In the Telfener v. Russ case of 1891, the US Supreme Court dealt with a dispute over land ownership in Texas between an Italian company and local residents. The New York, Texas & Mexican Railway Company (owned by Italian investors) claimed that it had been granted land under an act passed by the Texan government to encourage railway construction. However, locals disputed this claim arguing that they were rightful owners as per Spanish and Mexican grants predating Texas's independence from Mexico. The court ruled in favor of the local residents stating that while there was indeed a law granting lands for railroad construction, it only applied if no third party rights existed on those lands at the time of enactment. Since these lands were already owned before such laws came into effect due to previous Spanish/Mexican grants recognized by both U.S federal and state law, they could not be given away without infringing upon existing property rights. This case is significant because it upheld private property rights against potential governmental infringement through public development incentives.

In the dissenting opinion for Telfener v. Russ, Justice Lamar disagreed with the majority's interpretation of a Texas statute that allowed foreign corporations to do business in Texas. He argued that this law did not require foreign companies to forfeit their right to sue in federal courts as a condition of doing business within the state. Instead, he believed it merely required them to designate an agent upon whom process could be served within Texas - essentially ensuring they could be held accountable under local laws while operating there. Therefore, according to Justice Lamar, Italian corporation Telfener should have been able to bring its case against Russ before a federal court rather than being limited solely to state courts due simply because it was conducting business in Texas.