George Bondies, late master and part owner of the steam boat Kate, was appealing a case against James P. Sherwood, Joseph McClelland and Barney McGinnis who had filed a libel against him. The issue at hand was whether or not the steamboat Kate should be sold in order to pay for damages caused by an accident involving another vessel owned by Bondies. The court found that since there were other vessels owned by Bondies which could have been used to satisfy the debt instead of selling off the Steamboat Kate, it would be unjust to do so as it would cause unnecessary harm to his business interests. Therefore they ruled in favor of George Bondies and denied the libellants' request for sale of said vessel.

In the case of George Bondies, Late Master and Part Owner of the Steam Boat Kate, Intervening, &c., Appellant v. James P. Sherwood, Joseph McClelland and Barney McGinnis Libellants (1859), Justice Grier delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the lower court had erred in its decision to deny compensation for damages caused by an act of Congress. He noted that while it was true that no one could be held liable for acts done under authority from Congress or any other government body, this did not mean they were exempt from all liability when their actions resulted in damage to another person's property. In this particular case, Justice Grier felt strongly that since there was clear evidence showing negligence on behalf of those responsible for carrying out the orders given by Congress - namely failing to provide adequate safety measures - then they should be held accountable and made to pay restitution accordingly.