This Supreme Court case involved three plaintiffs, Solomon Southwick, Spencer Stafford and John Van Ness Gates. They were suing the Postmaster General of the United States for damages caused by a post office employee’s negligence in delivering their mail. The plaintiffs argued that they had suffered financial losses due to the delay in receiving important documents from Europe which was caused by an employee's failure to deliver them promptly. The defendant countered that it could not be held liable for any damage resulting from its employees' actions as it had no control over them or knowledge of what they did while on duty. After hearing both sides, the court ruled in favor of the defendants and dismissed all claims against them stating that since there was no contract between parties nor any evidence proving intentional misconduct on behalf of anyone employed at the post office, then liability could not be established under common law principles.

In the case of Solomon Southwick, Spencer Stafford, and John Van Ness Gates vs. The Postmaster General of the United States, dissenting opinion was expressed by Justice Story who argued that Congress had exceeded its authority in passing a law which allowed for postmasters to be appointed without requiring them to take an oath or affirmation as prescribed by the Constitution. He further stated that such a law would allow for individuals with no regard for their duties or obligations under the Constitution to hold office and thus undermine public confidence in government officials. Additionally, he argued that this lack of accountability could lead to corruption and abuse within government offices. Finally, Justice Story concluded his dissent by stating that if Congress were permitted to pass laws which circumvented constitutional requirements then it would set a dangerous precedent whereby other branches of government may attempt similar measures in order to expand their own powers beyond what is constitutionally permissible.