Meriwether v. Garrett
Supreme Court of the United States
Appeal from the Circuit Court of the United States for the Western District of Tennessee’. On Feb. 28,. 1879, Robert Garrett and others filed their bill in' the court below against the City of Memphis, Tennessee, setting for.th that they are the owners and holders of overdue and unpaid bonds and coupons and other evidences of her indebtedness to the amount of more tha,n • $100,000, upon much of which indebtedness'they have secured judgments and writs of mandamus to…
Read the full summary
Appeal from the Circuit Court of the United States for the Western District of Tennessee’. On Feb. 28,. 1879, Robert Garrett and others filed their bill in' the court below against the City of Memphis, Tennessee, setting for.th that they are the owners and holders of overdue and unpaid bonds and coupons and other evidences of her indebtedness to the amount of more tha,n • $100,000, upon much of which indebtedness'they have secured judgments and writs of mandamus to compel-the collection thereof, but that, owing to the’malfeasance, misfeasance, and incompetency of-her officers charged with the…
1Opinion of the Court
*501Mb. Chief Justice Waite'
announced the conclusions reached by the- court as follows: ■ — ■
1. Property held for public uses, such as public buildings, streets, squares, parks, promenades, wharves, landing-places, fire-engines, hose and hose-carriages, engine-houses, engineering instruments, and. generally everything held for governmental purposes, cannot be subjected to the payment.of the debts of the city. Its public character forbids' such an appropriation-. Upon the repeal of the charter of the city, such property passed under the immediate control of the State, the power once delegated to…
2Cases cited10 opinions
- Rees v. City of WatertownSupreme Court of the United States · 1874
- United States v. Railroad Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1873
- Heine v. Levee CommissionersSupreme Court of the United States · 1874
- Broughton v. PensacolaSupreme Court of the United States · 1876
- Board of Comm'rs of Tippecanoe Cty. v. LucasSupreme Court of the United States · 1876
5 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by298 opinions
- Monell v. New York City Dept. of Social Servs.Supreme Court of the United States · 1978
- Myers v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1926
- Hunter v. City of PittsburghSupreme Court of the United States · 1907
- City of Trenton v. New JerseySupreme Court of the United States · 1923
- Missouri v. JenkinsSupreme Court of the United States · 1990
293 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.