Hoadley's Administrators v. San Francisco

Citations

• 124 U.S. 639
• 8 S. Ct. 659
• 31 L. Ed. 553
• 1888 U.S. LEXIS 1901

Syllabus

<p>When a cause is brought here by writ of error to a state court, on the ground that the obligation of a contract has been impaired and property taken for public use without due compensation, in •violation of the provisions of the Constitution of the United States, the first duty of this court is to inquire whether the alleged contract or taking of property exists; and the facts in this record disclose no trace of the alleged contract or the alleged taking of property.</p> <p>Tfoe act of Congress of July 1, 1861,13 Stat.'332, c. 191, taken in .connection with the ordinances of the city of San francisco and the act of the legislature of California which it refers to, operated 'to convey to the city the land occupied hy the squares known as “ Alta Plaza ” and “ Hamilton Square ” for the uses and purposes specified in the ordinances, and to dedicate the tracts to public use as squares, and made it unlawful for the city to convey the same to any private. parties; and the conveyance did not in any way inure to- the benefit of the plaintiff in error.</p>