The Postmaster General of the United States v. Stephen Trigg, Administrator of Elias Rector was a case heard by the Supreme Court in 1837. The dispute centered around an unpaid debt owed to Elias Rector from William Davenport, who had died without paying his debts and left no estate or assets behind. Stephen Trigg, as administrator for Rector's estate, sought payment from the postmaster general on behalf of Davenport's estate since he had received money through postal service contracts during his life time. The court held that while it is true that Congress has authority to regulate mail delivery and set fees for its services; they do not have power to create any obligation or liability upon individuals beyond what is expressly stated in their laws regarding postal services. Therefore, because there was no express provision allowing recovery against the postmaster general under these circumstances, Trigg could not recover payment on behalf of Davenport’s estate from him.

In the case of The Postmaster General of the United States v. Stephen Trigg, Administrator of Elias Rector, Justice McLean delivered a dissenting opinion. He argued that Congress had no authority to pass legislation which would allow for an individual's estate to be held liable for debts incurred by another person who was deceased at the time those debts were contracted. According to Justice McLean, this type of law violated both natural and constitutional rights as it allowed creditors to collect from estates without due process or any legal protection afforded by either state or federal laws. Furthermore, he contended that such a law could not be justified under any circumstances because it did not serve any legitimate public purpose and instead only served private interests in collecting debt from individuals who were already dead and unable to defend themselves against such claims.