Central Railroad Company v. Bourbon County is a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in 1886. The case involved a dispute between the Central Railroad Company and Bourbon County, Kentucky over the taxation of the railroad's property. The railroad argued that the county had assessed the property at a higher rate than other property in the county, and that this was a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The Supreme Court held that the county had not violated the Equal Protection Clause, as the railroad's property was assessed at a higher rate due to its unique characteristics. The Court also held that the county had the right to assess the property at a higher rate, as long as it was done in a reasonable manner. The Court also noted that the railroad had not provided any evidence that the assessment was unreasonable. As a result, the Court ruled in favor of the county.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Central Railroad Company v. Bourbon County, arguing that the majority's decision was contrary to both precedent and sound public policy. He argued that a state should not be able to tax property of a foreign corporation located within its borders without first providing it with some form of protection or benefit from such taxation. Furthermore, he noted that this case was similar to other cases where states had been held liable for taxes imposed on foreign corporations operating within their borders without any corresponding benefits being provided by those states. In conclusion, Justice Field argued that if the Court were to allow Kentucky’s taxation scheme here then it would set an alarming precedent whereby all states could impose taxes upon foreign corporations regardless of whether they received any benefit from them or not.