The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-02-08
Repeal all Laws in Conflict Herewith

The following is the text of the bill which
was introduced in the senate by Mr.. Gibbs
ofDallas, on January % and which was re
ferred to committee on public lands, ant
100 copies ordered printed.
Be 1t enacted by the Legislature of the State o
Texas:
SECTION /, That all - lands Sc
apart by the common school fund shal
be classified into grazing, agricultural an(
timber lands, and the classification shall b'
made as hereinafter provided for, and sale
lands snail not be put upon the market TO
sale or lease until such classification Il
made and all contracts OF sale or lease shall
be considered subject 10 the conditions anC
limitations herein.
Sec 2. The general management
classification, and sale OF sucl
lands shall be made under the control of {
special branch OF the general land office
which branch shall consist of one chic
clerk, one craftsman ard four assistant
clerks, all to be appointed by and undel
the control and supervision of the commits
sioner of the general land office.
Sec. 3. The county surveyor OF the county
in which suchlands are located, or If the
county be unorganized and have no sur
"
trict such lands are located, shall, under
oath. classify them as agricultural, grazing
and timber lands, designating which tracts
are bordering on fires n water streams, which
have fresh water on them, and which have
not; said surveyor shall then prepare Q
tabulated report OF his action, setting forth
the following, to.wit: Number of survey
block, quantity in each survey, name Of
the company or individual to whom the
certificate was granted, and number OF said
certificate, value of improvements, and 2
general description of water and timber on
each survey one copy OF said report shall
be filed in the Office of the county or dis
trict surveyor, and shall constitute an ar
chive of his office; one copy shall be Tor
warded by him to the commissioner OF the
general land office, and one copy to the
state treasurer. The surveyor, II his classl'
fication is accepted, shall receive 500 fol-
each county classified. il it contains over one
hundred sections Of such land, and 500 II
it contains over twenty and less than one
hundred sections.
Sec. 4. The land commissioner shall then
determine what lands shall be leased and
what lands shall be sold; and the tracts to
be leased shall contain not more than thirty
sections or less than five sections, in any
one tract to be leased to any one person or
firm, and shall be leased for not less than
ten years or more Than fifteen, and to the
less than 6 cents per acre, payable semi-an-
nually in advance.
Sec. s. No corporation shall be allowed to
become the lessee of any OF this land, and
no person or partnership shall be interested
in the lease OF more than the maximum
herein provided for. The form OF
the lease shall be prepared by the attorney,
general, and when the same Is signed
up, copy shall be filed with the state
treasurer, and one in the land office, and
one kept by the lessee, the leases TO be
signed by the commissioner or the general
land office and by the le.-al lr lessees.
Sec. @. The lees shan Dog ielted upon
failure to PAY n 2ayaaea ol "ith nr sixty
da- hs Conditioned ln iea9a, OK upon
trausieE 20 Hpy corporation, OF any per-
son OF persons already holdils o lease OF
pastura lands nom The state The lease
shall prUv'1e hat, IN case the tate deter
mines 20 CCD6uue the lease tlG the lessee
shall have The refusal or 10 upo- such terms
as ma 70 agreed C1on, between the proper
state authorize -iid himself, in accordance
with isw Inc lessee shall not inclose the
land py joining, or permitting anyone to
Join fence with him, but shall have at least
ten feet of leased land on the out
side of his fence, all along
the lines of same; he may
leave his posts as far apart as he pleases,
and must have no less than two wires Tor
his fence, VI he enClOseS llAb SAINT.
Sec. z. The land commissioner in plot
ting lands for lease, shall, in as far as possi-
BILE, utilize ell water conYeniences 70 inc
best advantage in leasing the dry lands, and
in Iaying off lands for lease purposes, shall
include as little as possible that Is suited for
agricultural purposes, but shall not give
actual settlers small tracts with water priv
ileges when the same are necessary TO effect
lease of larger tracts.
Sec. s. The value of said lands shall
in no case be less than 81 per acre for sur
yeys without water, nor less than $3.50 per
acre for surveys having fresh water on
them, or bordering on them nor less
than 50 per acre for land
classed as valuable Tor TIM
Der; surveys classed as watere4 shall not be
subdivided, but must be sold or leased as a
whole. Acgual settlers on any Ga lands
shall have the preference in the purchase
thereof, for the period Of six months next
after the taking effect OF this act 10 the
amount Of not more than six hundred and
forty acres, or less than one hundred ana
sixty acres of agricultural lands, and not
less than one hundred and sixty acres, and
10 any amount 10 include their improve
ments on grazing lnnds, not exceeding five
sections, and shall not be required 20 pay
for the improvements made by themselves
provided, they apply for and purchase said
land within six months, in accordance with
such lands are not needed for more advan-
fageous lease Of larger tracts, tributary TO
same. =.
sec. 3. Upon the receipt OF the report OF
The surveyor by the commissioner Of the
general land Office, be shall have the same
examined, and II made In conformity with
this act and the lands In his opinion are
properly classified, be shall direct the chief
clerk OF the school land branch 70 approve
The same. and 10 notify the county or dis
trict surveyor Of the fact. And be thall
then send the surveyor specific notice Of
what lands are for lease, ana what lands are
for seie. 40 and humber Of tracts. And
until be receives such notice, and for twenty
DAYS tbereafter. the surveyor shall not |
entertain any proposition for the purchase