This case was a dispute between Bruce and another and the Manchester & Keene Railroad. Bruce and another had purchased a parcel of land from the railroad, and the deed included a clause that the railroad would not build a railroad within a certain distance of the land. The railroad then built a railroad within the distance specified in the deed, and Bruce and another sued for damages. The Supreme Court held that the deed was a contract between the parties, and that the railroad had breached the contract by building the railroad within the distance specified in the deed. The Court held that Bruce and another were entitled to damages for the breach of contract, and that the damages should be determined by a jury. The Court also held that the railroad was not entitled to any affirmative relief, such as an injunction to prevent the construction of the railroad.

In the case of Bruce & Another v. Manchester & Keene Railroad, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a railroad company could be held liable for damages caused by its negligence in failing to provide adequate safety measures on its premises. The majority opinion found that the railroad company was not liable because it had taken reasonable steps to protect passengers and employees from harm, while Justice Field dissented. He argued that under common law principles of liability, a person or entity is responsible for any injury they cause due to their own negligence regardless of how much care they took beforehand. Furthermore, he noted that this rule should apply even more strongly when dealing with public transportation companies like railroads since these are heavily used by members of society who have no choice but to rely on them for safe passage and thus must be protected against potential dangers posed by such entities’ negligent behavior.