City of Alton v. Ætna Insurance

Citations

• 82 Ill. 45

Syllabus

<p>1. Municipal corporation—acts heyond powers conferred we void. Any acts a city council may assume to perform not fairly-within the powers conferred on it by statute, are ultra vires.</p> <p>2. Same—chwter construed as to taxing insurance companies. Authority in a city charter to license and tax insurance companies or their agents, to raise a fund with which to procure apparatus for extinguishing fires, and constructing reservoirs, does not justify an ordinance levying a tax upon premiums earned by such companies in the city to constitute a fund to be applied to the support of the fire department generally.</p>