In Ryan et al. v. United States, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether the United States was liable for damages caused by the negligence of its employees. The case arose when the plaintiffs, who were passengers on a steamboat owned by the United States, were injured when the boat collided with another vessel. The plaintiffs argued that the United States was liable for the damages caused by the negligence of its employees, and the Supreme Court agreed. The Court held that the United States was liable for the damages caused by the negligence of its employees, and that the plaintiffs were entitled to recover damages from the United States. The Court also held that the United States was not immune from liability for the negligence of its employees, and that the plaintiffs were entitled to recover damages from the United States. The Court's decision established that the United States is liable for the negligence of its employees, and that the plaintiffs are entitled to recover damages from the United States.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Ryan et al. v. United States, arguing that the majority's decision was an incorrect interpretation of Congress' intent when passing the statute at issue in this case. He argued that Congress did not intend to allow a plaintiff to sue for damages against a government official who had acted within their authority and without malice or negligence, as required by law. Furthermore, he argued that allowing such suits would be contrary to public policy because it could lead to officials being held personally liable for actions taken on behalf of the government which they believed were lawful and proper at the time they took them. Justice Field concluded his dissent by stating that if Congress intended otherwise then it should have made its intentions clear through legislation rather than relying on judicial interpretation of statutes passed decades earlier with no reference whatsoever to such matters as tort liability against federal officers acting under color of office.