Munn v. Illinois
Date: 1877
Case Background:
This case was a result of the Illinois legislature responding to pressure from the National Grange, an association of farmers, in 1871. The legislature set maximum rates that private companies could charge for the storage and transportation of agricultural products. The grain warehouse of Munn and Scott was found guilty of violating the law. Issue: Munn appealed that Illinois regulation represented an unconstitutional deprivation of property without due process of law and the case was taken to the Supreme Court. Decision: The decision of the Supreme Court was a majority vote that the state had the power to regulate even private companies that affect the public and its interest. The claim was the because grain storage facilities were devoted to public use, their rates were subject to public regulation. It was also declared that even though Congress is granted interstate commerce, a stake could act for public interest without interfering with federal control. Impact: This case was one of the Granger cases. It dealt with the struggle for public regulation of private companies and the jurisdiction of the State. |
Justice: Morrison Remick Waite
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