In St. Paul & Duluth Railroad Company v. United States, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether the United States had the right to take possession of a railroad line owned by the St. Paul & Duluth Railroad Company. The United States had taken possession of the line in order to construct a military road, and the railroad company argued that the taking was unconstitutional. The Court held that the taking was constitutional, as the United States had the power to take possession of the railroad line for the purpose of constructing a military road. The Court noted that the power of the United States to take possession of private property for public use was well established, and that the taking of the railroad line was for a public purpose. The Court also noted that the taking was not arbitrary or oppressive, and that the railroad company had been adequately compensated for the taking. In conclusion, the Court held that the taking of the railroad line by the United States was constitutional, and that the railroad company had been adequately compensated for the taking.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in St. Paul & Duluth Railroad Company v. United States, arguing that the majority's decision was contrary to both law and fact. He argued that Congress had not intended for railroads to be held liable for damages caused by their negligence when they were acting as common carriers of goods belonging to others, which is what happened in this case. The railroad company had been hired by a third party shipper to transport certain goods from one place to another; however, due to its own negligence, some of those goods were damaged during transit. Justice Field argued that it would be unjust and unreasonable for the railroad company itself - rather than the negligent third-party shipper -to bear responsibility for these damages since it was merely carrying out its duties as a common carrier at all times throughout this transaction. Furthermore, he noted that such an interpretation of Congressional intent would have far-reaching implications on interstate commerce if every time a shipment went wrong while being transported via railway companies could potentially face liability regardless of any fault or lack thereof on their part