The Clara was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1881. The case involved a dispute between the owners of the Clara, a steamship, and the owners of the steamship's cargo. The Clara had been damaged in a collision with another vessel, and the owners of the cargo sought to recover damages from the owners of the Clara. The Supreme Court held that the owners of the Clara were liable for the damages caused by the collision. The Court reasoned that the owners of the Clara had a duty to exercise reasonable care in the navigation of the vessel, and that they had failed to do so. The Court also held that the owners of the cargo were entitled to recover damages for the loss of their property. The Court's decision in The Clara established the principle that the owners of a vessel are liable for damages caused by their negligence in the navigation of the vessel. This principle has been applied in numerous cases since The Clara, and remains an important part of maritime law today.

The Clara was a case heard before the United States Supreme Court in 1881. The dispute centered around whether or not the vessel, The Clara, had been legally seized by customs officers for failing to pay duties on imported goods. In a 5-4 decision, the majority of justices found that there had been no legal basis for seizing the ship and ordered its release from custody. Justice Field wrote a dissenting opinion arguing that while it may have been true that there were some irregularities in how customs officials handled their duties with respect to this particular vessel, they still acted within their authority as defined by law and thus should be allowed to keep possession of it until all applicable taxes were paid. He argued further that if such seizures are deemed illegal then any other similar action taken against vessels would also be considered unlawful and could lead to chaos among maritime commerce laws.