Corporation of the City of Washington v. Pratt’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

2 federal appellate · 2 district · 5 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 19 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““It was undoubtedly in the power of Congress to have’ left what latitude they pleased to the assessor in designating the owner; but if they have confined him to the,, necessity of determining the true owner, it is not in our-power to enlarge his discretion. It may bo a hardship upon the corporation, but the legislature only can decide whether that hardship shall be perpetuated or not. It must be observed that the alternative is one which would put it in the power of the assessor to designate a mere-nominal owner, a kind of casual ejector, in every, case. Had Congress intended to lighten the labors of the corporation or their assessor in this respect, there were very simple means of doing it. They might have sanctioned a designation with reference to the first or last vendee of record.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Hawthorne v. City of East Portland

2. ““ This question, as well as every other in the cause, must find a solution in the provisions of the law which vests the power to sell. Where these are explicit and consistent, there is no ground for adjudication but their literal meaning. That they must be construed strictly,* follows from their affecting private rights, and particularly rights of freehold; and that they must be pursued strictly, is the consequence of their being the sole foundation of the powers executed under them.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Hawthorne v. City of East Portland