The Mayor v. Ray’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

18 federal appellate · 2 district · 74 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 131 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““ . . . But to invest such documents with the character and incidents of commercial paper, so as to render them in the hands of bona fide holders absolute obligations to pay, however irregularly or fraudulently issued, is an abuse of their true character and purpose. It has the effect of converting a municipal organization into a trading company, and puts it in the power of corrupt officials to involve a political community in irretrievable bankruptcy. No such power ought to exist, and in our opinion no such power does legally exist, unless conferred by legislative enactment, either express or clearly implied.””

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. District of Columbia v. Cornell · Petters Co. v. Rock River

2. ““But every holder of a city order or certificate knows that, to be valid and genuine at all, it must have been issued as a voucher for city indebtedness. It could not be lawfully issued for any other purpose. He must take it, therefore, subject to the risk that it has been lawfully and properly issued. His claim to be a bona fide holder will always be subject to this qualification. The face of the paper itself is notice to him that its validity depends upon the regularity of its issue. The officers of the city have no authority to issue it for any illegal or improper purpose, and their acts cannot create an estoppel against the city itself, its taxpayers, or people.””

   3 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Hornblower v. City of Pierre · First National Bank v. Gates

3. ““The power to borrow money * * * does not belong to a municipal corporation as an incident of its creation. To be possessed it must be conferred by legislation, either express or implied. It does not belong, as a mere matter of course, to local governments to raise loans. Such governments are not created for any such purpose. “ ⅜ * ⅜ The idea that they have the incidental power to issue an unlimited amount of obligations of such a character as to be irretrievably binding on the people * ® ⅜ is the growth of a modern misconception of their true object and character. If in the exorcise of their important trusts the power to borrow money and to issue bonds or other commercial securities is needed, the Legislature can easily confer it under the proper limitations and restraints, and with proper provisions for future repayment. Without such authority it cannot be legally exercised. It is too dangerous a power to be exercised by all municipal bodies indiscriminately, managed as they are by persons whose individual responsibility is not at stake.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. City of Juneau v. Hixson