Case Name: THE STATE, HENRY BAYLES ET AL., PLAINTIFFS IN ERROR, v. WILLIAM K. NEWTON, DAIRY COMMISSIONER, DEFENDANT IN ERROR
Court: New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Decision Date: 1889-06
Citations: 51 N.J.L. 553
Docket Number: 
Parties: THE STATE, HENRY BAYLES ET AL., PLAINTIFFS IN ERROR, v. WILLIAM K. NEWTON, DAIRY COMMISSIONER, DEFENDANT IN ERROR.
Judges: 
Reporter: New Jersey Law Reports
Volume: 51
Pages: 553–561

Head Matter:
THE STATE, HENRY BAYLES ET AL., PLAINTIFFS IN ERROR, v. WILLIAM K. NEWTON, DAIRY COMMISSIONER, DEFENDANT IN ERROR.
1. Held, by Beasley, C. J. (dissenting), tbat the certificate of a justice, in his transcript of his docket, that the proceeding and judgment were “ in the court for the trial of small causes,” was absolutely conclusive, and could not, by inference, be treated as mere form.
2. Held, further, that when a complaint, sworn to before a justice, was endorsed by him as filed in the court for the trial of small causes, and a summons, being in the usual form, was so endorsed, and the transcript stated that the complaint was' so filed, and the summons so issued, and the transcript, duly attested in the ordinary manner, certified that the procedure was in that court, and there were no adverse facts or intimations, that it must be taken as established that these certifications of these documents were true.
3. That if the court of first instance has no jurisdiction, there can be no retrial in an appellate court, and that consent cannot give jurisdiction.
On error to the Supreme Court.
For opinion of the Supreme Court, see 21 Vroom 549.
The action below was for a penalty of $100 under section 9 of “An act to prevent deception in the sale of oleomargarine, butterine or any imitation o'f dairy products, and to preserve the public health,” approved March 22d, 1886 {Pamph. L., p. 107), and for a violation of section 4 of that act.
The following is a copy of the complaint made, and a transcript from the docket of the justice of the peace:
State of New Jersey, County of Mercer, ss. — James H. McGuire, of full age, being duly sworn according to law, on his oath saith, that on the 19th day of October, in the year of our Lord 1886, at the borough of Princeton, in said county and state, Henry B. Bayles and Clarence B. Updike, partners, trading under the firm name of Bayles & Company, who were then the keepers of a certain grocery store situate at the borough of Princeton, in said county and state, did sell to this deponent a certain quantity, that is to say, one-half of a pound, of a substance in imitation or semblance of natural butter, the same not being natural butter, and not produced from pure milk, or the cream frota pure milk, at retail, and in a quantity less than the original tub, firkin or other package; and the said Henry B. Bayles and Clarence B. Updike, partners as aforesaid, did not, nor did either of them, first inform this deponent that said substance was not natural butter, but was imitation butter, and at the time of said sale and with said sale did not give to this deponent a card or notice, at least six inches-long and four inches wide, on which was printed in black, in the English language, in letters at least of the size known as-two-line English, the name of the said substance sold, and the name and address of the seller or vendor; and that said Henry B. Bayles and Clarence B. Updike, partners as aforesaid, did not, nor did either of them, at the time of said sale to this deponent, give to this deponent any card or notice of any kind or character, in violation of the provisions of section 4 of the act of the legislature of the State of New Jersey entitled “An act to prevent deception in the sale of oleomargarine, butterine or any imitation of dairy, products, and to preserve the public health,” approved March 22d, 1886.
James H. McGuire.
Sworn to and subscribed before me at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, this 24th day of November, 1886.
Jesse JE. Bodike,
Justice of the Peace..
The following endorsement appears on said affidavit:
In the court for the trial of small causes. Before Jesse E._ Bodine, Esq., one of the justices of the peace in and for the-county of Mercer.
The following is a transcript from the docket of said justice; of the peace referred to in opinion:
"William K. Newton v. Henry B. Bayles, Clarence B. Updike, partners,
In the Court for the Trial of Small Causes.
The above action is brought this 24th day of November, 1886, by the above named plaintiff against the above named defendants, for a penalty of $100, under the fourth section of an act entitled “An act to prevent deception in the sale of oleomargarine, butterine or any imitation of dairy products, and to preserve the public health,” approved March 22d, 1886, by reason of a violation of said section of said statute by the said defendants, in the sale of a substance in imitation or semblance-of natural butter, at the time and in the manner set forth in the affidavit of James H. McGuire, filed in the above court in the above stated suit on the 24th day of November, A. D. 1886, and a summons issued in the above case by me, Jesse E. Bodine, one of the justices of the peace in and for the county of Mercer, returnable, before me, on Tuesday, the 30th day of November, 1886, at two o’clock p. M., the following return being made:
I served the within summons November 26th, 1886, on Clarence B. Updike, personally^ by reading it to him, and giving him a true copy thereof. Henry B. Bayles not being-found, I served it November 26th, 1886, by leaving a true copy thereof at his place of business with Clarence B. Updike, a member of the firm of Bayles & Company, whom I informed of the contents of said summons.
W. E. Branin, Constable.
At the time appointed the plaintiff asked for an adjournment till Wednesday the 8th day of December, 1886, at three p. si., which was agreed upon by the parties. Wednesday, the 8th, the parties met. James Buchanan appeared as counsel for plaintiff, and E. A. Dennis appeared as defendants’ counsel; the trial proceeded, and James H. McGuire was sworn on behalf of the plaintiff and gave testimony, and also Peter L. "Vandegrift was sworn for the plaintiff and gave testimony;. ■and Henry B. Bayles was sworn on behalf of the defendants and gave testimony; after which I adjudged the defendants to be guilty, and convicted them of a violation of section 4 of the statute, as charged in the complaint, and adjudged them to pay a penalty of $100, together with $9.01 costs. Defendants gave notice of appeal, which was granted.
T do hereby certify that the foregoing is a correct copy of ■my docket.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this day of December, A. d. 1886.
J. E. BodiNe, [l. s.]
Justice of the Peace.
For the plaintiffs in error, Chawncy II. Beasley,
For the defendant in error, James Buchanan.

Opinion:
The Chancellor.
The judgment of the Supreme Court is affirmed, for the reasons given by that court.