The U.S. Supreme Court case Carey v. Houston and Texas Central Railway Company in 1893 revolved around a dispute over land ownership rights between the railway company and an individual named Carey. The railway company claimed that it had purchased the disputed land from its original owner, while Carey argued that he had acquired the property through adverse possession - a legal principle allowing someone to gain ownership of another's property if they have occupied it for an extended period without challenge from the rightful owner. The court ruled in favor of Carey, stating that his claim was valid as he had been occupying and using the land openly for more than five years before any action was taken by the railroad company to assert their alleged rights to it.

In the dissenting opinion for Carey v. Houston and Texas Central Railway Company, Justice Brewer argued that the majority's decision to uphold a state law regulating railroad rates was inconsistent with previous Supreme Court rulings on similar issues. He contended that such laws were unconstitutional because they violated the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause by depriving railroads of their property without just compensation. Furthermore, he believed these regulations interfered with interstate commerce, which is under federal jurisdiction according to the Constitution. Therefore, in his view, states should not have authority over setting railway rates as it could lead to arbitrary and unfair pricing systems across different states affecting both businesses and consumers negatively.