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Munn v. Illinois
From lawbrain.com
Munn v. Illinois was a United States Supreme Court case concerning corporate rates and agriculture. 94 U.S. 113 (1877). This case allowed states to regulate specific businesses within state borders, which includes railroads. The Supreme Court decided that the Fourteenth Amendment allowed Illinois to regulate charges for use of a business' grain elevators. The decision centered around the issue of whether a private company could be regulated for public interest.
Chief Justice Morrison Remick Waite wrote the opinion. He upheld legislation proposed by the National Grange to regulate grain elevator rates by holding that private property could be used for public good. The use for public good justifies government intervention.
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