haw no authority-tosol1 the said 40 aores to the Fedwal Goverrraentor to authoriseissuanc6of a patent011sulldo We shallassum for the purposeof this opinionthat the condm- Civil Cause lib.154, set out in the submittedfacts aa nation proooeding~, king institutedfor the land in questionand other lands,was in all things HonorableCoke B. Stevenson,(o-5011)Page S
legal and p?per; that the filingof plqadinga,aourt ordars and other imstruuentsthereinwas in aocordmae with the Federallaws apperfain- ing thereto.
Tit10 40, Se&ion 2SSa of the United StatesCode Annotatedpro- vides in part a8 follows8
"In any proooedingin any oourt of thm United stat06 . . e which has been or may Be instituted in the nun* of 0 e e the United Statesforth* ao- quisitioaof any laad e e 0 for publicuse, the petitionermay file in the cause,with the ptition or at any time Befon jud@snt, a deolarationof taking e . 0 to aoquirethe lands dosoribodin the petition,declaringthat said landsarm themby taken for the use of the United States,
"Upon the filin of said declarationof taklag and the deposi%&&m court to the use of the psrsonrentitledthereto,of'the auount of the esti- mated ocmpensatio~stated in said dsolaration,
"Upon the lpplioatioaof the parties in inter- est,.thecourt may orderthat the money dspositod in the court,or any prt thereof,ba pid forthwith for or on accountof the just compsnaationtobe awardedin said prooeeding. If the compensatioa finallyawardedin rasps& of said landa;or a~ parcelthoreof, shallexaaedthe amount of the money so receivedby any person sntitlod,tha court shall enter judgpmntagaiastthe UnitedOtates for the mount of the~deficienoy." (Undersooring oura)
A referenoato the statamsntof faots suhnittsdh&with will disclosethat la said Civil Cause Ho. 164, in whiohthe S.E. 4 of the 8.B. 3 of Smtion 27, Reeves Countywas oondsmned,a daolarationof taking has bea filod. In acoordanoewith the terms of the above quoted F~denl rts$utatitle to the lands in questionvested in the United St&es of Jlmerica upon tho filingof the said declarationof taking. The only right in the State of Taxas in the land in questionwhich rtill exists HonorableCoke B. Stevenson,(d-5011)Paga 4
afterthe fllingof the deolarationof taking is the right to just oompensatioafor the land so taken.
Title to the land in questioa,known as S.B. 1 of ths,S.B.4 of Seation27, Bowes Comty, Tens, havingvcrstodints United States of Azwrioa,the State of Texacoould not be the owaw thereofand Arti- cle 5245,V.A.C.S.,authorizingthe Goveraoito rell Stats-ownadland is, therefore,inapplicabl*. If, of eourso, tha United Statesof Amori- oa, petitionerin the aforcnasntionad cond~atioa suit, proceedsthero- with to final judgment,the defendant,LillianS. Uinklw, racaiving just compensationfor her right of reinstatementin the land in question, and tlw State of Tons being paid for the said land, the Governorunder the authoritygrantedin Articles5404 and 5413,V.A.C.S., may noommend or order iosuanoeof patent thereon.
Itia the opinionof this doprtmrnt, thermforo,that the quo&ion sulxnittod must b+ ansxmrodin the negative. Very trulyyours
ATTORNEYGESRRALOF TEXAS
By s/ CheaterE. Ollisoa
ChesterE. Ollison Assistant
dppBavBD8 OtiiniOB Camnltfr( - .,. _ ^- _ ?y Bw.% Chairman _