United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

New York N.H. & H. R. Co. v. United States, 251 U.S. 123 (1919)

New York. New Haven & Hartford

Railroad Company v. United States

No. 74

Argued May 2, 1919

Decided December 8, 1919

251 U.S. 123

Syllabus

Semble, that, under Rev.Stats. § 4002, as amended, the Postmaster General may fix the sums payable to a railroad company for transporting the mails upon the basis of weights taken immediately before the beginning of the four-year term of the contract, and that annual weighings are not required. P. 251 U. S. 126.

A railroad company which knowingly contracts and receives on this basis less than it would have received on the basis of annual weighings has no implied contract right to be paid the difference by the United States. P. 251 U. S. 127.

Prior to the Act of July 28, 1916, c. 261, 39 Stat. 429, a nonland-grant railroad was not required to carry the mails, and when it voluntarily accepted and performed the service with knowledge of what the United States intended to pay, it cannot claim more upon the ground that its property was taken. Id.

53 Ct.Clms. 222 affirmed.

The case is stated in the opinion.

Page 251 U. S. 126