In the case of Southern Pacific Company v. Bogert et al., Executors of Lawrence, et al., 1918, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Southern Pacific Company. The dispute centered around a contract for transportation services between New York and San Francisco that was entered into by Mr. Lawrence and the railroad company before his death. After his passing, Mr. Lawrence's executors sought to recover overcharges they believed were made under this agreement but had been paid without protest during Mr.Lawrence's lifetime. The court held that since these charges were not protested at the time of payment nor any notice given to retain rights against them, recovery could not be pursued after such an extended period (over six years). The court also noted that there was no evidence suggesting fraud or mistake on part of Southern Pacific Company which would have justified setting aside this rule. This decision reinforced principles regarding contractual agreements and established precedent concerning protests about overcharges in such contracts - namely that failure to object or reserve rights promptly can result in forfeiture of those claims later on.

In the dissenting opinion for Southern Pacific Company v. Bogert et al., it was argued that the majority's decision to allow a railroad company to avoid paying taxes on its land grants by transferring them to another corporation, which then sold them and returned the profits back, undermined public policy. The dissent contended that this maneuver allowed corporations to evade their tax obligations through legal technicalities and subterfuge. It further stated that such actions were not in line with Congress' original intent when granting these lands, which was meant as an incentive for companies to build railroads across uncharted territories rather than as a means of generating untaxed profit. Therefore, according to the dissenting justices, allowing such practices would set a dangerous precedent encouraging other corporations also seeking ways around their tax liabilities.