The Sea Gull was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1876. The case involved a dispute between the owners of a schooner, the Sea Gull, and the owners of a steamboat, the John R. Williams. The Sea Gull had been damaged by the steamboat, and the owners of the Sea Gull sought compensation for the damages. The owners of the steamboat argued that they were not liable for the damages because the Sea Gull had been in navigable waters and was therefore subject to the laws of the United States. The Supreme Court held that the owners of the steamboat were liable for the damages caused to the Sea Gull. The Court reasoned that the Sea Gull was not in navigable waters and was therefore not subject to the laws of the United States. The Court also held that the owners of the steamboat had a duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid causing damage to the Sea Gull. The Court concluded that the owners of the steamboat had failed to exercise such care and were therefore liable for the damages caused to the Sea Gull.

The Sea Gull was a case that centered around the interpretation of an 1822 treaty between Great Britain and the United States. The majority opinion held that, under this treaty, citizens of either country had exclusive rights to fish in certain waters off the coast of Maine. However, Justice Field dissented from this opinion on two grounds: firstly, he argued that it was not clear whether or not fishing rights were included within the scope of the treaty; secondly, even if they were included within its scope, he believed there should be no exclusive right granted to any one nation's citizens as such a right would conflict with other treaties which allowed for free access by all nations' citizens. He concluded his dissent by noting that while it may have been possible for Congress to pass legislation granting exclusive fishing rights to one nation's citizens over another’s in these waters - something which had never been done - it could not do so through judicial interpretation alone.