|
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />,VISINA:v.c!')I;B:BJ.!4:Ni ;,:' ' "" ..,
<br />Cite U 81t N.W..lld-685
<br />
<br />c:.,",spar P"i- _... ._ _11., Appellant,
<br />.-v.
<br />.. Orville .lfr ll~,fi'. Gover-noJ':.ofMlnne-,
<br />80ta, at .1., Re-8ponde,nf~
<br />
<br />County of St. Louis ..- al.,--Responlie'nt8. ,.
<br />Dudley J. Russell ~t,~I,'J' rnembers of ~y, :
<br />,F Council of Duiuth- et al..' ,- -
<br />. Respondelits', .
<br />
<br />",ort Autho_rlty of Duluth, Respondent.
<br />No. 37510.
<br />
<br />Supreme Court ot Minnesota..
<br />Aprlllll 1958.
<br />
<br />Action for "dudgment declaring that
<br />c~rtain acts are_ unconstitutional. From a
<br />Ju~groent 9f tl.I~ District Court, St. 'Louis
<br />County, Mark ~olan., J., the plainti.ff' ap~
<br />pealed. The Supreme Court, Knutson,
<br />J., heldj _inter alia, that the acts relating to
<br />finanCing of reclamation of land and con";
<br />BtrUction of terminal parl' facilities by Sea-
<br />way Port Authority of Duluth in antidpa:':
<br />tion of opening of the Great _ Lakes-St.
<br />Lawrence Waterway are not unconsti:"
<br />tution3.t' 'for' a~y of the -reasons assigned
<br />by the plaintiff. . '.'
<br />
<br />Affirmed. .
<br />
<br />,. Ml,lnlolpaJ CorporaUofta ~-f
<br />S'.'......114
<br />
<br />The state or its municipal subdivisions
<br />or agencies 'iilayexpend' public, nioney only
<br />for a' public purpOse, and what' is a "public
<br />purpoSe" is not ca.pable of preeise defini.;.
<br />tibn but generally'means siJch an activity as
<br />will serve :8.S a beneut to' community asa
<br />body and which, at,the same time, is-dIrect";
<br />Iy related to functions of government.
<br />'See publieation -WordS 8.Dd Phraseg,:
<br />for other 'judicial constructions and defl';'
<br />nttione of "Public ,Purpo~".
<br />
<br />:j. St.t.. 08=>114
<br />
<br />In-deterttiiningwhether act of the state'
<br />constitUtes" a performance of a, govern-
<br />mental function or a public purpose' which
<br />
<br />lfiDlt. &35
<br />
<br />will jitsti,fy exPenditure"of publict/rncilley,
<br />a:legislative. declaration- of public p~rpose
<br />is not a.lways 'coittrolling,'and_detert:i:litiation
<br />of what-is and what 'is not a publk purpose,
<br />or performa'nce of a: governmental function,:
<br />initially .;s for the legjslatnt:e,bul; in the
<br />final 'anaIy,sis'it ,must:~.With die;courts.-
<br />
<br />3. Municipal Corpora~I~""_~!h!1 -
<br />
<br />The mere fact that some private in-
<br />terest may derive an inCidental bcnefit from
<br />activity does not deprive: :the activity, of
<br />itspubUc_nature, if its prtm.atY purpose is
<br />public. .
<br />
<br />4. Mdnlolpal Corp.':."on. ....881
<br />
<br />If,_ prhnary o~j~tofexpenditure of
<br />mu~i~i.Ptl:I.,funds is' to. suJ>serve' a pqblic
<br />purpose. expenditure is ,legal, _ although, it
<br />~y ~IS9 '~volve as an.inciden~,' aneXpend~
<br />itufe: which" standing alone. would J;1ot' be
<br />lawf~', atl,d if primary'ol>ject is to promote
<br />~.me _private ,end, expendi,tur-e ,is iUegalJ
<br />~Itll,?ugh ,it." JDa..y inc~~en~Y: s~rve some:
<br />public purpose also.
<br />
<br />'i
<br />,
<br />
<br />,
<br />"
<br />
<br />6. Eminent Oamal. $:)13
<br />. ,Stat.. ~1I4 _'.,
<br />ttPubHc' use" as required .for-: aerc,ise
<br />of the power' of eminent domain, is not
<br />necessarHy.,synonymous with' "public -pur~
<br />pose" required fer expenditure' ofpubIic
<br />R10ney; "if a,cti-vity constitutes a' public
<br />purpose which will iustify expenditure of
<br />public money. it also cOnStij:Qtes; a public-
<br />use -which will permit the 'exercise of po.wer
<br />of eminent domain, but it does 'f1dt'n~es-
<br />sarily follow. th~t,: If, use..to. be made of
<br />property i~ (i,pubHc .use ~thin'U1eaning at
<br />e~inen~ .domain sta,~tes 4\,qd,laws, i~ also
<br />~n,stitqtes a publi~. '~rPose .tor_ which
<br />puhlic money. mar b. spent
<br />SeepnbllCatloD Words' atut'; Phruee;'
<br />_ tor other Judicis! _tuetlo... ",,4 dell,
<br />nitWDB of (.Publlc U~"..
<br />
<br />8.. NaYlgab'. Water. ~14(4), ' .
<br />
<br />. The'; right of a .sta,te oo.establi$i .and
<br />ma'intain 'terminal port.: facilities is bUt - an
<br />incident of its power to control i~s. nav-:
<br />
|