CHAPTEK XXIV. 



THE TEST CASE ON THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL IL 

 LINOIS RAILROAD LAW. 



THE Me LEAN COUNTY TEST CASE. 



In obedience to the demand for action regulating railroads 

 and preventing unjust discriminations, the Legislature of Illi 

 nois, in April, 1871, passed a bill entitled &quot;An Act to pre 

 vent unjust discriminations and extortions in the rates to be 

 charged by the different railroads in this State for the 

 transportation of freight on said roads.&quot; This act declared 

 that no railroad corporation should charge for the transpor 

 tation of property on its road, for any distance, the same, 

 nor any larger or greater amount, as toll or compensation, 

 than was at the same time charged or collected for the trans 

 portation of similar quantities of the same class of property 

 over a greater distance upon the same road, nor should any 

 railroad corporation charge or collect for the transportation 

 of property over any portion of its road, a greater amount 

 as toll or compensation than should be charged or collected 

 by it for the transportation of similar quantities of property 

 of the same class over any other portion of its road of equal 

 distance ; and that different charges for receiving, handling, 

 and delivering freight at different points should not be 

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