Charles Evans Hughes

“ The fundamental principle involved has been applied by this court in recent decisions in a great variety of circumstances, and it must be taken to be firmly established that one otherwise enjoying full capacity for the purpose cannot be compelled to take out a local license for the mere privilege of carrying on interstate or foreign commerce. ”

“ Rep. 826, it has been clear that, whatever authority the state may have for this purpose, it does not go so far as to enable the state to interdict one in the position of the appellee from conducting the commerce in which it is engaged, or justify the state in imposing exactions upon that commerce in the view that business of this character may be carried on only by virtue of its consent, express or implied. ”

“ In that case the ferry company was a New Jersey corporation, receiving and landing its passengers and property at its wharf in Philadelphia in substantially the same manner as the appellee transacts its business at its wharf in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The court held that it was not within the power of the state to prevent the ferry company from so doing; that this was an essential part of the interstate transportation which the state could not forbid, or burden by a privilege tax. See Philadelphia & S. Mail S. S.C.o. v. Pennsylvania, 122 U.S. 326, 343, 30 L. ed. 1200, 1204, 1 Inters. Com. ”