This case was heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1883. It involved a dispute between the Providence & New York Steamship Company and the Hill Manufacturing Company. The Hill Manufacturing Company had contracted with the Providence & New York Steamship Company to transport goods from New York to Providence. The Hill Manufacturing Company claimed that the steamship company had failed to deliver the goods in a timely manner, resulting in a loss of profits. The steamship company argued that the delay was due to an act of God, and that they were not liable for the damages. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the steamship company, finding that the delay was due to an act of God and that the steamship company was not liable for the damages. The Court held that the steamship company had acted in good faith and had taken all reasonable precautions to ensure the safe delivery of the goods. The Court also noted that the Hill Manufacturing Company had failed to provide any evidence that the steamship company had acted negligently or in bad faith. As a result, the Court found that the steamship company was not liable for the damages.

In Providence & New York Steamship Company v. Hill Manufacturing Company, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a contract between two parties should be enforced as written or if it could be modified by an oral agreement made after its execution. The majority opinion held that the original contract must remain in effect and any subsequent changes to it would not be enforceable unless they were also put into writing and signed by both parties. Justice Field dissented from this decision, arguing that when a party has performed their part of an oral agreement, then there is no reason why the other party should not also have to fulfill their obligations under said agreement even if it modifies terms of a previously existing written one. He argued that contracts are meant to bring about justice for all involved and allowing modifications through verbal agreements can help ensure fairness in certain cases where circumstances may have changed since the initial document was created but still require some kind of resolution between both sides.