This United States Supreme Court case involved the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad Company and the United States. The United States brought suit against the railroad company for failing to pay taxes on certain lands that had been granted to the company by the United States. The railroad company argued that the lands were exempt from taxation under the terms of the grant. The Supreme Court held that the lands were not exempt from taxation and that the United States was entitled to recover the taxes due. The Court reasoned that the grant of the lands was not intended to exempt the lands from taxation, and that the United States had the right to impose taxes on the lands. The Court also held that the United States was entitled to recover the taxes due, even though the railroad company had not been notified of the taxes.

In United States v. Burlington and Missouri River Railroad Company, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a railroad company had violated an act of Congress by charging higher rates than those approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). The majority opinion held that the ICC's rate approval was binding on all parties, including railroads. Justice Field dissented from this decision, arguing that while it is true that Congress has given authority to the ICC to approve or disapprove rates for interstate commerce, such power does not extend so far as to bind railroads in their contracts with shippers. He argued further that if it did have such power then any contract made between two private parties could be set aside at will by either party simply because they disagreed with its terms; this would lead to chaos and uncertainty in commercial transactions which would ultimately harm both businesses and consumers alike.