The United States Supreme Court case of United States et al. v. New Orleans Pacific Railway Company et al., 1918, revolved around the issue of land grants to railway companies and their subsequent forfeiture if certain conditions were not met. The U.S government had granted lands to the New Orleans Pacific Railway Company for building a railroad from New Orleans to Texas, with a condition that construction must be completed within a specified time frame. However, when the company failed to meet this deadline, it was argued by other parties interested in these lands that they should revert back to public domain as per law stipulations at that time (Act of March 3rd, 1857). The court ruled in favor of the government stating that any unearned land grant would indeed be forfeited if conditions weren't fulfilled on time; thus upholding Congress's power over such matters.

In the dissenting opinion for United States et al. v. New Orleans Pacific Railway Company et al., the justice argued that the government had no right to recover damages from a railway company for an accident involving military personnel because it was not directly involved in their transportation contract. The justice contended that, while there is a legal principle allowing third parties to sue if they are injured due to someone else's negligence, this should not apply when the third party has no direct contractual relationship with either of those involved in the original agreement. In this case, since there was no explicit contract between the U.S Government and New Orleans Pacific Railway Company regarding transporting soldiers, he believed it inappropriate for them to seek compensation from any accidents arising out of such transportations.