The Mary and Susan. Richardson was a case heard by the US Supreme Court in 1816. The case involved two ships, the Mary and Susan, which were captured during the War of 1812 while sailing from England to New York City with cargo belonging to British subjects. The claimants argued that they had not been given proper notice of their capture or an opportunity for judicial review before their property was confiscated by American authorities. They sought compensation for damages caused by this alleged violation of international law. In its decision, the court held that there must be sufficient evidence presented at trial to support a claim for damages against a foreign nation; however, it also found that due process rights had been violated when no notice or hearing was provided prior to confiscation of property owned by British citizens on board these vessels. This ruling established important precedent regarding protection of private property rights under international law as well as providing guidance on how nations should treat each other’s citizens in times of war or conflict

In the case of The Mary and Susan, Richardson, Claimant (1816), the dissenting opinion was that a vessel's owner should not be held liable for damages caused by an act of God. This is because it would be unfair to hold them responsible for something they had no control over. Furthermore, it could potentially lead to unjustly punishing owners who have taken all reasonable precautions against such occurrences. In this particular case, there were several factors which contributed to the damage sustained by the ship in question; these included both human error and natural causes beyond anyone’s control. As such, holding only one party accountable would be unreasonable and contrary to established legal principles regarding liability in maritime law.