In the case of Ex parte IN THE MATTER OF MATTHEW ADDY STEAMSHIP & COMMERCE CORPORATION, 1920, the petitioner was a steamship company that sought to recover damages for goods lost during transit. The respondent had chartered one of the petitioner's vessels and loaded it with cargo but failed to properly secure it. As a result, some of the cargo shifted during voyage causing damage to both vessel and other cargoes on board. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Matthew Addy Steamship & Commerce Corporation stating that under maritime law, charterers are responsible for loading their own cargo safely and securely onto vessels they have chartered; if they fail in this duty then they can be held liable for any resulting damage or loss. This ruling established an important precedent regarding liability in cases involving maritime transport.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Ex parte IN THE MATTER OF MATTHEW ADDY STEAMSHIP & COMMERCE CORPORATION, 1920 argued that the majority's decision to deny Matthew Addy Steamship & Commerce Corporation's petition for a writ of mandamus was incorrect. The dissent believed that the lower court had indeed exceeded its jurisdiction and thus, intervention by Supreme Court was necessary. They contended that it is not within a district court’s power to order an involuntary bankruptcy proceeding against a foreign corporation which has no property or place of business within its district. This view held that such action violated principles of international law and comity among nations as well as statutory limitations on courts' powers under U.S bankruptcy laws. Therefore, they opined that the petitioner should have been granted relief from this overreach by lower court.