In the case of Old Dominion Land Company v. United States, 1925, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the U.S government regarding a dispute over land ownership. The Old Dominion Land Company claimed that they owned certain lands under water in Hampton Roads, Virginia due to colonial-era grants and patents from British monarchs. However, these claims were disputed by the federal government who argued that such submerged lands belonged to them following Virginia's secession during Civil War and its subsequent readmission into Union without those rights restored. The court held that when Virginia was readmitted to Union after Civil War it did not regain title to soil under navigable waters which had been seized as enemy property during war; hence this land now belonged to Federal Government rather than private entities or state governments.

In the dissenting opinion for Old Dominion Land Company v. United States, it was argued that the government did not have a right to take private property without just compensation under eminent domain laws. The justice believed that the land in question had been privately owned and developed before being taken by the government for public use as a fortification during wartime. He contended that this constituted an unlawful seizure of private property, violating constitutional protections against such actions. Furthermore, he disagreed with majority's interpretation of "navigable waters," arguing it should be limited to those capable of carrying commerce rather than any body of water affected by tides or subject to federal control for purposes like flood prevention or navigation improvement projects.