Curtis v. Whitney is a United States Supreme Court case from 1871. The case involved a dispute between two parties over a contract for the sale of a steamboat. The plaintiff, Curtis, was the owner of the steamboat, and the defendant, Whitney, was the buyer. Curtis sued Whitney for breach of contract, claiming that Whitney had failed to make the payments as agreed upon in the contract. The Supreme Court held that Whitney was liable for breach of contract. The Court found that Whitney had failed to make the payments as agreed upon in the contract, and that Curtis was entitled to damages for the breach. The Court also held that Whitney was liable for the costs of the litigation, including attorney's fees. The Court's decision in Curtis v. Whitney established the principle that a party who breaches a contract is liable for the costs of litigation, including attorney's fees. This principle has been applied in numerous cases since then, and is still an important part of contract law today.

In the case of Curtis v. Whitney, Justice Field delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that Congress had no authority to pass laws regulating the internal affairs of states. He argued that such legislation was unconstitutional and violated both state sovereignty and the Tenth Amendment, which reserves all powers not delegated to the federal government for the states or people. Furthermore, he stated that if Congress could regulate matters within a state's borders then it would have unlimited power over them and be able to override any decision made by its legislature or courts. Finally, Field concluded by saying that allowing this type of lawmaking would lead to an oppressive central government with too much control over individual rights and liberties.