The U.S. Supreme Court case Worthington v. Boston in 1893 revolved around a dispute over the payment of bonds issued by the city of Boston, Massachusetts. The plaintiff, Worthington, was an English citizen who purchased these bonds and later claimed that he had not received interest payments due to him from the city. He argued that under international law and treaties between England and America, his rights as a foreign bondholder were being violated by non-payment. However, the court ruled against Worthington on several grounds: firstly because it found no evidence of any treaty violation; secondly because it held that municipal corporations like cities are part of state governments which have sovereign immunity from lawsuits unless they consent to be sued; thirdly because even if there was such consent or waiver of immunity (which wasn't clear), this would only apply within US jurisdiction but not extend overseas where Worthington resided. Therefore, despite acknowledging some merit in his arguments about protecting foreign investors' rights generally speaking - especially given their importance for American economic development - ultimately this did not override other legal principles at stake here according to majority opinion written by Justice Gray.

In the dissenting opinion for Worthington v. Boston, it was argued that the city of Boston should not be held liable for damages caused by a mob during an anti-abolitionist riot in 1837. The dissenting justices contended that while the city may have been negligent in preventing or controlling the riot, this did not necessarily mean they were legally responsible for any damage inflicted by private citizens involved in said riot. They further asserted that if cities could be held accountable for such actions, it would set a dangerous precedent where municipalities could potentially face crippling financial burdens due to events beyond their control. This perspective emphasized on distinguishing between public and private acts of violence and maintaining limits on municipal liability.