Van Weel v. Winston & Others was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of whether a state court had the authority to issue a writ of mandamus to a federal court. The case arose when the plaintiff, Van Weel, sought to compel the defendants, Winston & Others, to appear in a state court and answer a complaint. The defendants argued that the state court lacked the authority to issue a writ of mandamus to a federal court. The Supreme Court held that the state court did not have the authority to issue a writ of mandamus to a federal court. The Court reasoned that the state court lacked the power to issue a writ of mandamus to a federal court because the federal court was a court of exclusive jurisdiction. The Court further reasoned that the state court lacked the power to issue a writ of mandamus to a federal court because the federal court was a court of limited jurisdiction. The Court concluded that the state court lacked the authority to issue a writ of mandamus to a federal court. The Court held that the state court could not compel the defendants to appear in a state court and answer a complaint. The Court reasoned that the state court lacked the power to issue a writ of mandamus to a federal court because the federal court was a court of exclusive jurisdiction.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Van Weel v. Winston & Others, arguing that the majority's decision was contrary to both precedent and sound legal reasoning. He argued that a court of equity had no jurisdiction over an action for damages arising from a breach of contract, as such actions were traditionally matters for courts of law. Furthermore, he noted that even if there were some equitable considerations at play in this case, they did not outweigh the fact that it was primarily an action for damages resulting from a breach of contract. In conclusion, Justice Field argued that since this case involved only questions concerning rights under contracts which could be determined by courts of law alone without any interference or aid from courts of equity, it should have been dismissed instead being decided on its merits by the Supreme Court.