Mulrein v. Kalloch

Discretion oe Board oe New City Hall Commissioners as to Materials etc.—New City Hall Commissioners, San Francisco—Injunction.— Action to enjoin the payment of money to defendant Carter upon a “lathing and furring contract” with the City Hall Commissioners. Defendants, “Commissioners of the New City Hall,” caused to be published an invitation for proposals for furnishing materials' and doing certain work upon the Hall. The notice declared that the work was to be performed and the materials supplied in accordance with contract and specifications mentioned. Among the specifications was one which read: “The lathing used must be either Carter’s patent lathing of the same construction as that previously used on the building, and which must be cut out and manufactured from the sheet iron within the limits of the City and County of San Francisco, or it must be some other description of lathing, also to be cut out and manufactured from the sheet iron within the limits of the City and County of San Francisco, of equal quality and merit to the lathing above specified, and to be approved as such by the Commissioners and the Architec.t and the Superintendent. ”

Held: 1. The Act of March 24, 1876, under which the Commissioners were acting, contemplated the preparation of specifications, before the publication of notice for bids.

2. If the Commissioners had power to adopt the specification there is no question but the notice for bids was in proper form and was published as required by Section 14 of the Act.

3. If the Court could substitute its judgment for that of the Commissioner in determining what kind of lathing should.be used and where it should be manufactured, there is no evidence in the record to show that the Commissioners were mistaken; and the Court can not take judicial notice that the facts are not as found by the Commissioners.

4. The contract made by the Commissioners with the defendant Carter is not void.