36 Kan. 519 | Kan. | 1887
The opinion of the court was delivered by
It is contended that the plaintiff is not entitled to the relief demanded in the alternative writ, for the reason that he is attempting to enforce the provisions of a contract between the city of Hiawatha and himself, and that if any contract exists as he alleges, he has a plain and adequate remedy at law, either by an action for damages or a proceeding
It is well settled that the writ of mandamus lies in all cases where the plaintiff has a clear legal right to the performance of some official or corporate act, by a public officer or corporation, and no other adequate, specific remedy exists. (Civil Code, § 688; Railroad Co. v. Comm’rs of Clinton Co., 1 Ohio St. 77; The State, ex rel., v. Comm’rs of Jefferson Co., 11 Kas. 67; A. T. & S. F. Rld. Co. v. Comm’rs of Jefferson Co., 12 id. 127; The State v. Mo. Pac. Rly. Co., 33 id. 176; High Ex. Rem., §§17, 333; People v. Mayor, 10 Wend. 245; Van Rensselaer v. Sheriff, 1 Cow. 501; Railroad Co. v. Wisdom, 5 Heisk. 125.) Moses on Mandamus, p. 14, lays down this as the rule:
“ It will therefore be observed, that it is one of the remedie,? resorted to when a person desires to be placed in possession of a right illegally and unjustly withheld from him. It does not award damages as a compensation for an injury, but it seeks to give the thing itself, the withholding of which constitutes the injury complained of.
Within Railroad Co. v. Comm’rs of Jefferson Co., supra, and the authorities cited, the ordinary remedies of the law are insufficient for the proper enforcement of the rights claimed by the plaintiff. There is no legal remedy, other than by mandamus, by which he can obtain the identical bonds contracted for. He desires the execution and the possession of these bonds; and if the contract has been completed, as he alleges, the execution and delivery of these bonds by the defendants is an official duty imposed upon them by their contract.
The authority given to issue bonds bearing interest at a rate not to exceed six per cent, per annum, empowers the defendants to issue bonds bearing interest at the rate of five and one-half per cent. Ordinarily, the authorized officials of a municipal corporation may bind it by resolution, or by vote clothe its officers with power to act for it. Our attention has not been called to any section of the “ act to incorporate cities of the second class” prohibiting the sale of bouds, or other personal property of a city, by resolution. In our examination of the statute, we have found no such limitation or restriction; therefore the contract entered into between the parties to this action, upon the resolution of the city council, as set forth in the writ, is valid. The motion to quash will be overruled.