Inland and Seaboard Coasting Company v. Hall was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1887. The case involved a dispute between the Inland and Seaboard Coasting Company and the Hall family over the ownership of a vessel. The Halls had purchased the vessel from the Coasting Company, but the Coasting Company argued that the vessel was still their property. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Halls, finding that the Coasting Company had no legal right to the vessel. The Court held that the Coasting Company had failed to provide sufficient evidence that the vessel was their property. The Court also found that the Coasting Company had failed to provide sufficient evidence that the Halls had not purchased the vessel in good faith. As a result, the Court ruled that the Halls were the rightful owners of the vessel.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Inland and Seaboard Coasting Company v. Hall, arguing that Congress had not intended to grant exclusive jurisdiction over navigable waters to federal courts. He argued that the Constitution did not give Congress power to do so, as it was a matter of state law which should be decided by state courts. Furthermore, he noted that if such an interpretation were accepted then it would lead to absurd results where any action involving vessels on navigable waters could only be tried in federal court regardless of its nature or subject matter. Justice Field concluded his dissent by noting that this decision would create confusion and uncertainty for litigants who may find themselves unable to bring their claims before either a state or federal court due to lack of jurisdiction.