Nathan Clifford

“ That a grant to a corporation to carry passengers in cars over the streets of a city does not necessarily involve exemption from liability to municipal regulations, the right granted being neither greater nor less than that possessed by a natural person. ”

“ Tested by these considerations, it is clear, even if it be admitted that the language of the charter is sufficient to import a contract, that the power of the legislature under the Constitution is amply sufficient to justify that department of the State to pass the act raising the license for each car from thirty to fifty dollars. ”

“ Exemptions of the kind, however, are to be strictly construed, the rule being that the right of taxation exists unless the exemption is expressed in clear and unambiguous terms, and that in order that it may be effectual it must appear that the contract was made in consequence of some beneficial equivalent received by the Sta e, it being conceded that if the exemption was granted only as a privilege it may be recalled at the pleasure of the legislature. ”

“ Vested rights, it is conceded, cannot be impaired under such a reserved power, but it is clear that the power may be exercised and to almost any extent, to carry into effect the original purposes of the grant and to protect the rights of the public and of the corporators, or to promote the due administration of the affairs of the corporation. ”

“ Whatever is not unequivocally granted in such charters is taken to have been withheld, as all such charters and acts extending the privileges of corporate bodies are to be taken most strongly against the corporators. ”

“ Railway companies of the kind, it appears, were first required to pay an annual sum of fifty dollars for each car run the year previous to the passage of the act which is the subject of controversy in the present litigation. ”