~ hur ~ a..
whole CT considerable part Of tile prodaee from
whence the supply ts derived in order to make
to he publc detrimcnt, It viii BE- found 10 b. m
evil ofthe greatest magnitude; and am warranted