In the case of United States v. Fletcher in 1892, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a land patent issued by the U.S. government could be set aside due to fraud or mistake. The dispute arose from conflicting claims over a tract of land in California; one party held a Mexican grant confirmed and patented by U.S authorities while another claimed under preemption rights predating this confirmation. The court ruled that once a patent for land has been signed and sealed by relevant governmental officials, it becomes incontrovertible evidence that all prerequisites have been met - even if they were not actually fulfilled correctly or at all. Therefore, it cannot be annulled except through direct proceedings instituted by the government itself on grounds such as fraudulent acquisition or mistaken issuance.

In the dissenting opinion for United States v. Fletcher, Justice Brewer argued that the majority's decision to deny Fletcher his claim on land was incorrect. He believed that the government had failed to prove its case against him and therefore should not have been able to take away his property rights without due process of law. According to Justice Brewer, there were no clear legal grounds for denying Fletcher's claim since he had complied with all necessary procedures and requirements set forth by Congress in acquiring this land. Furthermore, he pointed out inconsistencies in how similar cases were handled previously which further undermined the credibility of their ruling against Fletcher. In conclusion, Justice Brewer strongly disagreed with the majority’s interpretation of laws governing public lands and felt it unjustly deprived an individual from rightfully claimed property.