Year: 1872

House of Representatives of tho United States Of America in Congress as sembled, That all valuable mineral deposits in lands belonging to the United States, both surveyed and un- survey ed, are hereby declared to be free and open to exploration and pur- chase, and the lands in which they are found to occupation and purchase, | by citizens of the United States aud those who have declared their inten- tion to become such, under regulations prescribed by law, and according to the local customs or rules of miners, in the several mining districts, so far as the same are applicable and not in- consistent with the laws of the United 1 States.

 Section 2. That mining claims upon veins or lodes of quartz or other rock in place bearing gold, silver, cinnabar, lead, tin, copper, or other valuable deposits heretofore located, shall be governed as to length along the vein or lode by the customs, regulations, and laws in force at the date of their location. A mining claim located af- ter the passage of this Act, whether l located by one or more persons, may equal, but shall not exceed, one thou sand five hundred feet i'll length along the vein or lode but no location of a mining claim shall be made until the discovery of the vein or lode within the limits of claim located: No claim shall extend more than three hundred feet on each side of the middle of the vein at the surface, nor shall any claim be limited by any mining regulation to less than twenty-five feet on each side of the middle of the vein at the surface, except where adverse rights existing at the passage of this Act shall render such limitation necessary. The end lines of each claim shall be parallel to each other.

 Sec. 3. That the locators of all min ing locations heretofore made, or which shall hereafter be made, on any min eral vein, lode, or ledge, situated on the public domain, their heirs, and as- signs, where no adverse claim exists at the passage of this Act, so long as they comply with the laws of the United States, and with State, Terri torial, and local regulations not in conflict with said laws of the United States governing their possessary title, shall have the exclusive right of pos session and enjoyment of all the sur face included within the lines of their locations, and of all veins, lodes, and lodges throughout their entire depth, the top or apex of which lies inside of such surface lines extended downward vertically, although such veins, lodes, CT lodges may so far depart from a perpendicular in their course down ward as to extend outside the vertical side lines of said surface locations provided, that their right of FOs5esslou to such outside parts of said veins or lodges shall be confined to such DOT tions thereof as lie between vertical planes drawn downward as aforesaid, through the end lines of their loca- tions. so continued in their own direc- ton that such planes will inUersect such exterior parts of said veins or lodges and provided further, that nothing in this section shall authorize the locator or possessor of @ vein or lode which extends in its downward course beyond the vertical lines of his claim to enter upon the surface Of a claim owned or possessed by another.

 Sec. 1. That where a tunnel Is run for the development of Q vein or lode, or for the discovery of mines, the owners of such tunnel shall have the right of possession of all veins or lodes within three thousand feet from the face of such tunnel on the line thereof, not previously known to exist, dis covered in such tunnel, to the same ex- tent as if discovered from the surface and locations on the line of such tun- nel of veins or lodes not appearing on the surface, made by other parties af- ter the commencement of the tunnel, and while the same is being prose ! cuted with reasonable diligence, shall be invalid; but failure to prosecute the work on the tunnel for six months shall be considered as an abandonment of the right to all undiscovered veins on the line of said tunnel.

 Sec. D. That the miners of each ! mining district may make rules and regulations not in conflict with the laws of the United States, or with the