City of Portsmouth v. Virginia Railway & Power Co.

The Virginia Railway and Power Company filed *46its petition with, the State Corporation Commission, asking authority to discontinue the operation of so much of its electric street railway line, generally described as the “County street line,” in the city of Portsmouth, upon the ground that if forced to continue its operation in the public service its losses would consume the property used in the service—in effect, confiscate it. The city denied the jurisdiction of the Commission, claiming that the ordinance granting the franchise created an inviolable contract between the company and the city,…