In the case of Pine River Logging Company v. United States in 1901, the Supreme Court ruled on a dispute over land ownership and timber rights. The Pine River Logging Company claimed that it had purchased certain lands from Native American tribes before they were ceded to the U.S government under treaties signed in 1854 and 1864. However, these purchases were not approved by Congress as required by federal law at that time for transactions involving tribal lands. Therefore, when these territories became part of public domain after being ceded to the U.S., any previous claims or titles held by private entities like Pine River Logging Company were invalidated unless specifically recognized and confirmed by Congress which was not done here. The court found against Pine River Logging Company stating that their purchase contracts with native tribes did not confer valid title because they lacked necessary Congressional approval; hence such unapproved contracts could not be enforced against subsequent bona fide purchasers (like US Government). This ruling reaffirmed Federal policy requiring Congressional approval for sale of Indian lands thereby protecting them from exploitation while also ensuring certainty in land titles derived through public domain.

In the dissenting opinion for Pine River Logging Company v. United States, Justice Harlan disagreed with the majority's interpretation of the Swamp Land Act of 1850. He argued that Congress intended to grant states all swamp and overflowed lands within their borders, regardless of whether they were deemed unfit for cultivation at a particular moment in time or not. According to him, this was meant as an aid to assist states in draining these lands and making them productive. The majority's narrow interpretation would defeat this purpose by excluding any land that could potentially be made fit for cultivation through human effort from being classified as 'swamp' under the act. Furthermore, he contended that it is unreasonable to expect precise surveys identifying such lands when even modern technology cannot achieve absolute accuracy in determining which areas are permanently waterlogged versus those temporarily so due to seasonal variations or other factors beyond control.