**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN** 

Honorable

Eiascom Olles Comnlnnloner,

Qeneral

Lend Office Austin, Texas
Dear Slrr oplnlon Ho. O-672

addltlanal

Saat of July 26, 194 ur opieion request 18, 1945, usd the d in your letter

Hr. oerald u. naenna, en, Texam, filed im the 8 applioatlon

to pzwmpect

ty, in aaaordanae

ulth the "$IIEI~"~~ tL~ba.~Eatlon I lfmukl Protpw3t’Perrit H-+28867 on July 11, 1.945 for a pe~lcd

not to exceed

bne y6ar be@nning on July 3, 1944.

'OnHarea 27, 1945.Mr. Ed L. Love of Sierra Blmca, Texea, filed ln tBa General Lend Ofl'ice his affidavit

of ovnerahip

"d requeetfor retnetatement

WI Section2, **Block** 63 , Publto SshoolLend, Eudrpeth County. **Aacampanying** the **Aifldavit** of Omecahlp and Request for Relnrtatemerit wau a ralttance to covw payment of allHon. EaecomClllee - Pegs 2

principal, interest, end penalties. Hr. Love alao requested

that a patont be issued him on Section2.

"The male of eald Bsotlon2 wne forfeited for non-payment

of tnteroet

on April 25, 1941, and nov stands

iorfefted on the records of thle offlae.
"At eight (8100)o'clock **A.M.,** Julo 3, 1945, Itr.

wollm filed ia the Oeneral Laud Offioti the applieatlon

of **Southvest** Mlnwele, Ino., P.O. aox 865, Barllngen, Texas, to proe*ct for wt*llla mlnerale

an4 pneloue **rtcnm8 on**  **the** northhelf OT said Sectlutt 2. You vl1.l note the caafl.ictLag rlghte of Southvest

Nlaerale,

Ina. utd I&. Love,"
Your letterof July 26, 1945, reads lttpart: * ?oo your further %tt~mtlen, **the** l&tad uttde; ~u&el4eratlen Lo thle oplttlun mqueet v&e noldwith a meervatlon of all telnerale to the 8tatq.i "
Your qtw8tion181

"I reepeotiull~

request

that you give m your op~lonae to whetherI ehoul4iemo l Prempeot Pomlt to Southmet Wetie, Iam., **or** minetat& **the** male of the land in favor of I&. Bed L. Love.*
We itret aoneld6r

vhother

you ehould

reinrhto the male of this land in IWOF ot NV. Love.

Art. 5326,R. C. S., nov made, Ln M, em followet 'Ii any portionof the %lmweSC on euy WI.0 should not be pIi4 when &@a, ths land ehrllbe L\lbjeot to forfelturs

by ~the Coarlreloner **elttm~rfng** on the vrepperoont~lning

the papme 'Lend

Porfeited',

or v~rde of eirileris', rt, with the brte of much action a n d l lgn it offlcf

ar ly, em4 therivupett the laad an4 all payaente

shallbe forfeited

to the Stat.,end **the** landsesey

be offeredtar male on **b** eubeequent male date. In e.ny came where lan4e reny hmrrwfter

be ior?elted

to the Nate for non-payment OS fntereet,

tha pttrahaeere,lion.

&scramOilee - Pege 3

bc thelr **vendees,** heirs,or legal repreeentatlvee, emy have their alaIm relnetrted on theirvrltten request,

by paying Into the Treaeur)r the full uottqtof Intorest

du6 on tich ul@m up to thn date of relnet8temeat,

provided

that +rIghte of third
**vweone ,WJ**  **have** lntervono4.Th **right to**  **rein** state shallbe lImitedto the last pumhaeer from the State or him vendee8or tholr heirs or legcr3 repreeent&ivee. BuchHghtmuetbe excrcieed within five (5) y0~s fxwm th0 **date** 0f th0 f0mmi~e, ur4 the right to reinstate any alak heretoforeforfeited by the Caraieeiooer mtot be exercised **within** five (5) years from the effeatlve date of t&Is **Act,** but not thereaSter.

. . .!'
Mr. Love ham epryhtto oomply with thfe artlole

by makiaghim request **for** md.netataaont

vlthln five years from the date of **th,** forfeiture. **PmVlde4** Br. Love is the laet pttrch4teer of the latel

fma the Wats, or eueh lret purchaser's vendee,

heir or legal **mpmeeatatlve,** an4 If he ham pal4 into the **State** Treasury the full amountof latemet due on euoh alair**up** to .the **date** of r*lne~atenent,

be 18 clearlyuitltlo6 to have hle alaim rolnetated, ‘provided

that no~rlghte of thlr4pereons ma **Art053268** 9ex.mJur~rprudence, Vol. 38, f have iakrve~d.*

Pub ic Lands,page 190.
It*s w rlghta of third parties intemmie4 *lnae much forfeiture?Your letteraentlone none that **light** poe8lblp be so ometme4, exceptthe prorpeating per&t leeuulto l&r. IlaXe2nna

end the appll6ation of **Bouthreet** J4Inenlr. **IBC.** for a met~lia mInera proepeatlng pemlt tbrt was filed In the Ogneral

Land OffIaeon July 3, 1945.
Hr. WoKenna~e

proepectl3tg

W-It end the l

pp2icatfon of SoutWeet Winerale, Inc.Were ma4e **utt4.r** urthorlty of House Bill 489, Ch. 301, Acts 40th Leglelatulre, Re 5t beeeion,

1*3,

. ‘phi8 eeotlon

readist 210, Sec. 12, R. C, S.

**“ Any**  parson or **corpontlon deeirlng**  **to** prospect

a treet of land beloagw to t&w 8trto Sor gold, eilveP,

pl@Anum, cionrbrr, and othermetal110 ore8 and prccioue~etonee m8x file an appltcation rlth the ComleeSon4w of the OeneralLan4 OSfIce 4eelgnating

the area to be vroepeGto4, whioh aget be crcoompenie4

br a rentalpayment of Ten (10) Centeper aore, an4 much appltoeat shall love a periodof one year fFoa 4&o of filingeuah avplloation withinvhIch to prospectthe area 4WQpxated.BOB. BaeooaOllee - Page 4

WithIn the periodof ma&d year he nay file an l ppllcatlon

to lease the area deeIgr;uted Sor the purpose

of mlnInggold, silver, platinm, aInaa**bar** end othermetallla ores end pmoloue stones au4 remit Vlftg (50) Cents an aow am first annual payaetat

of rentalon the lease en4 continue to We euah

(5 ymente of five r from year to yur **for** a period

years,unleee eoae of the ninerale aemtloned

herein shellbe 4lecovered moonorin payingquentltlee. On 4lecave~ ‘ of any much altterale,

the **payaente** of euch reutalehellceaee. On **the** @@thday of erahmonth the ownerofthe rine ormlnee shellpny the Wyalt -the Nate vhioh shallbe one-eirteenth (l/la! of the value if the ainor8ls

eold or movedbff tbs pxwe.Saee. &ah peymente

shall **be** realtte4 to the 3omieeloner of the Cieneral

Lend Office en4 credited to the aaoount of the Porwnant Bahoollknd. 'Pb~learee l lmllbu drwn and the sines operated ln aaaordanoe

with reguUtion8 pnecrrlbed **by** the **Qovemor,** Attorney Qeneral,

and Oamleeloner of the 6eneral Len4 Offlae."
Your letter **lmllaatre tht**  the lend h4re involved, inaluding

the mlnerale,

heerpen **4edicate4** to the publia fxwe eIshoo]. futd and that **the** y Me val roldwLth r mii,ne~&L me* vatleq. Therefore, at all tlaee meter1e.l to your inquiry, mettilio mhenle aud p r e a i o ue l t o n o e b thxe lend belongedto the 8tete. **The** ownerrraqulred ma Interest

there- under the Relinqule&uent

Ad (BeeA&lale 5368)whichpertaina only to 011 a?&4 gae. We find no statute givingthe eurfaae

ovnep any Intorest

in metalllu

mlne-8 end pxwalouestonesthew%n.
It rollowe

that the btate, its agents, grenW8,
**or** llcexuwee,

is owner of euehmetelliaminerale rrrdpxwhue *tone*, ut4 ham atalltime8 ha4 thelO&l rlghtte enteron t he l ux+face for the pwpoae of Cupr~rlng and developIn$

the maidmetallla

mIner?rle

an4 piealoue

etonee. covan,etal v. Harcleaut,

ot al, 26 Tex. 2171 Esept~e Qae & Fuel Co., et al v. state, 121 Tax. 138, 150, 47 8. w. (2) 2658 bW8~, et 81 V. prgeril:;l Tax. 502, 511; Cox v. Robleon, 105 **Tex.** 426, 150

. . . Consequently, Love an4 hle pm4eoseeoce owned much land from the beglnnlng, eubjoct

to the right of the f&ate or its agents,

grmteee OP llaeneeee, to 40 the things~thmee **mineral** prospecting permits

rutboMee. Us see no 0onflloQ'Wmteoever betweenthe rightsof Love QP hle pxw4eoeeeore to T surface of this land,p~lor to the folrldture, en4 thau 0 reolplente

of Wneral proepeotlng peFmite

under Seatlat 12 of Article5k21a.Hon. B8ecoet Ollee - Pegs 5

ftwIe **our** opinionthatno rightof e thirdpnrty &&%?%kie alai& provlied, of course,

he 18 ot~rvlee Coneequentlywe believe you shouldreellg~ble

therefor.
We **mm** aonelder

vhetherthe ewtollio **alnerdl** end precious

stonepzwepeatlng

pemltehouldbegrentedto Southwest

Nlnerale,

Inc.
In Texas,mInerale

in place ere "land". State v. Hatcher,

281 9. W. 115 Tex. 3321 Lone **Acre** 011 Co. v. Bvapte,78 8. W. Wmtle~, 104 S. W. (2) Eollovayel Unknown

Relre 0. 131 8. W. (2) 89, 133 Tax. 608, 123 **A.** L. R. 843. Thesemetalllo mlnerde and pFealou8 stonesem %nd" and, am ham been sham before,the lend involve4

**bme** has been dedlcrted to the Pub110Rse School Fund.
It followstht euahaetalllc mIneral end preciooe stonesan "lend"eubjeat to the provleIone

of Apt. 54210, 860. 12. Therefore, lf Southwest

MInerelm,

Ina. bee made its eppllaatlon

for pzwspectlng

peraitthereonInproper Tom end In uhordenae vith the plainprovisions of the statutes

an4 ham fll.ed the neoeeea~ fees, etc., it is our opinion **that the**  perm%tehould**be** granted.
Yours v4ry truly
**ATSORNBYQERXRAL** OFT'EXAS