This case was before this court at the October term, 1901, and is reported in 185 U.S. 65. It was then here upon the question of jurisdiction, and it was held that it presented a controversy arising under the Constitution of the United States, such as gave the Circuit Court jurisdiction. There was no diversity of citizenship, and the bill was filed by the Vicksburg Waterworks Company, a corporation of the State of Mississippi, against the Mayor and Aldermen of the city of Vicksburg, a municipal corporation of the same State. In view of the full statement of the contents of the bill and the amended hill in the case, as reported in 185 U.S., it is unnecessary to repeat it. On the present appeal a motion to dismiss or affirm was made, which was passed, to be heard with the merits. We regard the decision of this court, when the case was here at the former term, as settling the question of jurisdiction, and affirmatively determining that upon the bill and amended bill the complainant alleged a case which involved the application of the Constitution of the United States and appealable to this court, within section 5 of the act of March 3, 1891, as amended. 26 Stat. 827.
The suit was brought by the Waterworks Company, claiming an exclusive right as against the city under a contract with it for the construction and maintenance for a period of thirty years of a system of waterworks, which exclusive contract, it was alleged, would be practically destroyed if subjected to the competition of a system of waterworks to be erected by the city itself, which was in contemplation under authority of an act of the legislature of Mississippi, authorizing the Mayor and Aldermen of the city of Vicksburg to issue bonds to the amount
Upon the case going back to the Circuit Court an answer was filed raising issues as to whether the complainant had accepted and performed the agreement in its contract to supply water to the city, and denying the right of the complainant to have and to own the contract and the authority of the city to make an exclusive contract, and detailing other matters not necessary to further set forth.
Certain questions of fact as to the character of the water supplied by the complainant, the pressure maintained and similar questions were decided by the Circuit Court in favor of the appellees. An examination of the record makes it sufficient for us to say that we find no reason for disturbing the conclusions of the Circuit Court upon these questions.
The decree in the court below was in favor of the Waterworks Company, maintaining its right to the contract for hydrant rentals and enjoining the city, during the period of the contract, from constructing a waterworks system of its own, and requiring the city to construct a sewer for the disposal of house sewage from the city.
The assignments of error necessary to be considered are:
1. As to the alleged error of the court below in permitting a corporation known as the City Waterworks and Light Company, which had intervened in the case, to withdraw from the files its original bill in the nature of a supplemental bill, and striking out certain testimony which had been taken concerning the same.
2. In enforcing the contract with the city in favor of the complainant and restraining the city from erecting waterworks of
3. In requiring the construction of the sewer by the city.
We shall proceed to notice these in the order named.
The City Waterworks and Light Company, on December 2, 1903, filed its petition praying to be admitted as a party complainant in the cause, and set up that it was the owner of the contract sued upon. To this petition the city answered, denying that the City Waterworks and Light Company had purchased, by deed or otherwise, or owned the property, real and personal, of the complainant the Vicksburg Waterworks Company, and denying that the City Waterworks and Light Company had any interest in the subject matter of the suit or should be admitted as a party complainant therein. The City Waterworks and Light Company then filed its original bill in the nature of a supplemental bill, on May 5, 1904, after the city had denied that it had any interest in the suit. On May 13, 1904, it filed a motion asking leave to withdraw its petition and bill from the files, which motion was granted by the court, and the motion of the Vicksburg Waterworks Company to withdraw from the files its written consent to the filing of the bill was also sustained, and the court granted the withdrawal of the petition, bill, exhibits and written consent. Thereupon the city offered a supplemental answer, and asked the court for leave to file the same. This answer made allegations setting forth the transfer of the contract to the City Waterworks and Light Company, and asked for a continuance of the cause, with leave to take testimony to support the averments of this supplemental answer. The court, on the same day, May 13, 1904, overruled the city's motion for leave to file the supplemental answer and for continuance with leave to take testimony in support thereof, and proceeded to hear the case upon the original pleadings and proofs. It also permitted the withdrawal of certain testimony referring to the City Waterworks and Light Company and the transfer of the contract to it. In view of
In the action of the court just recited we can find no ground for a reversal. The City Waterworks and Light Company had come into the case claiming an ownership of the contract, which was denied by the city; certain testimony was filed concerning this claim of the company. We think it was discretionary with the court to permit the withdrawal of these pleadings and the suppression of this testimony, and it was likewise within its discretion to permit or deny a further answer by the city setting up the alleged transfer of ownership. These matters, except in cases of gross abuse of discretion, are within the control of the trial court. Chapman v. Barney, 129 U.S. 677, 681; Dean v. Mason, 20 How. 198, 204.
The principal controversy in the case is as to the correctness of the decree of the court below restraining the city from erecting waterworks of its own within the period named in the contract, which decree proceeded upon the theory that the city had excluded itself from erecting or maintaining a system of waterworks of its own during that period. The contract for the construction of the waterworks was originally made on November 18, 1886, by an ordinance of that date, granting to Samuel R. Bullock & Company, their associates, successors and assigns, the right and privilege to construct a waterworks system in the city of Vicksburg, for the period of thirty years from the date of the ordinance. Section 1 of the ordinance provided that, in consideration of the public benefit to be derived therefrom, the exclusive right and privilege was granted for the period of thirty years from the time the ordinance took effect, to Samuel R. Bullock & Company, their associates, successors and assigns, to erect, maintain and operate a system of waterworks in accordance with the terms of the ordinance, and of using the streets, alleys, etc., within the corporate limits of the city, as they then existed or might thereafter be extended, for the purpose of laying pipes and mains and other conduits,
A preliminary question is made that the Vicksburg Waterworks Company did not acquire title to the contract rights by virtue of these proceedings. But we are cited to an act of the legislature of Mississippi, approved March 7, 1882, Laws of 1882, p. 50, which upon its face is broad enough to authorize such corporations to borrow money and secure the payment of the same by mortgage or deed of trust upon their property and franchises, and we think the mortgage in question would include the contract rights of the Vicksburg Water Supply Company, and that they would pass by the sale and subsequent quitclaim deed to the Vicksburg Waterworks Company. Where a company is authorized to mortgage its franchises and rights, these may be sold and the purchaser acquire title thereto at foreclosure sale, although the corporate right to exist may not be sold. Memphis R.R. Co. v. Commissioners, 112 U.S. 609. The power to mortgage the privileges and rights of the corporation must necessarily include the power to bring them to sale to make the mortgage effectual. New Orleans &c. R.R. Co. v. Delamore, 114 U.S. 501, cited and followed in Julian v. Cent. Trust Co., 193 U.S. 93, 106. We think the mortgage in this case covered and the decree passed the contract rights given originally to the Vicksburg Water Supply Company by the ordinance of November 18, 1886.
It is further urged that the Vicksburg Waterworks Company was organized after the taking effect of the constitution of Mississippi of 1890, which provided: "Sec. 178. Corporations shall be formed under general laws only. The legislature shall have power to alter, amend or repeal any charter of incorporation now existing and revocable, and any that may hereafter be created, whenever, in its opinion, it may be for the public interests to do so; provided, however, that no injustice shall be done to the stockholders." And it is insisted that the subsequent legislative authority given to the city to issue bonds and
Coming directly then to the question whether this is an exclusive contract, the question resolves itself into two branches. Had the city the right to make a contract excluding itself? And, if so, has the contract now under consideration that effect? The legislature of the State of Mississippi on March 8, 1886, in the charter of the city of Vicksburg, among others, gave to the city the following powers: "To provide for the erection and maintenance of a system of waterworks to supply said city with water, and to that end to contract with a party or parties who shall build and operate waterworks." The question is now, not whether the city might make a contract giving the exclusive right as against all third persons to erect a system of waterworks, but whether it can, in exercising this legislative power, exclude itself from constructing and operating waterworks for the period of years covered by the contract. It is
We do not think any of these cases decisive of the point. In Collins v. Sherman, it was held that the charter granting the right to a turnpike and ferry company to maintain a ferry upon a particular river, which contained no grant of an exclusive right, did not prevent the legislature from afterwards incorporating another company authorized to establish a turnpike and ferry upon the same river and upon the same line of travel, although the establishment of the latter company might materially impair the value of the franchise granted to the first company. The cases were cited and the general principles stated that exclusive privileges could not be granted by implication; there was no attempt to make the first franchise exclusive in that case. In Gaines v. Coates, it was held that the act in question did not confer upon a certain corporation the exclusive privilege of weighing cotton; that there was nothing in the charter indicating any intention to confer an exclusive right, and many cases were cited, including a number from this court, to the effect that exclusive privileges are not to be granted by implication. In Greenville Water-Works Co. v. City of Greenville, the city of Greenville had made a contract with the Greenville Water-Works Company to build a system of waterworks by a certain time, but the company had failed to comply with the contract, the time was extended and the company again defaulted. The city thereupon cancelled the contract and made a new contract with the Delta Waterworks Company. Then the Greenville Water-Works Company filed a bill to enjoin the city and the other company from carrying out the contract and prayed for a specific performance of its contract with the city. The court held that there was no power given by the charter of the city of Greenville to grant a monopoly for a long series of years for supplying the city and its inhabitants with water. The question whether the city could
"An agreement of this kind was a natural incident to the main purpose of the contract, to the power given to the city by its charter to provide a sufficient supply of water, and to grant the right to use the streets of the city for the purpose of laying water pipes to any persons or association of persons for a term not exceeding twenty-five years. In establishing a system of waterworks the company would necessarily incur a large expense in the construction of the power house and the
"Cases are not infrequent where, under a general power to cause the streets of a city to be lighted or to furnish its inhabitants with a supply of water, without limitation as to time, it has been held that the city has no right to grant an exclusive franchise for a period of years; but these cases do not touch upon the question how far the city, in the exercise of an undoubted power to make a particular contract, can hedge it about with limitations designed to do little more than bind the city to carry out the contract in good faith and with decent regard for the rights of the other party."
In the Walla Walla case the same general power to make the contract existed. There was an express provision against making an exclusive contract, and this court held that for the period mentioned in the contract, and as incident to the protection of the rights of the contractor, the city might exclude itself from competition. We think that case is decisive of the present one on this proposition.
We shall proceed to consider whether the language of the contract is such as to prevent the city, during the period named therein, from erecting a waterworks of its own.
The case of Lehigh Water Company's Appeal, 102 Pa. St. 515, cited by counsel for appellant, is not in point. The act provided "the right to have and enjoy the franchises and privileges of such incorporation within the district or locality covered by its charter shall be an exclusive one; and no other company shall be incorporated for that purpose until the said corporation shall have, from its earnings, realized and divided among its stockholders, during five years, a dividend equal to eight per centum per annum upon its capital stock." Of this grant Mr. Justice Paxson, who delivered the opinion of the court, observed:
In considering this contract we are to remember the well-established rule in this court which requires grants of franchises and special privileges to be most strongly construed in favor of the public, and that where the privilege claimed is doubtful nothing is to be taken by mere implication as against public rights. This rule has been applied to a series of contracts in waterworks and lighting cases, and we have no disposition to detract from its force and effect. And unless the city has excluded itself in plain and explicit terms from competition with the Water-Works Company during the period of this contract it cannot be held to have done so by mere implication. The rule, as applied to waterworks contracts, was last announced in this court in Knoxville Water Company v. Knoxville, 200 U.S. 22, decided at this term, citing previous cases.
The contract in the respect under consideration is found in section 1 of the ordinance, and undertakes to give to Bullock & Company, their associates, successors and assigns, the exclusive right and privilege, for the period of thirty years, from the time the ordinance takes effect, of erecting, maintaining and operating a system of waterworks, with certain privileges named, for the furnishing of a supply of good water to the city of Vicksburg and its inhabitants, for public and private use.
The term "exclusive" is so plain that little additional light
The court decreed as to a sewer, which the record discloses was originally a surface-water sewer, that the city should refrain from permitting future connections therewith for the conveyance of house sewage. The company complaining that this sewer entered into the source of supply above the intake of the waterworks, the court by a mandatory injunction required the city of Vicksburg to extend the sewer and construct an outlet therefor, so as to discharge sewage into the Yazoo or Mississippi river, below the intake of the complainant, provided, if the city was unable to construct such sewer within
We find no error in the decree of the Circuit Court enforcing the contract rights of the complainant and enjoining the city from erecting its own works during the term of the contract, but error in granting a mandatory injunction as to the sewer, and in that respect the decree will be modified, and, as so modified,
Affirmed.
MR. JUSTICE HARLAN, dissenting. I cannot agree to the opinion and judgment in this case.
In my opinion the city of Vicksburg had no authority, under the constitution and laws of Mississippi, to give an exclusive right to any person or corporation to maintain a system of waterworks for the benefit of that city and its people.
But if I am wrong in this view, it ought not, in my judgment, to be held upon the present record that the city has, by ordinance or otherwise, precluded itself from establishing and maintaining, at its own expense, a system of waterworks for the benefit of its people. The contrary cannot be maintained, unless we hold that a municipal corporation may, by mere implication, bargain away its duty to protect the public health and the public safety as they are involved in supplying the people with sufficient water. Nothing can be more important or vital to any people than that they should be supplied with
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