Burrows v. The Marshal was a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in 1872. The case involved a dispute between a prisoner, William Burrows, and the Marshal of the District of Columbia, William H. Bradley. Burrows had been arrested and charged with a crime, and he was being held in the Washington jail. He filed a writ of habeas corpus, claiming that he was being unlawfully detained. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Burrows, finding that the Marshal had no authority to detain him without a warrant. The Court held that the writ of habeas corpus was a fundamental right of the people, and that the government could not deny it without due process of law. The Court also held that the Marshal had violated Burrows' rights by detaining him without a warrant. The decision in Burrows v. The Marshal was an important one in the development of civil rights in the United States. It established the principle that the government could not deny a person's right to due process of law, and that the writ of habeas corpus was a fundamental right of the people. This decision has been cited in numerous cases since then, and it remains an important precedent in the protection of civil rights.

In Burrows v. The Marshal, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a writ of habeas corpus could be issued to release an individual from prison when they were being held in custody by order of Congress. The majority opinion found that such a writ could not be issued because it would interfere with the power given to Congress under Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution which grants them authority over matters related to imprisonment and punishment for offenses against laws passed by Congress. However, Justice Field dissented from this decision arguing that while Article I does grant certain powers to Congress regarding criminal proceedings, it does not give them absolute control over all aspects of imprisonment or take away any rights granted under common law or other constitutional provisions. He argued that since habeas corpus is one such right guaranteed by both common law and the Constitution itself (Article 1 Section 9), then individuals should still have access to its protections even if their detention is ordered by Congressional action.