Opinion of the Court.

for § 18, which, if correct, would destroy the plaintiff's rights and privileges conferred under and by its charter, in so far as the same relate to the territory and limit within which the plaintiff has the exclusive right to furnish public water supply through pipes and mains; that this alleged ambiguity has given rise to serious contention, has already caused, and, if continued, will in the future cause, the plaintiff much contention, litigation, expense, loss and damage; that it is important that the true, actual and proper construction of said § 18, and the proviso therein contained, should be judicially ascertained and decreed; that the court should adjudge, decree and declare, as between the plaintiff and the defendant, the true and actual meaning and construction of said section and proviso, in order that all future disputes and contentions in relation thereto may be at an end, and the plaintiff have knowledge of its actual rights in the premises; that the plaintiff is remediless in a court of law, and therefore applies and appeals to the court sitting in equity, having peculiar and full power and jurisdiction in the premises by virtue of the Constitution and laws of the United States; and that all of said actings and doings of the defendant are contrary to equity and good conscience, and tend to the manifest wrong, injury and oppression of the plaintiff.

The relief sought by the bill is a decree determining to what class the property, ownership or possession of the property specified contained in that § 18 applies, and estab lishing and defining the limit beyond which the defendant has no power under said state legislation to authorize any person or corporation to invade the plaintiff's exclusive rights by laying pipes and drawing water from the Mississippi River or other public waters; that it be also adjudged and decreed that the rights conferred upon the plaintiff are those declared in New Orleans Water Works Company v. Robert E. Rivers, and in the case of The New Orleans Water Works Company v. The St. Tammany Water Works Company; that the plaintiff is lawfully entitled to have for and during the period named in said act of incorporation all of the exclusive rights and privileges named and set forth therein; that all the said acts, reso

Opinion of the Court.

lutions and grants sought to be made by the defendant to persons or corporations, not being possessors or owners of property not touching the banks of the Mississippi River within the parish of Orleans, are null, void and of no effect; that defendant be ordered, adjudged and decreed, within a time certain, to be named in the decree, to recall, expunge, repeal and cancel each and all of said alleged ordinances, resolutions, grants or licenses so made by it, since the date the plaintiff became invested with said exclusive rights, save only such grants, permits, ordinances or resolutions as relate to or are confined to property and premises contiguous to the Mississippi River; and that in the event defendant shall neglect or refuse in some public way to declare the same recalled, cancelled, annulled and avoided within a time specified in such decree, the court will declare, adjudge and decree the same, and each and all of them, to be absolutely null and void and of no effect, and as conferring no rights or authority whatsoever, nor lawful reason for the invasion of the plaintiff's said exclusive rights.

The plaintiff asked that a writ of injunction be issued, inhibiting and forbidding the city of New Orleans, its council, officers, agents or departments, from granting or allowing to any person, persons or corporation any further or other like grants, licenses, privileges or warrants in any form, on the face thereof assuming to grant unto any person, persons or corporation any right or privilege to lay or maintain any pipes, mains or conduits from the Mississippi River across, along or through any public place or territory within the limits of New Orleans, where said premises are not contiguous to the Mississippi River; also, that it be adjudged and decreed that in so far as the matters were in issue and litigated in said cause of the said New Orleans Water Works Company against the St. Tammany Water Works Company, the judgment and decree therein determined the rights of the plaintiff, as between it and the city of New Orleans, beyond further contention and dispute, and that the defendant "be compelled to abide by, observe and enforce the same "; and that such decree be carried into full force and effect by such proper order, judgment

Opinion of the Court.

or decree therein as might be necessary to accomplish that end and compel obedience to its provisions.

The Circuit Court sustained a demurrer to the bill, and dismissed the suit with costs to the city.

It appears from the bill of complaint the facts therein set forth being admitted by demurrer - that the city of New Orleans has by ordinances granted to a large number of corporations, associations and individuals the privilege of laying pipes in its streets for the purpose of conveying water to their respective premises from the Mississippi. These ordinances, the plaintiff contends, are in derogation of its rights and privileges as heretofore declared and adjudged by this court in the Rivers and St. Tammany cases. None of the parties for whose benefit the ordinances above referred to were passed were brought before the court or given an opportunity to be heard. Nevertheless, the plaintiff seeks a decree not only declaring those ordinances to be null and void, but requiring the city, within a named time, to recall, expunge, repeal and cancel each ordinance that does not relate to premises contiguous to the Mississippi River, and if the city does not, within such time, and in some public way, cancel and annul those ordinances, then that the court, in this suit, shall adjudge and decree them to be null and void as illegally interfering with the rights of the plaintiff.

We do not suppose that any precedent can be found that would justify a court of equity in giving such relief. A decree declaring the ordinances in question void would have no effect in law upon the rights of the beneficiaries named in the ordinances; for, in the absence of the parties interested and without their having an opportunity to be heard, the court would be without jurisdiction to make an adjudication affecting them. Such a decree would appear, upon the very face of the record, not to be due process of law, and could be treated everywhere as a nullity. Windsor v. McVeigh, 93 U. S. 274, 277; Pennoyer v. Neff, 95 U. S. 714, 733; Scott v. McNeal, 154 U. S. 34, 46.

Ought the court to have proceeded to a decree, or held the bill to be sufficient for relief, as between the plaintiff and the

Opinion of the Court.

city? In effect, a decree is asked against the city reasserting, for its guidance in the future, the principles announced in the Rivers and St. Tammany cases, and informing it that, in passing the ordinances complained of, it had done violence to those principles. But of what avail would such a decree be, if the city council, the members of which are not before the court, were left free to enact ordinances granting to other parties, in violation of the plaintiff's rights, the privilege of placing pipes in the streets of the city through which to convey water from the Mississippi River to their respective premises? If it be said that a final decree against the city, enjoining it from making such grants in the future, will control the future action of the city council of New Orleans, and will, therefore, tend to protect the plaintiff in its rights, our answer is that a court of equity cannot properly interfere with, or in advance restrain, the discretion of a municipal body while it is in the exercise of powers that are legislative in their character. It ought not to attempt to do indirectly what it could not do directly. In view of the adjudged cases, it cannot be doubted that the legislature may delegate to municipal assemblies the power of enacting ordinances that relate to local matters, and that such ordinances, if legally enacted, have the force of laws passed by the legislature of the State and are to be respected by all. But the courts will pass the line that separates judicial from legislative authority if by any order or in any mode they assume to control the discretion with which municipal assemblies are invested, when deliberating upon the adoption or rejection of ordinances proposed for their adoption. The passage of ordinances by such bodies are legislative acts which a court of equity will not enjoin. Chicago v. Evans, 24 Illinois, 52, 57; Des Moines Gas Co. v. Des Moines, 44 Iowa, 505; 1 Dillon on Mun. Corp. § 308, and notes; 2 High on Injunctions, § 1246. If an ordinance be passed and is invalid, the jurisdiction of the courts may then be invoked for the protection of private rights that may be violated by its enforcement. Page's case, 34 Maryland, 558, 564; Baltimore v. Radecke, 49 Maryland, 217, 231.

As no decree can be properly rendered that will affect the

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rights of the beneficiaries named in the ordinances enacted before this suit was commenced — such beneficiaries not being before the court-a court of equity ought not, by any form of proceeding, to interfere with the course of proceedings in the city council of New Orleans, and enjoin that branch of its municipal government from hereafter passing ordinances similar to those heretofore enacted and which are alleged to be obnoxious to the plaintiff's rights. The mischievous consequences that may result from the attempt of courts of equity to control the proceedings of municipal bodies when engaged in the consideration of matters entirely legislative in their character, are too apparent to permit such judicial action as this suit contemplates. We repeat that when the city council shall pass an ordinance that infringes the rights of the plaintiff, and is unconstitutional and void as impairing the obligation of its contract with the State, it will be time enough for equity to interfere, and by injunction prevent the execution of such ordinance. If the ordinances already passed are in derogation of the plaintiff's contract rights, their enforcement can be prevented by appropriate proceedings instituted directly against the parties who seek to have the benefit of them. This may involve the plaintiff in a multiplicity of actions. But that circumstance cannot justify any such decree as it asks.

Upon the grounds we have indicated, and without considering the merits of the case, the decree below must be

Affirmed.