upr000285 227

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 act also provided, however that in granting franchises fo r e le c t r ic a l, gas or water works, the terra o f such franchises should not exceed twenty-five years, and that any franchise granted should he groatad upon the express condition that the municipality sh all at any time have the right and power to pur­chase or condemn any such works at it s actual cash value and at a price excluding the value of the franchise. A ll of the foregoing cases, however, and a l l other oases ©n the subject recognise the general proposition that property devoted to a public use cannot be taken by condemnation to be devoted to th© asm© or inconstant use, without express authority from the le g isla tu re o r le g is la tiv e power necessarily Implied. note Ann. Gas. 19151! 105 i | A. L. 1. 1505 Vermont Hydro etc* Gorp vs. Dunn IS A* L* B# 1495 HI A tl. 223; Mote 2 L.B.A* (N .S.) 227 City o f Albuqnerfue vs. Gar©a 130 P. 118 20 C. J. 000 N. 80-81 10 E * 0 * L « 198 See McQuillan Munie Gorp, 2nd. M . Par* 1620 Note 41 L.B.A. (N.3.) 829 Th© only statutory authority is that cited supra. These statutory provisions do not expressly authorise th© City to. take property already dedicated to a public us®, nor can the authority so to take such property be Implied therefrom* Subsection 80 o f Section 31 of the City Charter (Statutes 1981 P. 377 at page 390) authorises the condemnation of property necessary or required for th® public use of the City, *in th® manner prescribed by general law'*. And the general law authorizes the taking of property devoted to a public use, only "fo r a, more necessary public use then that to which i t has been already ap­propriated" . ih ile in th© cases cited supra th© courts held that the statutes there involved implied the right to condemn by th© m unicipalities on account of the la rg e r public us© and more general public benefit resulting from municipal operation, or on account —1 0 —