Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. v. Manning

Citations

• 186 U.S. 238
• 22 S. Ct. 881
• 46 L. Ed. 1144
• 1902 U.S. LEXIS 892

Syllabus

<p>The Court of Appeals made a complete disposition of the controversy in this case, and all that was left for the Supreme Court was the ministerial duty of entering a final injunction in the language of the preliminary order, witli the proviso that it should operate until such time in the future as the defendant should voluntarily withdraw from business in the District of Columbia; and this was clearly a final decree.</p> <p>Courts always presume that a legislature in enacting statutes acts advisedly and. with full knowledge of the situation, and they must accept its action as that of a body having full power to act, and only acting when it has acquired sufficient information to justify its action.</p> <p>While a legislature niáy prescribe regulations for the management of business of a public nature, even though carried on by private corporations, with private capital, and for private.benefit, the language of such regu- ' lations will not be broadened by implication.</p> <p>The decree as directed by the Court of Appeals was erroneous, and cast a burden upon .the defendant to which it was not subjected by the legislation of Congress.</p>