The Amelie was a Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of maritime law. The case involved a French vessel, the Amelie, which was damaged while in the port of New York. The owners of the vessel sued the port authorities for damages, claiming that the port authorities had failed to provide adequate protection for the vessel. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the port authorities, finding that the port authorities had not been negligent in their duties and that the damages were caused by the negligence of the vessel's owners. The Court also held that the port authorities were not liable for any damages caused by the negligence of the vessel's owners. This ruling established the principle that port authorities are not liable for damages caused by the negligence of vessel owners. The Court also held that the port authorities are not liable for any damages caused by the negligence of third parties. This ruling established the principle that port authorities are not liable for damages caused by the negligence of third parties.

In The Amelie, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a ship that had been seized by Confederate forces during the Civil War could be considered a prize of war. In an 8-1 decision, the court held that it could not. Justice Field wrote for the majority and argued that since there was no evidence of any hostile act committed against either side in this case, it did not meet the criteria necessary to classify as a prize of war. He further stated that even if such acts had occurred they would have been insufficient because they were done without authority from either government involved in the conflict. Justice Swayne dissented and argued that although there may have been no formal declaration of hostilities between both sides at this time, actual warfare existed on land and sea which should be sufficient enough to qualify as a prize of war under international law principles. He also noted how other nations recognized these seizures as legitimate prizes despite their lack of formal declarations or authorization from governments involved in conflicts at sea during wartime periods like this one.