In St. Louis v. The Ferry Company, the Supreme Court of the United States was asked to decide whether the City of St. Louis had the right to regulate the ferry service operated by the Ferry Company. The Ferry Company argued that the City of St. Louis had no authority to regulate the ferry service, as it was a private business. The Supreme Court disagreed, ruling that the City of St. Louis had the right to regulate the ferry service, as it was a public service. The Court reasoned that the ferry service was a public service, as it provided a necessary means of transportation for the citizens of St. Louis. Furthermore, the Court held that the City of St. Louis had the right to regulate the ferry service in order to ensure the safety of its citizens. The Court also noted that the City of St. Louis had the right to impose reasonable regulations on the ferry service in order to protect the public health and safety. As a result, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the City of St. Louis, affirming its right to regulate the ferry service.

In St. Louis v. The Ferry Company, the Supreme Court was tasked with deciding whether a ferry company had to pay taxes on its property and boats that were used in operating the business of transporting people across the Mississippi River between Missouri and Illinois. In a 5-4 decision, it was determined that since Congress had not granted any authority for such taxation, it could not be imposed by either state government without violating constitutional principles of interstate commerce. Justice Field wrote an eloquent dissenting opinion arguing that while he agreed with the majority's conclusion regarding congressional authority over interstate commerce, he believed states should have been allowed to impose their own taxes on businesses operating within their borders as long as they did not interfere with federal laws or regulations concerning interstate trade or transportation. He argued this would help ensure uniformity among all states when dealing with similar issues involving taxation and other matters related to economic activity occurring within each state's jurisdiction.