Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-01-11
hill

For the Survey and Sale of Mineral
Lands Of tho United stRtes-Hntro-
duced in the senate Of tho United
states by Mr. sherman, December
), 1S65-Read twice and ordered
to he printed.
Be IL enacted By the Senate and House Of
Representatives of the United States OF
AmericG IN Congress assembled:
That, from and after the passage OF this
Act, the gold and silver lands Of the United
States and others, containing valuable min
erals, the sale Of which has not already been
provided for BY law, shall be subject to sale
on the following terms and conditions, to wit
AL such lands as are now known TO contain,
or which may hereafter be found to contain,
such minerals, shall be sold at public auction,
after six months public notice Of the time
and place OF sale, to the highest bidder, sub
ject TO such minimum price per acre rs may
be fixed on said lands as hereinafter provided
for. Said public notice to contain a full de-
s~cription OF the location OF said lands, the
character and quality of the minerals, the
nature Of the deposits in which they are
found, the general typographical features OF
the country, the means OF access to the lands.
and such other matters rs may be deemed
important BY the officers having in charge
the execution Of this Act.
SEC. And be IL further enacted. That the
public sales Of said lands, provided for in the
foregoing section, shall not remain open
longer than two weeks; and no sales OF any
OF the lands embraced in such public notice
shall be permitted at private entry during the
continuance Of such public sale. Should full,
fair, and free competition be prevented ut
any Of such public sales by combinations, the
titles 10 all lands purchased by any person
engaged in such combinations shall be utter
" null and void, whether the patents for such
lands shall have been issued or not; and
whether the fact Of such combinations shall
have been discovered before OF after the titles
shall have issued for said lands. No person
shall be permitted 10 bid at any such sales,
or to purchase any such lands, except eiti-
zcns Of the United States, or those who shall
have declared their intention to become such,
and any such bid or purchase shall be abso-
lutely null and void. No lands shall DO Of
fered at any such public sale except such as
shall appear TO the COMMISSIONS Of the Gem
eral Land Office to be required BY the wants
OF the community; and they shall be offered
in separate lots, beginning at the lowest num-
bered lot and proceeding in regular numerical
order, giving a reasonable time for bidding
each lot. All lands thus offered and re-
naming uusold at the close Of any such pub.
IN oAAS oAAaAA W oAOJNNN W lAAhaNN NNN. -
the minimum price fixed on such land.
SEC. 5. Ind De R further enacted, That 1t
shall be the duty Of the Surveyor General for
the district in which any such lands are situ-
ated, TO prepare plats OF subdivisions Of any
OF said mineral lands said subdivisions to
be made in accordance with the provisions OF
the Act Of fifth Of April, eighteen hundred
and thirty-two, that is TO say where It is
found necessary TO subdivide 4 quarter quar-
ter section, such subdivisions shall be made
BY drawing lines from a point equidistant be-
tween the two corners Of each boundary OF
such quarter quarter section to a point in the
opposite boundary corresponding thereto ;
and where it is found necessary or cxpcdieut
to Subdivide any such quarter quarter section
into smaller lots than ten acres each, each OF
such ten acre lots shall in like manner be
subdivided into four equal parts, or still
smaller, on the same principle, wherever 1t is
deemed necessary and fractional quarter
sections, or fractional quarter quarter Sec
tons, shall in like manner be subdivided into
lots Of suitable size for mining. Said lots
shall be numbered in the same manner that
sections are numbered in townships.
SEC. 1. Ind be Il farther enacted, That for
each land district there shall be appointed at
least one gcologist, who shall also be I good
mineralogist, whose duty it shall be to make
4 thorough exploration Of all the lands in
such district, containing or supposed TO con-
tain gold, silver, or other valuable ores.
whether such lands are being worked or not,
and 20 make full report Of the same, with the
size Of the subdivisions necessary and proper
to enable each purchaser to work and mine
the land properly, and giving full descriptions
of the kind and character Of such lands, and
the mineral found in them said report to be
in triplicate, one to be sent to the General
Land Office, one TO the Surveyor General,
and the third to the district land offices. The
biologists shall be appointed in che same
way as the district land officers, and receive
per annum for their services - dollars.
SEC. ). Ind be IL further enacted, That
whenever a person has discovered or shall
hereafter discover a mine, or lead, or deposite
of mineral, and shall be actually mining or
working the same, such person shall be, and
is hereby, authorized to enter the lands 80
actually worked and mined by legal subdi-
visions at the minimum price Of said lands.
The purchase money for all said and shall
be paid in gold or silver. Proof Of the actual
mining or working Of such land shall be made
to the satisfaction Of the register and receiver
and geologist for the district at least thirty
days before the commencement OF the public
sale. The proof Of such mining or working
shall be the affidavit Of the party so mining
or working, sustained by the atfidavits Of two
respectable, disinterested witnesses and any
person swearing falsely in any such case
shall suffer all the pains and penalties Of
perjury, and forfeit all right, title, and claim
he or she may have acquired to any such
lands. Where any such lands are worked or
mined BY u company that is incorporated,
the presumption right shall be proven, the
entry made, and the patent issued in the
name Of such corporation or its assignees;
where any such company shall not be
incorporated, the presumption right, entry, and
patent shall be in the names Of all the share.
holders: Prorided, hotrerer, That any such
shareholder in either case, who is not a resi-
dent Of the district, shall acquire, have, and
hold no right to any such pre-emtion entry
title: Ind p,oriGed, farther, That where
two or more persons or companies shall oe-
cupy and mine or work the parts Of the same
lot or subdivisions, such persons or compa-
MES shall enter such lot as tenants in COM
mon, the rights Of each to cover the land
mined or worked BY him or her, and the por-
ton OF each OF the lot so occupied shall be in
proportion to the extent and value Of their
or mines, and shall be 90 spe-
cited in the certificate and patent.
SEC. 6. ind Be IL further enacted, That the
and receiver OF the land district, in
with the geologist, shall classify
said lands with reference to their value re-
spectively the subdivisions that should be
Of them to accommodate those who are
working or mining them, or those
who may thereafter desire to do so, and re-
port to the Surveyor General and the General
Land Office, giving the minimum price that
should be fixed on each class OF lands, the
location and extent Of each deposit, and Of
each settlement or mining operation, with
full reasons for each conclusion. II the Sur
veyor General has any reason to doubt the
correctness Of such report, he shall state his
donhtl. md the renanns for them. to the Gem