California v. Southern Pacific Co.

Citations

• 157 U.S. 229
• 15 S. Ct. 591
• 39 L. Ed. 683
• 1895 U.S. LEXIS 2198

Syllabus

<p>' This court has no original jurisdiction of a suit between a State on the oye side, and citizens of another State and citizens of the same State on the other side.</p> <p>When an original cause is pending in this court, to be disposed of here in the first instance and in the exercise of .an exceptional jurisdiction, it does not comport with the gravity and the finality which should characterize such an adjudication, to proceed in the absence of parties whose rights would be in effect determined, even though they might not be technically bound in subsequent litigations in some other tribunal.</p> <p>The city of Oakland and the Oakland Water Front Company are so situated in respect of this litigation, that the court ought not to proceed in their absence; and as, if they were brought in, the ease would then be between the State of California, on the one hand, and a citizen cf another State and citizens of California on the other, this court cannot, under such circumstances, take original jurisdiction of it.</p>