Source: https://www.legalcrystal.com/case/91374/northern-pacific-ry-co-vs-washington
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 05:06:03+00:00

Document:
Appellant Northern Pacific Ry. Co.
A train moving and carrying freight between two points in the same state, but which is hauling freight between points one of which is within and the other without the state, or hauling it through the state between points both without the state, is engaged in interstate commerce, and subject to the laws of Congress enacted in regard thereto. Southern Railway Co. v. United States, 222 U. S. 20 .
been silent, ceases as soon as Congress acts on the subject and manifests its purpose to call into effect its exclusive power.
Congress, by enacting a statute in regard to a subject within its exclusive power, manifests its purpose to call that power into effect, and at once removes that subject from the sphere of state action, and even if Congress provides that the statute shall not go into effect until a subsequent date, the states lose control of that subject during the intermediate period from the enactment to the active operation of the statute.
The enactment by Congress of the Hours of Service Law, March 4, 1907, c. 2939, 34 Stat. 1415, was a manifestation by Congress of its intent to bring the subject of hours of labor of employees of interstate carriers under its control, and, although the act did not go into effect for a year after its passage, the various state laws on the subject became inoperative at once on the enactment.
In this case, the court referred to the report of the committee of Congress having the legislation in charge as indicating the intent of Congress in enacting the statute.
On July 3 and 4, 1907, the Northern Pacific Railway Company, in operating a train on its road in the State of Washington, permitted some of the train crew to remain on duty more than sixteen consecutive hours. This being apparently contrary to the prohibition of the Act of Congress known as the "hours of service" law, approved March 4, 1907, c. 2939, 34 Stat. 1415, if the railroad company, in the operation of the train, was subject to the power of Congress and the prohibitions of the act were otherwise applicable, there was a violation of the act and a liability to its penalties.
States, 222 U. S. 20 . But while thus governed by the act of Congress, the prohibitions of that act were not operative. This follows by reason of the provisions of § 5 to the following effect: "That this Act shall take effect and be in force one year after its passage."
About a month before the occurrences heretofore referred to -- that is, on June 12, 1097, a law of the State of Washington regulating the hours of service of railway employees became effective. Without going into detail, it suffices to say that the provisions of that act greatly resembled those of the act of Congress, and prohibited the consecutive hours of service which had taken place on the train of the Northern Pacific road. The attorney general of the state commenced the proceeding now before us to recover penalties for the violation of the state law. The railroad answered, admitted the acts complained of, but denied any liability for the penalties imposed by the state law. The denial was based upon the assertion that the train was an interstate train, and was not subject to the control of the state because within the exclusive authority of Congress, manifested by the enactment of Congress on that subject. The trial court granted a motion for judgment upon the pleadings, and awarded $1,000 penalty, and it is to a judgment of the supreme court of the state affirming such action that this writ of error is prosecuted.
was based not upon a supposed concurrent state and federal power, but solely on the ground that Congress had not acted on the subject, and therefore the state regulation should be applied. Indeed, the court in express terms declared that, if Congress had legislated, "its act supersedes any and all state legislation on that particular subject," and it was stated that the state, in argument, had so conceded.
"On the other hand, it is conceded by the state that the power of the Congress to regulate interstate commerce is plenary, and that, as an incident to this power, the Congress may regulate by legislation the instrumentalities engaged in the business and may prescribe the number of consecutive hours an employee of a carrier so engaged shall be required to remain on duty, and that, when it does legislate upon the subject, its act supersedes any and all state legislation on that particular subject. In fact, these propositions can hardly be said to be debatable in the state courts, since the federal courts, whose decisions are authoritative on questions of this character, have repeatedly announced them as governing principles in determining the validity of regulative legislation concerning carriers of interstate commerce. Escanaba &c.; Transp. Co. v. Chicago, 107 U. S. 678 ; Morgan &c.; S.S. Co. v. Louisiana Board of Health, 118 U. S. 455 ; Nashville &c.; R. Co. v. Alabama, 128 U. S. 96 ; Gladson v. Minnesota, 166 U. S. 427 ; Lake Shore &c.; R. Co. v. Ohio, 173 U. S. 285 ; Erbe v. Morasch, 177 U. S. 584 ."
". . . It seems clear that the federal statute did not speak as a statute until after March 4, 1908, the date on which it went into effect, for if a law passed to take effect at a future day must be construed as if passed on that day, and if, prior to the time it goes into effect, no rights can be acquired under it and no one is bound to regulate his conduct according to its terms, it is idle to say that it has the effect of a statute between the time of its passage and the time of its taking effect. A statute cannot be both operative and inoperative at the same time. It is either a law or it is not a law; and, without special words of limitation, when it goes into effect for one purpose, it goes into effect for all purposes."
provision for the purpose of overriding and rendering ineffective the expression of the will of Congress to bring the subject within its control -- a manifestation arising from the mere fact of the enactment of the statute.
We do not pause to cite authorities additional to those referred to by the court below, but we observe in passing that the aspect in which we view the question was cogently stated by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri in State v. Missouri Pacific Ry. Co., 212 Mo. 658, and has also been lucidly expounded by the Supreme Court of the State of Wisconsin in State v. Chicago, M. & St.P. Ry. Co., 136 Wis. 407.
"Owing to the probable necessity of changing in some instances division points, entailing the removal of employees, and to permit ample time to readjust themselves to the requirements of the law, it is not to become operative for one year after its approval."
Reversed, and the cause will be remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.

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