Washington & Georgetown Railroad Company v. McDade was a Supreme Court case decided in 1871. The case involved a dispute between the Washington & Georgetown Railroad Company and the McDade family over the ownership of a piece of land in Washington, D.C. The McDade family had been living on the land for many years, but the railroad company claimed that they had purchased the land from the original owner. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the railroad company, finding that the railroad company had acquired the land through a valid deed and that the McDade family had no legal right to the land. The Court also held that the McDade family was not entitled to any compensation for their loss of the land. The decision established the principle that a valid deed is sufficient to transfer title to land, even if the original owner had not intended to sell the land.

In the dissenting opinion of Washington & Georgetown Railroad Company v. McDade, Justice Field argued that the majority’s decision was too broad and could lead to a dangerous precedent. He believed that Congress had not intended for their act to be interpreted in such an expansive way as it would give them power over matters which were traditionally left up to state legislatures. Furthermore, he argued that if this interpretation was allowed then any law passed by Congress could supersede all laws made by states on similar topics regardless of how long they have been in effect or whether they are constitutional or not. In conclusion, Justice Field felt strongly that the majority’s ruling should be overturned because it went against both established legal principles and congressional intent when passing the act at hand.