In the case of Christopher G. Pearce and Others, Incorporated v. Jesse W. Page and Others, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining who had rightful claim to a steamboat called Doctor Robertson. The appellants argued that they were entitled to possession of the boat based on their purchase from one John Miles in 1858; however, claimants asserted that they had purchased it from another party in 1859 before any sale by Miles could have taken place. After considering both sides’ arguments, as well as evidence presented at trial regarding title documents for the vessel, the court ultimately found in favor of Pearce et al., ruling that their ownership rights superseded those claimed by Page et al., due to having been established prior to any other purported sales or transfers of title for Doctor Robertson.

In the dissenting opinion of this case, Justice Grier argued that the majority's decision was incorrect and should be reversed. He stated that under maritime law, a shipowner is liable for any damage caused by their vessel regardless of fault or negligence. In this particular case, he believed that Pearce had failed to prove his claim against Page as there was no evidence presented to show how much damage had been done or who was responsible for it. Furthermore, Grier argued that even if Pearce could have proven his claim against Page then he would still not be entitled to damages because the statute of limitations had expired before Pearce filed suit. Finally, Grier concluded by stating that since there were no facts in dispute and all parties agreed on what happened during the incident at hand then it should have been up to a jury rather than a court ruling on whether or not damages were due from one party to another.