This Supreme Court case involved a dispute between Jessie Williamson, Jr. and William H. Sise & another. Williamson had purchased a steamboat from Sise & another, and the two parties had entered into a contract for the sale of the boat. However, Williamson failed to make the payments as agreed upon in the contract, and Sise & another sued him for the balance due. The Supreme Court held that the contract was valid and enforceable, and that Williamson was liable for the balance due. The Court also held that the contract was not voidable due to any fraud or misrepresentation on the part of Sise & another. The Court further held that Williamson was not entitled to any set-off or counterclaim against Sise & another, as he had failed to make the payments as agreed upon in the contract. The Court thus affirmed the judgment of the lower court, and ordered Williamson to pay the balance due.

In the case of Starin v. The Jessie Williamson, Jr., and William H. Sise & Another, Justice Field delivered a dissenting opinion arguing that the lower court's decision should be reversed because it was based on an erroneous interpretation of the law in question. He argued that under New York law at the time, when two persons are jointly liable for a debt or obligation they must both be sued together to recover any part of it; if only one is sued then no recovery can be had from either party unless there is some agreement between them which would make one responsible for all or part of what may have been recovered against him alone. In this case, he argued that since neither defendant had agreed to pay more than his proportionate share nor waived his right to require joint action against both defendants before any judgment could be obtained against either, then no valid judgment could have been entered by suing only one defendant without joining with him another who was equally liable with him upon such cause of action as existed here.