In the Pirie v. Chicago Title and Trust Company case of 1900, the U.S Supreme Court ruled on a dispute involving property rights in Illinois. The plaintiff, John T. Pirie, sought to recover land that he claimed was wrongfully sold by the defendant, Chicago Title and Trust Company (CTTC). CTTC had been appointed as trustee for a railroad company which went bankrupt; it then sold off assets including land to pay creditors. Pirie argued that this sale was invalid because it violated his reversionary interest in the property - an interest stemming from an earlier agreement with the railroad company allowing him to reclaim ownership if certain conditions were met. The court rejected Pirie's claim stating that his reversionary right did not prevent CTTC from selling off assets under its trust duties during bankruptcy proceedings. It held that such sales are necessary for settling debts and distributing remaining assets among creditors fairly; these actions take precedence over individual claims like those of Mr.Pirie's unless explicitly protected by law or contract terms.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Pirie v. Chicago Title and Trust Company argued that the majority's decision to uphold a Sunday closing law was inconsistent with previous rulings on similar cases. The justice contended that such laws were not merely civil regulations, but rather religious ordinances, which violated the principle of separation between church and state as outlined in the Constitution. He further asserted that these laws infringed upon individual rights by dictating when people could conduct their business affairs, thereby interfering with personal liberty under guise of maintaining public order and morality. Moreover, he questioned why only certain activities were prohibited on Sundays while others remained permissible if they did not disturb peace or good order; this selective enforcement seemed arbitrary and unjustifiable to him. In conclusion, he believed it was inappropriate for courts to determine what constituted necessary work or recreation on Sundays since this should be left up to individuals' discretion based on their own beliefs or needs.