This case was a dispute between two parties over the ownership of a piece of land in the state of Georgia. The plaintiff, Morgan, was the administrator of the estate of a deceased man who had owned the land. The defendant, Hamlet, claimed to have purchased the land from the deceased man's widow. The Supreme Court had to decide who had the rightful title to the land. The Court found that the deed from the widow to Hamlet was invalid because it had not been properly recorded. The Court also found that the widow had no legal authority to sell the land, as she was not the legal owner. The Court held that the title to the land belonged to the estate of the deceased man, and that Morgan, as the administrator of the estate, was the rightful owner. The Court also held that the deed from the widow to Hamlet was void and of no effect.

In Morgan, Administrator & Others v. Hamlet & Another, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a state court had jurisdiction to hear a case involving an administrator of an estate in which the decedent died without leaving any heirs or devisees. The majority opinion held that it did not have jurisdiction and reversed the decision of the lower court. Justice Field dissented from this ruling, arguing that there were no federal laws prohibiting states from exercising their own authority over such matters as long as they do not conflict with existing federal law. He further argued that since Congress has never passed legislation on this issue specifically, then it should be left up to each individual state to decide how best to handle these cases within its borders. In conclusion, Justice Field believed that allowing states more autonomy in deciding how best to address issues related to estates would ultimately benefit all parties involved by providing them with greater access to justice and due process rights under local law rather than having those decisions made at a higher level by federal courts who may lack familiarity with local customs and practices surrounding such matters