D leased land and with its capital built a grain elevator and conducted business thereon. D carried on the business of receiving, storing and delivering grain for hire, without having obtained a license from the Circuit Court of Cook County, permitting them, as managers, to transact business as public warehousemen, and without having filed with the clerk of the Circuit Court a bond to the people of the State of Illinois, as required by sects. 3 and 4 of the act of April 25, 1871. They also charged for storage and handling grain at rates higher than established and published in January 1872, as per sect. 15 of the act. Illinois (P) found D guilty of violation of the act and fined them $100. This decision was eventually affirmed by the Supreme Court of the State. D appealed to the United States Supreme Court.