Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 11.pdf/619

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
580
The Green Bag.

and legislative; because a marked difference trolling upon the courts of New York. exists between the employments of judicial (Caldwell v. Texas, 137 U. S., 692, and and legislative tribunals. The former decide authorities there cited; Hurtado v. Cali upon the legality of claims and conduct, and fornia, 110 U. S., 516; Pennoyer v. Neff, the latter make rules, in connection with the 95 U. S., 714.) In the latter case, speak Constitution, upon which those decisions ing of due process of law, Mr. Justice Field should be founded. It is the province of says : " Whatever difficulty may be experi judges to determine what is the law upon enced in giving to those terms a definition existing cases" ("Constitutional Limita which will embrace every permissible exer tion of power affecting private rights, and tions," 109). Under this definition, the act of the exclude such as is forbidden, there can be legislature denying the right of the courts no doubt of their meaning when applied to to issue orders, judgments or decrees judicial proceedings. They then mean a was in its nature a judicial act; it was course of legal proceedings according to abridging that general jurisdiction of the those rules and principles which have been established in our systems of jurisprudence supreme court which the Constitution pro vides, and it could not, therefore, become for the protection and enforeement of private the law of the land, and it is without force rights." The plaintiff, seeking the aid of or effect, except as it is given such force the courts in the protection and enforcement and effect by the action of the courts. That of his private rights, is told that he " has the courts, in acting under this statute, are not legal capacity to maintain this action," although he is a citizen of the United States, depriving the plaintiff of his property with out due process of law, follows as a logical and has the right to make any lawful con tract. This is not due process of law; it is necessity, and this conclusion is fully sus tained by authorities which must be con an arbitrary exercise of power.