Tilden v. Blair was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of whether a state legislature could constitutionally delegate its power to a private corporation. The case arose when the state of Pennsylvania passed a law that allowed the Pennsylvania Railroad Company to issue bonds to finance the construction of a railroad. The bonds were to be secured by a lien on the railroad's property. The plaintiff, Samuel J. Tilden, argued that the law was unconstitutional because it allowed the private corporation to exercise a power that was reserved for the state legislature. The Supreme Court agreed with Tilden, ruling that the law was unconstitutional because it allowed the private corporation to exercise a power that was reserved for the state legislature. The Court held that the state legislature could not delegate its power to a private corporation, and that the law was therefore invalid. The decision in Tilden v. Blair established an important precedent in the area of constitutional law. It established that the state legislature could not delegate its power to a private corporation, and that any law that attempted to do so was unconstitutional. This decision has been cited in numerous cases since then, and it remains an important precedent in the area of constitutional law.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Tilden v. Blair, a case concerning whether or not certain state election laws were constitutional. He argued that the majority's decision was an unconstitutional interference with states' rights and would lead to federal control of elections throughout the country. Field believed that Congress had no authority to pass legislation regulating state elections, as it was beyond their power under the Constitution. Furthermore, he argued that if Congress could regulate state elections then they could also interfere with other areas of governance reserved for states such as education and taxation policies. In conclusion, Justice Field felt strongly that this decision violated both precedent and principles of federalism by allowing too much federal involvement in matters traditionally left up to individual states.