The Florida was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1879. The case involved a dispute between the United States and the State of Florida over the ownership of certain submerged lands in the Gulf of Mexico. The United States claimed that the submerged lands were part of the public domain and thus belonged to the United States. The State of Florida argued that the submerged lands were part of the state's territory and thus belonged to the state. The Supreme Court held that the submerged lands in question were part of the public domain and thus belonged to the United States. The Court reasoned that the submerged lands were not part of the state's territory because they were not within the boundaries of the state as defined by the Constitution. The Court also held that the United States had the right to regulate the use of the submerged lands, as they were part of the public domain. The decision in The Florida was significant because it established the principle that the United States had the right to regulate the use of submerged lands in the public domain. This decision has been cited in numerous subsequent cases involving the ownership and regulation of submerged lands.

The dissenting opinion in The Florida case argued that the majority's decision was based on a misinterpretation of the Constitution. According to Justice Field, who wrote the dissent, Congress had no power to pass legislation concerning slavery or any other matter which would affect states' rights under the Tenth Amendment. He further argued that while Congress could regulate commerce between states and territories, it did not have authority over interstate trade within a state. Furthermore, he asserted that if Congress were allowed to interfere with internal affairs of a state such as slavery then it would be able to control all aspects of life within those states and thus undermine their sovereignty. In conclusion, Justice Field believed that allowing this type of federal interference into matters traditionally left up to individual states was unconstitutional and should be struck down by the Court.