Case Name: DAVID TREEFTZ, PROSECUTOR, v. THE BOARD OF EXCISE COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF LAMBERTVILLE AND EUGENE M. BEAUMONT
Court: New Jersey Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Decision Date: 1906-02-26
Citations: 73 N.J.L. 278
Docket Number: 
Parties: DAVID TREEFTZ, PROSECUTOR, v. THE BOARD OF EXCISE COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF LAMBERTVILLE AND EUGENE M. BEAUMONT.
Judges: Before Justices Garrison, Garrbtson and Swayze.
Reporter: New Jersey Law Reports
Volume: 73
Pages: 278–279

Head Matter:
DAVID TREEFTZ, PROSECUTOR, v. THE BOARD OF EXCISE COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF LAMBERTVILLE AND EUGENE M. BEAUMONT.
Argued February 20, 1906
Decided February 26, 1906.
A resolution of the board of excise commissioners transferring a liquor license to one of its members who was present and voted for the resolution is voidable upon certiorari.
On certiorari.
Before Justices Garrison, Garrbtson and Swayze.
Eor the prosecutor, John II. Baclces.
For the defendants, Lambert II. Sergeant.

Opinion:
The opinion of the court-was delivered by '
Garrison, J.
This writ brings up a resolution of the board of excise commissioners of the city of Lambertville transferring a liquor license to the defendant Eugene M. Beaumont, one of the members of the board.
At the meeting at which the resolution was adopted five members of the board were present and voted upon the resolution, three for and two against its adoption, the transferee being one of the three. This statement is sufficient to condemn the resolution, which, inasmuch as it did not lay down a general rule, but, on the contrary, granted a special privilege, was in its nature judicial as distinguished from legislative. Traction Company v. Board of Public Works, 27 Vroom 431.
In the case cited an ordinance of a municipal board was set aside because one of its voting members was a stockholder in the corporation to which a special privilege was granted by the ordinance, although the vote of such member was not needed to pass the ordinance; a fortiori must the same result follow when the voting member is the person actually benefited by a resolution, to the adoption of which his vote was necessary.
The resolution is set aside, wi'th costs.