Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

“ Now, as the Constitution only delegated to the legislature the power to authorize the corporate authorities to reduce rates, and the legislature delegated that power only in cases where it did not impair the validity of any contract, it seems to me clear that the city council of Tampa exceeded its authority in reducing rates protected by a contract, and must be held to have impaired its obligation. ”

“ This it had the right to do. It was not bound to exercise the whole power vested in it by the Constitution, but might grant so much of such power to the corporate authorities as it deemed best for the public interests. ”