In the case of Samuel B. Lee v. Nathaniel Dick and Others, Lee was suing for a debt that he claimed to be owed by Dick and others from an agreement made in 1833. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Lee, finding that there had been sufficient evidence presented to prove the existence of a valid contract between them as well as proof that it had not been fulfilled or discharged by either party prior to the suit being filed. Furthermore, they found that since no statute existed at the time which would have prevented such an action from taking place, then it was within their power to award damages accordingly. As such, they ordered Dick and his co-defendants to pay all costs associated with bringing this lawsuit plus interest on top of any other debts due under their original agreement from 1833 onwards until full payment is received by Lee himself.

In the case of Samuel B. Lee v. Nathaniel Dick and Others, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a deed given by an executor of a will should be considered valid if it had not been approved or allowed by the court that probated said will. The majority opinion held that such deeds were invalid without approval from the court, but Justice McLean dissented on this point. He argued that there was no legal precedent for requiring such approval and noted that courts have historically accepted deeds executed in good faith as valid even when they are not approved by any other authority. Furthermore, he pointed out that allowing executors to convey property without prior judicial authorization would help ensure speedy settlement of estates and prevent unnecessary delays in transferring title to heirs or purchasers who may otherwise be unable to obtain clear titles due to lack of court action.