Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway Co. v. Illinois

Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway Company v. Illinois
Argued April 14–15, 1886
Decided October 25, 1886
Full case nameWabash, St. L. & P. Ry. Co. v. People of State of Illinois
Citations118 U.S. 557 (more)
7 S. Ct. 4; 30 L. Ed. 244
Holding
The Court held that Illinois had violated the Commerce Clause by placing a direct burden on interstate commerce. Under the Commerce Clause only Congress had the power to do so and states could only place indirect burdens on commerce.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Morrison Waite
Associate Justices
Samuel F. Miller · Stephen J. Field
Joseph P. Bradley · John M. Harlan
William B. Woods · Stanley Matthews
Horace Gray · Samuel Blatchford
Case opinions
MajorityMiller, joined by Field, Harlan, Woods, Matthews, Blatchford
DissentBradley, joined by Waite, Gray
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amend. XIV
This case overturned a previous ruling or rulings
Munn v. Illinois (1877)

Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway Company v. Illinois, 118 U.S. 557 (1886), also known as the Wabash Case, was a Supreme Court decision that severely limited the rights of states to control or impede interstate commerce. It led to the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission.