In the 1915 case of New Orleans-Belize Royal Mail and Central American Steamship Company, Limited v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled on a dispute over tariffs imposed by U.S. customs officials on goods imported from British Honduras (now Belize). The steamship company argued that these imports should be exempt from duties under an 1854 treaty between Britain and America which provided for free trade between their territories in Central America. However, the court found that this treaty did not apply to British Honduras as it was not considered part of Central America at the time when the agreement was made. Therefore, they upheld the imposition of tariffs by U.S customs officials.

In the dissenting opinion for the case of New Orleans-Belize Royal Mail and Central American Steamship Company, Limited v. United States (1915), it was argued that there was no legal basis to hold a steamship company liable for damages caused by an accident involving one of its vessels if it could be proven that they had taken all reasonable precautions to prevent such an incident. The dissenting justices believed that the majority's decision unfairly penalized companies even when they were not at fault, which contradicted established principles of liability law. They also disagreed with the interpretation of certain maritime laws used in reaching this verdict, arguing these should not apply as broadly as suggested by their colleagues in majority. Furthermore, they expressed concern about potential negative impacts on international trade relations due to increased uncertainty around shipping liabilities.