''Southern Railway Company v. United States'', 222 U.S. 20 (1911), was a decision by the
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
which held that under the
Commerce Clause
The Commerce Clause describes an enumerated power listed in the United States Constitution ( Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). The clause states that the United States Congress shall have power "to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and amon ...
, the
U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
can regulate safety on intrastate rail traffic because there is a close and substantial connection to interstate traffic.
[. ]
Background
Congress required all train cars to be equipped with
couplers as a safety measure. Southern Railway argued that the requirement applied only to train cars crossing state lines, not to train cars that operated inside one state.
The
Safety Appliance Act
The Safety Appliance Act is a United States federal law that made air brakes and automatic couplers mandatory on all trains in the United States. It was enacted on March 2, 1893, and took effect in 1900, after a seven-year grace period. The ...
of March 2, 1893, 27 Stat. 531, c. 196:
:...imposed upon every carrier "engaged in interstate commerce by railroad" the duty of equipping all trains, locomotives, and cars used on its line of railroad in moving interstate traffic, with designated appliances calculated to promote the safety of that traffic...
Decision
The
Commerce Clause
The Commerce Clause describes an enumerated power listed in the United States Constitution ( Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). The clause states that the United States Congress shall have power "to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and amon ...
is plenary to protect persons and property moving in interstate commerce from all danger. No matter the source or destination, Congress may require all vehicles moving on lanes of interstate commerce to be so equipped with safety devices to avoid danger to persons and property in interstate commerce.
See also
*''
Henderson v. United States''
*
List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 222
This is a list of cases reported in volume 222 of ''United States Reports'', decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1911 and 1912.
Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of volume 222 U.S.
The Supreme Court is establis ...
References
External links
*
{{USArticleI
United States Constitution Article One case law
United States Commerce Clause case law
United States Supreme Court cases
1911 in United States case law
Southern Railway (U.S.)
1911 in case law
1911 in rail transport
Railway case law
United States Supreme Court cases of the White Court
Couplers
Railway safety