In the Kneeland v. Luce case of 1891, the US Supreme Court dealt with a dispute over land ownership in Michigan. The plaintiff, Kneeland, claimed that he had purchased certain lands from the state of Michigan which were later sold by the state to Luce due to an error in public records showing unpaid taxes on said lands. The court ruled against Kneeland's claim stating that even though there was an error made by public officials regarding tax payments and subsequent sale of property, it did not alter or affect the validity of its second sale to Luce. This decision upheld that a purchaser at a tax sale takes all risks upon himself and cannot recover his money if it turns out that no taxes were due when he bought it; thus protecting innocent third-party purchasers who buy properties based on official records.

In the dissenting opinion for Kneeland v. Luce, Justice Lamar disagreed with the majority's decision to uphold a Michigan law that required stockbrokers to obtain a license and pay an annual fee in order to operate within state lines. He argued that this law was unconstitutional as it violated the Commerce Clause of the U.S Constitution by interfering with interstate commerce. According to him, stock transactions were not merely local affairs but involved buying and selling securities from various states or even foreign countries; thus they should be considered part of interstate commerce which is under federal jurisdiction. The justice also contended that such regulation could lead other states to enact similar laws thereby creating barriers for brokers across different jurisdictions, further disrupting free trade among states.