Oklahoma v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co.

Citations

• 220 U.S. 277
• 31 S. Ct. 434
• 55 L. Ed. 465
• 1911 U.S. LEXIS 1675

Syllabus

<p>While the territorial condition lasts the governmental power of Congress over a Territory and its inhabitants is exclusive and paramount, except as restricted by the Constitution.</p> <p>An act of Congress, regulating railway charges of a railway in a Territory until a state government is formed and providing that thereafter such State shall have authority to regulate the charges, ceases . to be of force on the admission of such State into the Union; and thereafter the State can fix such charges, subject only to the constitutional rights of the railway; and so held as to §§ 1-4 of the act of July 4, 1884, c. 179, 23 Stat. 73.</p> <p>A State in its corporate capacity has no such interest in the rights of shippers as to entitle it to maintain an original action in this court against the carrier to restrain it from charging unreasonable rates within its jurisdiction. Louisiana v. Texas, 176.U. S. 1.</p> <p>The original jurisdiction conferred by the Constitution on this' court does not include every cause in 'which the State elects to make itself a party to vindicate the rights of its people or to enforce its own laws or public policy against wrong done generally.</p>