United States v. Sheldon
Court: Supreme Court of the United States; February 26, 1817; Federal Supreme Court; Federal Appellate Court
George Sheldon was indicted for transporting live cattle from the United States to Lower Canada in violation of a Congressional act from July 6, 1812. The act prohibits the transportation of provisions and munitions of war over land to Canada, stipulating that both the vehicle used and the articles transported are subject to forfeiture, and violators may face fines and imprisonment. The court was presented with two key questions: whether live cattle qualify as articles of provision and munitions of war, and whether driving them constitutes transportation under the law. The court unanimously ruled that living cattle are indeed considered articles of provision and munitions of war. However, the majority opinion found that driving the cattle on foot does not meet the legal definition of transportation as intended by the statute. The court interpreted "transport" to mean carrying or conveying the articles in a vehicle, and concluded that the act's language does not extend to cases where the articles are moved without a vehicle. The Attorney General’s argument that previous case law settled the matter was rejected, as the relevant facts of the prior case did not address whether the cattle were alive or how they were moved. Ultimately, the court ruled in favor of the defendant, stating that driving live cattle on foot does not constitute a violation of the act. Judgment was rendered for Sheldon.