This Supreme Court case involved the Northern Indiana Railroad Company and the Board of Commissioners for the Western Division of the Buffalo and Mississippi Railroad (Appellants) versus The Michigan Central Railroad Company. At issue was whether or not a certain railroad line should be considered part of a continuous route from Lake Erie to St. Louis, Missouri, as defined by an act passed by Congress in 1849. The Appellants argued that their portion of this route should be included in order to receive federal funds allocated under said act; however, The Michigan Central Railway Company opposed this claim on grounds that it would interfere with its own operations along similar routes. After reviewing both sides' arguments, the court ultimately sided with Appellants and ruled that their portion did indeed constitute part of a continuous route from Lake Erie to St. Louis as described in said Act - thus entitling them to receive federal funding accordingly.

In the dissenting opinion of The Northern Indiana Railroad Company, and the Board of Commissioners for the Western Division of the Buffalo and Mississippi Railroad v. The Michigan Central Railroad Company, Justice McLean argued that Congress had granted a charter to build a railroad from Lake Michigan to Toledo which included an exclusive right-of-way through certain lands in Indiana. He believed that this grant was sufficient evidence that Congress intended for these lands to be used exclusively by this particular railroad company. Furthermore, he argued that if other companies were allowed access to these same lands it would defeat Congress' intent in granting such an exclusive right-of-way. In conclusion, Justice McLean maintained his position on upholding the original congressional grant as well as protecting its exclusivity over any other competing railroads or companies who may wish to use those same rights-of way through Indian land grants.