In the Northern Pacific Railroad Company v. Lewis case of 1895, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of the defendant, Mr. Lewis. The dispute arose when Northern Pacific Railroad Company claimed that they had a prior right to certain lands under an Act of Congress from 1864 which granted them land for every mile of track laid. However, before they could lay their tracks and claim these lands, Mr. Lewis had already purchased parts of it under another Congressional Act passed in 1872 promoting settlement on public lands (the Timber Culture Act). The court held that since Mr.Lewis's rights were established before those asserted by the railroad company came into existence; his purchase was valid and he retained ownership over his property.

In the dissenting opinion for Northern Pacific Railroad Company v. Lewis, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a lower court ruling against the railroad company was incorrect. The dissenting justices believed that there were errors in how the case had been handled at trial and disagreed with interpretations of existing laws related to land grants given to railroads by Congress. They contended that these lands should be considered public until they are sold or otherwise disposed of by the railroad companies, which would mean they could not be taxed as private property while still owned by those companies. This interpretation differed from that of both lower courts and ultimately did not prevail in this Supreme Court decision.