Council

This is an appeal from an order of the superior court of San Diego County sustaining a demurrer to a petition for a writ of mandate directing the city council of San Diego to levy a tax for school purposes upon the taxable property of said city, under the provisions of the charter thereof.

The record discloses, and it is conceded by counsel, that the demand and requirement upon the part of plaintiff board for such levy and the refusal of the council in connection there with was had with reference to a levy which, by such charter, was required to have been made on or before the second Monday of May, 1903.

It is apparent, therefore, that no authority now reposes in the council to make such levy, nor any jurisdiction in this or any other court to order the same; that a writ of mandate, if granted, could not be enforced, and would be unavailin g and in such eases a writ will not issue. (Board of Education v. Common Council, 128 Cal. 372 , [ 60 Pac. 976 ].) No agreement of parties can be invoked to call for a decision of what to tüem, or either of them, is merely a moot question, and courts should not render judgments which cannot be enforced by any process known to the law. (Johnson…