spector motor service mclaughlin argued november decided december ninian beall washington cyril coleman hartford petitioner frank di sesa stamford respondent justice frankfurter delivered opinion suit brought district enjoin enforcement state tax deciaratory judgment connecticut corporation business tax act amended imposed every corporation otherwise specially taxed carrying right carry business within state tax excise upon franchise privilege carrying business within state amended petitioner missouri corporation principal place business illinois engaged exclusively interstate trucking business neither authorized connecticut intrastate trucking fact engage maintains two leased terminals connecticut solely purpose carrying interstate business request lessor filed secretary state connecticut certificate incorporation missouri designated agent connecticut service process paid statutory fee state facts state tax commissioner determined petitioner subject act amended assessed tax spector years whereupon petitioner brought suit district district connecticut free liability tax alleging appropriate grounds equitable relief petitioner claims excise levied act apply alternative deemed within scope statute tax offends provisions connecticut constitution well commerce due process clauses constitution art cl amend district construed statute tax upon exercise franchise carry intrastate commerce state therefore applicable petitioner spector motor service walsh appeal circuit appeals second circuit construed statute reach corporations activity connecticut whether authorized intrastate business like petitioner engaged exclusively interstate commerce decided contentions necticut constitution petitioner found compelled face directly main issue whether tax fact unconstitutional burden interstate commerce dissenting judge thus phrased issue us barest possible form effort state levy excise directly upon privilege carrying activity neither derived state within power forbid page conceded connecticut tax construed cover petitioner run afoul commerce clause adhere judge learned hand called unbroken line decisions basis deemed foreshadowing majority ventured prophecy change course accordingly sustained tax view import disposition circuit appeals brought case doubts purely local constitution laws connecticut resolved petitioner stake case questions moment touching taxing powers relation overriding national interests embodied commerce clause whether issue broad bare district judge learned hand formulated whether connecticut statute carries restricted meaning connecticut fact sought tax right engage interstate commerce long course constitutional history unbroken line decisions indeed brought question even connecticut seeks merely levy tax net income interstate trucking business activities attributed connecticut questions commerce clause still remain called provisions allocation net income case business carried partly without state called upon decide questions constitutionality varying degrees defficulty district held statute apply one like petitioner authorized intrastate business emerge local connecticut issues decided petitioner even statute hits aspects exclusively interstate business connecticut decide aspect interstate business seeks exaction say subject matter sought tax calculus tax seeks every one questions must answered reach constitutional issues divided answers questions must precede consideration commerce clause none authoritative answer give one errors connecticut give answer tax yet considered construed connecticut courts authoritative pronouncements guide us nature application answers obvious evidenced different conclusions scope statute reached two lower courts connecticut may disagree district agree circuit appeals applicability statute assumption best forecast rather determination railroad comm pullman equally without power pass definitively claims urged articles ii connecticut constitution prevail constitutional issues either fall event may formulated authoritative way different speculative construction connecticut courts view law application watson buck one doctrine deeply rooted process constitutional adjudication pass questions distribution taxing power state adjudication unavoidable questions federal constitutional power become intertwined preliminary doubts local law insisted federal courts decide questions constitutionality basis preliminary guesses regarding local law railroad comm pullman supra city chicago fieldcrest dairies central new jersey see also burford sun oil meredith winter green phillips petroleum findley odland acres land avoidance guesswork holding litigation federal courts definite determinations local law made state courts merely heeds canon constitutional adjudication think procedure followed case district jurisdiction entertain bill give whatever relief appropriate despite johnson great lakes dredge dock man uncertainty surrounding adequacy connecticut remedy see waterbury savings bank lawler wilcox town madison doubt connecticut makes available action declaratory judgment determination issues connecticut law involved charter oak council town new bedford conzelman city bristol walsh city bridgeport supp therefore vacate judgment circuit appeals remand cause district directions retain bill pending determination proceedings brought reasonable promptitude state conformity opinion judgment vacated justice douglas concurs result justice black dissents footnotes instance petitioner claims standard assessment set statute executive officer acting legislative capacity violation article ii failure allow deduction rent violates sections article addition claims tax assessed wrong subsection instead act august stat district shall jurisdiction suit enjoin suspend restrain assessment levy collection tax imposed pursuant laws state plain speedy efficient remedy may law equity courts state