A public corporation has no implied authority to make contracts which are not necessary to carry out the governmental purposes for which it was formed. Thus power to buy land for its use and benefit is not power to buy for investment;1 nor for making a gift thereof,2 nor can a county bind itself by a warranty in its deed,3 nor convey realty without an express grant of power.4 A public corporation cannot under general power contract that it will abstain from exercising powers necessary in conducting local government.5 It cannot contract away its police power,6 or its power to tax.7 A city cannot bind itself for all future time; as to maintain a bridge,8 or a well in a public street,9 nor can a city covenant to keep a whole street open,10 nor guarantee against all damage from the backing up of a sewer.11 A contract whereby a railroad agrees to pay to the city all damages due to abutting property owners for vacating a street is unenforceable.12 So a contract entered into by a city for paving as a street a strip of ground in which the city has no right of way is ultra vires.13 Under general power to dispose of its property it cannot lease its waterworks.1* While a city may grant a franchise, and such contract is valid and binding on the city,15 it has no power, in the absence of express statutory grant, to contract for an exclusive franchise.16 General language does not imply power to grant exclusive privileges.17 Thus an exclusive grant of the right to furnish water for a term of years is invalid.18 So a public corporation cannot contract for a monopoly of gas.19 A public corporation cannot by contract assume liabilities imposed by law upon other public bodies and not upon itself. Thus a city cannot offer a reward for conviction for a state offense,20 or issue bonds for a county jail.21 County bonds for road purposes cannot be issued where a city within the county is not subject to the road tax,22 nor for a state institution.23

47 S. C. 418; sub nom. State ex rel. McWhirter v. Evans, 25 S. E. 216.

2 Biddle v. Riverton, 58 N. J. L. 289; 33 Atl. 279.

3 Hubbell v. Custer City, 15 S. D. 55; 87 N. W. 520.

4 Hamilton v. Detroit, 85 Minn. 83; 88 N. W. 419.

1 Hunnicutt v. Atlanta, 104 Ga. 1; 30 S. E. 500.

2 Markley v. Mineral City, 58 O. S. 430; 65 Am. St. Rep. 776; 51 N. E. 28.

3 Harrison v. Palo Alto Co.. 104 Ia. 383; 73 N. W. 872; (citing Find-la v. San Francisco, 13 Cal. 534).

4 Jefferson County v. Grafton, 74 Miss. 435; 60 Am. St. Rep. 516; 36 L. R. A. 798; 21 So. 247.

5 McBean v. Fresno. 112 Cal. 159; 53 Am. St. Rep. 191; 31 L. R. A. 794; 44 Pac. 358; Flynn v. Water Co., 74 Minn. 180; 77 N. W. 38; 78 N. W. 106.

6 Pittsburg, etc., Ry. Co. v. Hood, 94 Fed. 618; 36 C. C. A. 423.

7 Altgelt v. San Antonio. 81 Tex. 436; 13 L. R. A. 383; 17 S. W. 75.

8 State v. Ry.. 80 Minn. 108; 50 L. R. A. 656: 83 N. W. 32.

9 Snyder v. Mt. Pulaski. 176 111. 397; 44 L. R. A. 407; 52 N. E. 62.

10 Penley v. Auburn, 85 Me. 278;

21 L. R. A. 657; 27 Atl. 158.

11 Nashville v. Sutherland, 92 Tenn. 335; 36 Am. St. Rep. 88; 19 L. R. A. 619; 21 S. W. 674.

12 New Haven v. R. R., 62 Conn. 252; 18 L. R. A. 256; 25 Atl. 316.

13 Sang v. Duluth, 58 Minn. 81; 59 N. W. 878.

14 Ogden City v. Irrigation Co., 16 Utah 440; 41 L. R. A. 305; 52 Pac. 697; citing Huron Waterworks Co. v. Huron, 7 S. D. 9; 58 Am. St. Rep. 817; 30 L. R. A. 848; 62 N. W. 975.

15 People v. Telephone Co., 192 111. 307; 85 Am. St. Rep. 338; 61 N. E. 428; Baxter Springs v. Power Co.. 64 Kan. 591: 68 Pac. 63.

16 Syracuse Water Co. v. Syracuse, 116 X. Y. 167: 5 L. R. A. 546;

22 N. E. 381; Thrift v. Elizabeth

City, 122 N. C. 31; 44 L. R. A. 427; 30 S. E. 349; Altgelt v. San An-tonio, 81 Tex. 436; 13 L. R. A. 383; 17 S. W. 75.

17 Detroit, etc., Ry. Co. v. Detroit, 110 Mich. 384; 64 Am. St. Rep. 350; 35 L. R. A. 859; 68 X. W. 304; affirmed 171 U. S. 48.

18 Altgelt v. San Antonio, 81 Tex. 436; 13 L. R. A. 383; 17 S. W. 75.

19 Parfitt v. Ferguson, 159 N. Y. 1ll; 53 N. E. 707.

20 Winchester v. Redmond, 93 Va. 711; 57 Am. St. Rep. 822; 25 S. E. 1001.

21 Myers v. Jeffersonville, 145 Ind. 431; 44 N. E. 452.

22 Devine v. Board, etc., of Sacramento Co., 121 Cal. 670; 54 Pac. 262.

23 0berlin v. Wasson, 52 O. S. 610; 44 N. E. 1143.