The Frances, Boyer, Master (Graham's Claim) was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1814. The dispute centered around a ship called the Frances and its cargo of tobacco that had been seized by British forces during the War of 1812. The owner of the vessel, John Graham, brought suit against William Boyer and Thomas Master for failing to pay him compensation for his losses due to their negligence in protecting his property from being taken by enemy forces. In an opinion delivered by Chief Justice Marshall, it was held that although there may have been some degree of fault on behalf of Boyer and Master in not taking sufficient precautions to protect Graham’s property from seizure or destruction at sea; they were still entitled to recover damages as long as they could prove that their actions did not amount to gross negligence or willful misconduct. This decision established important precedent regarding liability issues related to maritime law which is still applicable today.

In the case of The Frances, Boyer, Master (Graham's Claim), Justice Johnson delivered a dissenting opinion. He argued that the Court should not have decided on the merits of Graham’s claim because he had failed to comply with certain formalities required by law. Specifically, Johnson noted that Graham had neglected to file his petition in court within three years after it was due and also failed to provide sufficient proof for his claim. Furthermore, Johnson asserted that even if these issues were overlooked and Graham’s petition was considered on its merits, there still would be no basis for granting him relief as he did not present any evidence or argument demonstrating how his rights were violated or why he deserved compensation from either party involved in this dispute. Ultimately, Justice Johnson concluded that since all legal requirements were not met and no substantive arguments presented by Graham supporting his claims existed; therefore judgment should have been rendered against him instead of deciding upon the merits of this case at all.