Grand Trunk Western Railway Co. v. Railroad Commission of Indiana

Citations

• 221 U.S. 400
• 31 S. Ct. 537
• 55 L. Ed. 786
• 1911 U.S. LEXIS 1742

Syllabus

<p>A legislative act by an instrumentality of the State exercising delegated authority is of the same force as if made by the legislature and is a law of the State within the meaning of the contract clause of the Constitution.</p> <p>A contract cannot be impaired, within the meaning of the contract clause of the Constitution, by a law which relates to matters beyond ' the scope of the contract as construed according to the usual meaning of the words used.</p> <p>A contract between two railroads for maintaining the physical cost of a crossing and guarding it by good and substantial 'semaphores or other signals is not impaired by a subsequent act requiring án interlocking system, and apportioning the expense in' a different manner than provided in the contract. The contract did not embrace such a system.</p>