Reports of Cases at Law and in Equity Determined by the Supreme Court of the State of Iowa, Volume 147

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State of Iowa, 1910
 

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Page 533 - All laws should receive a sensible construction. General terms should be so limited in their application as not to lead to injustice, oppression, or an absurd consequence. It will always, therefore, be presumed that the legislature intended exceptions to its language, which would avoid results of this character. The reason of the law in such cases should prevail over its letter.
Page 324 - I give, devise and bequeath all the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal, to my beloved wife, to have and to hold to her, my said wife, and to her heirs and assigns forever.
Page 533 - It is a familiar rule, that a thing may be within the letter of the statute and yet not within the statute, because not within its spirit, nor within the intention of its makers.
Page 429 - It was tried to a jury, resulting in a verdict and judgment for respondent.
Page 445 - An Act to Provide for the Adjustment of Land Grants Made by Congress To Aid in the Construction of Railroads, and for the Forfeiture of Unearned Lands, and for Other Purposes.
Page 525 - The sound and true rule is, that if the contract, when made, was valid by the laws of the state as then expounded by all departments of the government, and administered in its courts of justice, its validity and obligation cannot be impaired by any subsequent action of legislation or decision of its courts, altering the construction of the law.
Page 534 - It is a familiar canon of construction that a thing which is within the intention of the makers of a statute is as much within the statute as if it were within the letter; and a thing which is within the letter of the statute is not within the statute unless it be within the intention of the makers.
Page 456 - ... manufacture, sell, exchange, barter, dispense, give in consideration of the purchase of any property or of any services or in evasion of the statute, or keep for sale, any intoxicating liquor, which term shall be construed to mean alcohol, ale, wine, beer, spirituous, vinous and malt liquor, and all intoxicating liquor whatever...
Page 79 - ... the name of each person voted for, and the number of votes for each, expressed in words at length.
Page 533 - This is not the substitution of the will of the judge for that of the legislator, for frequently words of general meaning are used in a statute, words broad enough to include an act in question, and yet a consideration of the whole legislation, or of the circumstances surrounding its enactment, or of the absurd results which follow from giving such broad meaning to the words, makes it unreasonable to believe that the legislator intended to include the particular act.

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