http://www.oyez.org/cases/1851-1900/1851/ U.S. Supreme Court Cases, presented by The Oyez Project (www.oyez.org) en-us <p>A Pennsylvania law required that all ships entering or leaving the port of Philadelphia hire a local pilot. Ships that fail to do so would be subject to a fine, which would go to a fund for retire pilots and their dependents. This fund was administered by the Board of Wardens of the Port of Philadephia. Cooley was a ship owner. He refused to hire a local pilot and he also refused to pay the fine.</p> http://www.oyez.org/cases/1851-1900/1851/1851_0/