This case involved a dispute between Wright, Williams & Co. and J.J.B White (defendant) and Gilbert S Hawkins and Peter J Cockburn, composing the firm of Oakey, Hawkins & Co., Mrs W C W Faust (widow), and Mrs Rebecca J White aided by her husband J.J B White (intervenors). The plaintiffs in error alleged that they had purchased certain goods from Wright, Williams & Co., but were not able to pay for them due to an unforeseen financial crisis caused by the Panic of 1857 which resulted in their inability to obtain payment from their customers who had bought on credit from them as well as other creditors who refused payment until after the panic was over. They argued that this constituted sufficient cause for non-payment under existing law at the time so they should be relieved of liability for any damages incurred by Wright, Williams & Co.. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled against them finding that there was no legal basis upon which relief could be granted since it is impossible to prove whether or not such circumstances would have been foreseeable at the time when contracts were entered into prior to said event occurring.

In this case, J.J.B White and Gilbert S. Hawkins & Peter J. Cockburn of the firm Oakey, Hawkins & Co., Mrs W.C.W Faust (widow) and Mrs Rebecca J White aided by her husband were plaintiffs in error against Wright, Williams & Co.. The dissenting opinion argued that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the case as it was not a federal question but rather one of state law which should be heard at a lower level court instead of Supreme Court due to its lack of authority over such matters under Article III Section 2 Clause 1 of the US Constitution which states that only cases involving foreign governments or between two different states can be heard by Supreme Court justices . Furthermore, they argued that even if there was jurisdiction for this matter then it would have been better served in an equity court where more equitable remedies could have been sought out than what is available through common law courts like those found at lower levels across America today