Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1873-05-27
IaWs OF THE UNITED STATES
Passed at The Third Session OF the Forty
Second Congress.

GENERAL MATURING. 10Y.


An Act to provide for the sale of the lard of
the United States containing coal
Be it enacted by the Senate and House OF
Representatives of the United States of Ameri-
ca in Congress assembled, That any person
above the age of twenty one years, who is a cit
izen of the United States. or who has declared
his intention to become such, or any aSsocia-
shall, upon application to the register of the
proper land Office have the right to enter, by
legal subdivisions, any quantity OF vacant lands
of the United States not otherwise appropriated
or reserved by competent authority, not ex-
ceeding one hundred and sixty acres to such
individual person, or three hundred and twenty
acres to such association, upon payment to the
receiver of not less than ten dollars per acre for
Lands. where the same shall be situated more
than fifteen miles from any completed railroad
and not less than twenty dollars per acre for
such lands as shall be within fifteen miles of
such road. r
Sec 2 That any person or association of per
sons severally qualified as above, who have
opened and improved, or shall hereafter open
and improve any coal mines upon the public
lands, and shall be in actual possession of the
same shall be entitled to preference right of
entry under the foregoing provisions of the
mines so opened and improved; Provided /:
That when any association of not less than four
persons, severally qualified as in section one Of
this act, shall have expended not less than five
thousand dollars in working and lmprov-
ing any such mine or Mines such association
may enter not exceeding SIX hundred and forty
acres, including such mining improvements.
Sec. g. That all claims under section two of
this set must be presented to the register of the
proper land district within sixty days after the
date of actual possession and commencement of
improvements on the land, by the filing of
declaratory statement therefor: Provided, That
when the township plat is not on file at the date
of such improvement filing must be made with>
in sixty days from the receipt OF such plat at
the district office: And provided further, That
where the Improvements shall have been made
prior to the expiration of three months from the
passage of this act, sixty days from the expira>
ton of said three months shall be allowed for
the filing of declaratory statement, and no
sale under the provisions of this act shall be al
lowed until the expiration Of six months from
the date thereof.
Sec. L. That this act shall be held to author
ize only one entry by the same person or asso-
citation of persons under its provisions and no
association of persons under its provisions; and
no association of persons any member of which
shall have taken the benefit of this act either as
an individual or as a member of any other asso>
citation, shall enter or hold any other lands I'M
der the provisions ofthis act and no member
of any association which shall have taken the
benefit of this act shall enter or hold any other
lands under its provisions ind all persons
Claiming under section two thereof shall be re,
quired to prove their respective rights and pay
for the lands filed upon within one year from
the time prescribed for filing their respective
claims; and upon failure tofle the proper no i.
tice, or to pay for the land within the required
period the same shall be subject to entry by
any other qualified applicant. -
Sec. 5. That in case of conflicting claims upon
lands where she improvements shall be hereaf-
ter commenced, priority of possession and i'm
provement, followed by proper filing. and con-
tinued good faith, shall determine the prefer
ence right to purchase. And also where i'm
provements have already been made at the
date of the passage of this act, division of the
land claimed may be made by legal subdivis-
ions, to include, as near as may be, the valuable
improvements of the respective parties; and the
Commissioner of the General Land Office shall
be, and is hereby, authorized to issue all need
full rules and regulations for carrying into eff
feet the provisions of this act
Sec. 6. That nothing in this act shall be cons
strued to destroy or impair any rights which
may have attached prior to its passage, or to
authorize the sale of lands valuable for mines CT
gold or copper
Approved, March 8, 1873.