In the case of Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company v. McGlinn, the Supreme Court of the United States was asked to decide whether a railroad company was liable for damages caused by a train accident. The plaintiff, McGlinn, was a passenger on the train when it collided with another train, resulting in serious injuries to McGlinn. McGlinn sued the railroad company for negligence, claiming that the company had failed to exercise reasonable care in operating the train. The Supreme Court held that the railroad company was liable for the damages caused by the accident. The Court found that the railroad company had a duty to exercise reasonable care in operating the train, and that it had breached this duty by failing to take proper precautions to prevent the accident. The Court also held that the railroad company was liable for the damages caused by the accident, even though the accident was caused by the negligence of another train operator. In conclusion, the Supreme Court held that the railroad company was liable for the damages caused by the accident, and that it had breached its duty to exercise reasonable care in operating the train. The Court also held that the railroad company was liable for the damages caused by the negligence of another train operator.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in this case. He argued that the court should not have granted a writ of error to review a decision made by an inferior court, as it was beyond their jurisdiction. The lower court had found that the plaintiff's claim for damages against Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company was valid and awarded them $2,500 in compensation. Justice Field believed that since there were no errors of law or fact committed by the lower court during its proceedings, it would be inappropriate for the Supreme Court to interfere with its judgement and overturn their ruling on appeal. Furthermore, he noted that if such appeals were allowed without any legal basis then they could become commonplace and undermine public confidence in judicial decisions made at all levels of government.