United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Chicago & Grand Trunk Ry. Co. v. Wellman, 143 U.S. 339 (1892)

Chicago & Grand Trunk Railway Company v. Wellman

No. 1031

Argued and submitted January 20, 1892

Decided February 29, 1892

143 U.S. 339

ERROR TO THE SUPREME COURT

OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN

Syllabus

The Act of the Legislature of Michigan of June 28, 1589, Public Laws of 1589, pp. 282, 283, fixing the amount per mile to be charged by railways for the transportation of a passenger, violates no provision in the Constitution of the United States so far as disclosed by the facts in this case. A legislature has power to fix rates for the transportation of passengers by railways, and the extent of judicial interference is protection against unreasonable rates.

Whenever in the pursuance of an honest antagonistic assertion of rights there is presented a question involving the validity of any act of any legislature, state or federal, and the decision necessarily rests on the competency of the legislature to so enact, the Court must determine whether the act be constitutional or not; but it never was the thought that by means of a friendly suit, a party beaten in the legislature could transfer to the courts an inquiry as to the constitutionality of the legislative act.