The Strathairl case was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of whether a foreign vessel could be seized and sold in the United States for a debt owed by its owners. The case arose when the Strathairl, a British vessel, was seized in the port of New York by a creditor of the vessel's owners. The creditor sought to have the vessel sold to satisfy the debt. The owners of the vessel argued that the vessel could not be seized and sold in the United States because it was a foreign vessel. The Supreme Court held that the vessel could be seized and sold in the United States. The Court reasoned that the vessel was subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and that the creditor had a valid claim against the vessel. The Court also noted that the vessel was not immune from seizure and sale in the United States because it was a foreign vessel. The Court concluded that the creditor had a valid claim against the vessel and that the vessel could be seized and sold in the United States to satisfy the debt.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Strathairn, arguing that Congress had no authority to pass a law interfering with contracts between individuals. He argued that the power of Congress was limited to those enumerated in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution and did not include any authority over private contracts. Furthermore, he argued that if such a power were granted it would be an unconstitutional delegation of legislative powers from Congress to state legislatures. Justice Field concluded by stating that while he agreed with the majority's decision on other points, he could not agree with their interpretation of Congressional power as it related to this case.