The size of the Court is not specified; the Constitution leaves it to Congress to set the number of justices.

When the cases in volume 149 U.S. were decided the Court comprised the following nine members: In Nix v. Hedden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893), the Supreme Court held that under U.S. customs regulations, a tomato should be classified as a vegetable rather than a fruit; the Tariff Act of 1883 used the ordinary meaning of the words "fruit" and "vegetable," instead of the technical botanical meaning.

The provisions in question required Chinese in the United States to obtain certificates of residency, and allowed for the arrest and deportation of Chinese who had failed to obtain these certificates, even if they had not violated any other laws.

The case involved writs of habeas corpus from Fong Yue Ting and two other Chinese citizens residing in New York City who were arrested and detained for not having certificates.

The Supreme Court decided in favor of the United States government, upholding the Geary Act and denying the writs of habeas corpus.