In the case of William Byers v. Francis Surget, Byers appealed a decision from the Circuit Court of Louisiana that granted Surget title to certain land in dispute between them. The Supreme Court reversed and remanded the lower court’s ruling, finding that there was no evidence presented at trial to support its conclusion. The Supreme Court held that while it is true that possession gives rise to a presumption of title, this presumption can be rebutted by other facts or circumstances which prove otherwise; however, such proof must be clear and satisfactory before any judgment can be rendered against an adverse claimant who has been in actual possession for more than ten years prior to suit being brought against him. In this case, since neither party had produced sufficient evidence as required by law for their respective claims on the disputed property rights, both parties were found equally entitled thereto and thus ordered back into court with instructions for further proceedings consistent with these findings.

In the case of William Byers v. Francis Surget, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a state court had jurisdiction to hear a dispute between two citizens from different states. The majority opinion held that such disputes should be heard in federal courts, while Justice McLean dissented and argued that state courts could have jurisdiction over these cases if they involved questions of local law or property rights. He further stated that it would be unfair for one party to travel across multiple states just to litigate their claim in federal court when there is an available forum closer by. In addition, he noted that Congress had not explicitly granted exclusive jurisdiction over interstate controversies to the federal government and thus allowing state courts to handle them did not violate any laws or constitutional provisions. Ultimately, Justice McLean concluded his dissent by arguing against giving too much power and authority to the federal government at the expense of individual states' sovereignty and autonomy.