In the case of The Mayor, Aldermen, and Inhabitants of the City of New Orleans v. Christoval G. De Armas and Manuel Simon Cucull, two individuals had been arrested for violating a city ordinance that prohibited any person from selling merchandise on Sundays without permission from local authorities. The plaintiffs argued that this was an unconstitutional exercise of police power by the state because it violated their right to freely practice their religion as Catholics who observed Sunday as a day of rest and worship. The Supreme Court disagreed with them and held that while religious freedom is protected under the Constitution, states have broad authority to regulate activities within their borders in order to protect public health or safety or promote morality; thus they can enact laws prohibiting certain activities on Sundays even if those laws interfere with religious practices such as attending church services or engaging in commerce related activities like selling goods at marketplaces.

In the case of The Mayor, Aldermen, and Inhabitants of the City of New Orleans v. Christoval G. De Armas and Manuel Simon Cucull, Chief Justice Taney delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that Louisiana had not ceded its right to regulate public health when it became part of the United States. He noted that while Congress has certain powers over interstate commerce, this does not include authority to interfere with state regulations concerning public health or safety. Furthermore, he argued that even if Congress did have such power under the Constitution's Commerce Clause, it was never intended for use against individual states; rather it should be used only as an instrument for regulating foreign trade or commerce between different states within the Union itself. Finally, Taney concluded by noting that any attempt by Congress to exercise control over local matters would be unconstitutional and could lead to dangerous consequences if allowed unchecked.