In the case of Turner v. Sawyer, 1893, the United States Supreme Court dealt with a dispute over land ownership in Nevada. The plaintiff, Turner, claimed that he had acquired title to certain lands through preemption rights under federal law and sought an injunction against the defendant's alleged trespassing on said lands. However, Sawyer argued that he held valid mining claims on these same lands under another federal statute which allowed for such claims even if they conflicted with existing preemption rights. The court ruled in favor of Sawyer stating that his mining claim took precedence over any preemptive right asserted by Turner as per provisions of the Mining Act of 1872 - a decision affirming Congress' intent to promote mineral exploration and development.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Turner v. Sawyer argued that the majority's decision to uphold a Nevada law requiring all mining companies to pay their employees in legal tender, rather than company scrip or other forms of payment, was an overreach of state power and violated the Constitution's Contract Clause. The dissenters believed that this law interfered with private contractual relationships between employers and employees by dictating terms of payment. They contended that while states have broad powers to regulate business practices for public welfare purposes, these powers should not extend so far as to infringe upon individual liberty or property rights without due process. Furthermore, they expressed concern about potential negative economic impacts on mining companies forced to comply with this regulation against their will.