Illinois Central Railroad v. United States

The question in the case is whether, in certain shipments of property for use by the United States, title to the property passed at the place of shipment or at the place of delivery. Or to state the question another way, whether the shipments while in transit were the property of the United States and properly transported at land-grant rates, or did not become the property of the United States until after receipt at destination and subject to commercial rates. The latter is the contention of the Railroad Company, although it rendered bills for and accepted payment of them upon the other view.…