Alabama v. Texas et al. (347 U.S. 272)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided March 15, 1954 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 347 U.S. 272 · 74 S. Ct. 481
- Docket
- No. ORIG
- Argued
- February 3, 1954
- Decided
- March 15, 1954
- Term
- October Term 1953
- Vote
- 6–2
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Disposition
- Stay, petition, or motion granted
- Outcome
- Petitioning party lost
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
How the Justices voted
- Majority
- Justice Clark, Justice Frankfurter, Justice Burton, Justice Reed (wrote a concurrence), Justice Minton, Justice R. H. Jackson
- Dissenting
- Justice Black (wrote), Justice Douglas (wrote)
Opinion excerpt
Per Curiam. The motions for leave to file these complaints are denied. Article IV, § 3, Cl. 2, United States Constitution. United States v. Gratiot, 14 Pet. 526, 537: The power of Congress to dispose of any kind of property belonging to the United States “is vested in Congress without limitation.” United States v. Midwest Oil Company, 236 U. S. 459, 474: “For it must be borne in mind that Congress not only has a legislative power over the public domain, but it also exercises the powers of the proprietor therein. Congress 'may deal with such lands precisely as a private individual may deal with his farming property. It may sell or withhold them from sale.’ Camfield v. United States, 167 U. S. 524; Light v. United States, 220 U. S. 536.” United States v. San Francisco, 310 U. S. 16, 29-30: “Article 4, § 3, Cl. 2 of the Constitution provides that ‘The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory and other Property belonging to the United States.’ The power over the public land thus entrusted to Congress is without limitations. ‘And it is not for the courts to say how that trust shall be administered. That is for Congress to determine.’ ” United States v. California, 332 U. S. 19, 27: “We have said that the constitutional power of Congress [under Article IV, § 3, Cl. 2] is without limitation. United States v. San…
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