John Backhouse, James Hunter and Martha Hunter, John M. Garnett (executors of Muscoe G. Hunter, Archibald Hunter and Adam Hunter), George W. Spotswood and William L. Spotswood (executors of Alexander Spotswood) and Margaret Jones (executrix of Gabriel Jones who was executor of Thomas Lord Fairfax) were involved in a Supreme Court case concerning the administration de bonis non for John Backhouse deceased in 1831. The court ruled that the administrator had to pay debts from assets inherited by him as an heir before he could distribute any remaining assets among other heirs or legatees according to their respective interests under the will or intestacy law at that time.

In the dissenting opinion of this Supreme Court case, Justice McLean argued that the Virginia legislature had no authority to pass a law which would allow for an extension of time for creditors to bring suit against Fairfax's estate. He believed that such a law was unconstitutional and violated both state and federal laws. Furthermore, he argued that it was unfair to those who had already brought their claims within the original statute of limitations as they were now being treated differently than those who waited until after the passage of this new legislation. Ultimately, Justice McLean concluded that any attempt by Virginia legislators to extend or modify existing statutes should be declared void since it exceeded their constitutional powers.