The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-04-26
Senate Bill No. 800.

An Act to provide for the classified
ton, sale and lease of the lands
heretofore or hereafter surveyed
and set apart for the benefit of the
common school, university, the lu-
matte, blind, deaf and dumb and
orphan asylum funds
SECTION l. Be it enacted by the
legislature of the state Of Texas.
That all lands heretofore or hereafter
and set apart for the benefit
of the common school, university, the
lunatic, blind, deaf and dumb and
orphan asylum funds may be sold and
leased as hereinafter provided.
Sec. 2. There shall be, and and is
hereby created, state land board,
which shall be composed of the gov
ernor, attorney general, comptroller,
general land office, who shall exercise
the powers and perform the duties
hereinafter provided.
Sec. 3. The said state land board
shall, under such regulations as they
may prescribe, cause the said land to
be classified into agricultural, pasture
and timber land, and ascertain which
tracts have permanent water on
them, or bordering on them, and
cause a tabulated statement of the
lands in each county to be made,
showing the number of survey, block,
quantity in each survey, name of COM
pany or individual to whom the certi-
ficate was granted, the value of the
improvements and the owner, and
such other descriptions and informa-
ton as may be deemed necessary, and
permanent record thereof shall be
made and preserved in the general
land office, and a copy of each record
relating to county shall be- forward
ed to the surveyor of such county or
land district in which the land is stu
ated; but nothing herein shall be con-
strued to require any further classifi-
cation of such of said lands as have
already been classified, unless the
state land board shall believe that the
same is necessary to ascertain the true
value or class of such land.
Sec. 4. Said land shall in no case be
sold for less than two dollars per acre
for surveys of land without water on
them or bordering on them, nor for
less than three dollars per acre for
land with permanent water on them
than five dollars per acre for land
having timber thereon suitable for
lumber, nor for less than two dollars
per acre for land having timber theron
not suitable for lumber and claSsed as
timbered lands.
Sec. 5. Any actual settler upon any
land included in this act who is now
and was an actual settler in good
faith on the first day of January,
A. d. 1883, shall have the right
for period of six months
from the time the land shall
beSplaced upon the market for sale, to
purchase not less than 100 acres nor
more than GAO acres of the land so
settled upon, at the minimum price
fixed by this act, and on the terms
and rate of interest fixed by this act;
provided, however, that any actual
settler in good faith upon any lands
in any county which have been APP
praised by the proper survey. II, and
such appraisement has been approved
by the commissioners court of the
proper county, in accordance with the
provisions of sections two and three
of the act approved April GA. d.
1881. concerning the sale of alternate
sections of school lands in organized
and unorganiged counties of this statt,
and such appraisement has been filed
in the general land Office, but which
lands have or have not been placed
upon the market under such appraise-
ment. shall be permitted to purchase
not less than 100 acres (unleSS there is
a fraction of less than 160 acres now
eXisting) nor more than $40 acres of
the land upon which they have settled
Ito include their improvements at the
price per acre fixed bysuch appraise-
ment, but shall be required to pay the
rate of eight per cent interest, as
fixed by said act OF April 6, A. d.
1881, and shall be permitted to pay all
or any part of the purchase money
thereof at any time. Such purchaser
shall, in all other respects, conform to
the provisions of this act; provided
however, that any such person desir-
ing to purchase any of such lands SO
appraised shall, within six months
from the time this act takes effect
file in the general land Office his appli-
cation to purchase said land, describ-
ing it, and on payment of one-thirti-
eth OF the purchase money and one
years interest, and forwarding his
affidavit, stating that he is and was
on the first day of January, A. D.
1883, an actual settler in good faith
upon said land, and that he settled on
it with a view to purchase it, to-
gether with the affidavit of at least
two credible citizens of his county,
.nowing that such applicant is and
was settler in good faith upon said
land; provided, however, that such
land having timber thereon suitable
for lumber or shingles, and chiefly
valuable on that account, shall be
sold for cash only, and may be pur-
chased in quantities of not less than
eighty acres nor more than three hun
dred and twenty acres; and, provided
further that other timbered lands may
be purchased at two dollars per acre;
and, provided further. that no prefer
ence in the right of purchase given
by this or any other section of this
bill shall extend to or include any
minerals. but the same shall remain
the property of the respective funds
to which said lands belong.
Sec. 6. The lands when placed upon
the market. shall be sold in the county
Va 4oAA0 III w L1AOA1 IL 10 o1bQQICQ,
by such authority and under such
system of competition as may be pre-
scribed by said land board; provided.
that no person, either in person or by
an agent, shall purchase from the
state more than one section of land
classed as agricultural land, or as
watered land, and seven sections of
unwatered pasture land; provided,
the board may, in their discretion, re-
quire the purchaser of any particu-
lar section of watered pasture land
to take with the same such number
of dry sections as they may designate,
not to exceed seven sections; and
every attempt to evade the limitation
of this act as to the amount or class
of land one may purchase, by1ay de-
vice whatever, shall be deemed fflt d.