by John Marshall Harlan

“ A public corporation, instituted for purposes connected with the administration of the government, may be controlled by the legislature, because such a corporation is not a contract, within the purview of the constitution of the United States. ”

“ There is no subject over which it is of greater moment for the state to preserve its power than that of taxation. * * * Immunity from taxation, constituting in these cases a part of the contract with the government, is, by the reservation of power such as is contained in the law of 1841, subject to be revoked equally with any other provision of the charter whenever the legislature may deem it expedient for the public interests that the revocation shall be made. ”

“ The charter or incorporating act of a municipal corporation is in nosense sense a contract between the state and the corporation, although, as we shall presently act of a municipal corporation is in no not, indeed, in favor of the corporation or rather the community which is incorporated, may arise under it. ”