Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 17.djvu/647

FORTY-SECOND CONGRESS. Sess. III. Ch. 279. 1873. 607 or cribs in front of their mill property on the banks of said river, for the build cribs to protection of their mills and rafts against damage by iioods and ice: 9*0*%* their mills Provided however, That the piers or cribs so constructed shall not inter- unpggigmn not fere with or obstruct the navigation of said river: Provided further, That to be obstructed. ~ in case by reason of the shifting of the channel of the said river, or from any other cause, the piers or cribs, the construction of which are authorized by this act shall be found to obstruct the navigation of said river _ ‘ at any time, the government expressly reserves the right to remove, or m£§l;;ig;__‘;_: direct the removal of any such piers or cribs at the cost and expense of served the owners thereof. Approved, March 3, 1873. CHAP. CCLXXIX. -A.n Act to provide for the Sale ry" the Lands if the United States March 3, 1873. containing Coal. `;""""‘ Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That any person above the age Vacant coal of twenty-one years, who is a citizen of the United States, or who has lands °f°l** UNF declared his intention to become such, or any association of persons sev- gw5x,?;;`;,`;,,,, erally qualified as above, shall, upon application to the register of the priated, may be proper land-office, have the right to enter, by legal subdivisions, any ?I;’;$L°£blQ;"£?l“· quantity of vacant coal lands of the United States not otherwise appro- ties, andqat what priated or reserved by competent authority, not exceeding one hundred i>ri¤¤· 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 such 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. SECTION 2. That any person or association of persons severally qualified Persons actuaras above, who have opened and improved, or shall hereafter open and l>;l¤ ¥;°”?”i°” improve, any coal mine or mines upon the public lands, and shall be. in gpssgd ii;.?;,,,- actual possession of the same, shall be entitled to a preference right of selves, tcliave entry, under the foregoing provisions, of the mines so opened and im- g;§‘;;";;;*y_, proved: Provided, That when any association of not less than four per- f sons, severally qualified as in section one of this act, shall have expended not less than five thousand dollars in working and improving any such when may cnmine or mines, such association may enter not exceeding six hundred and te 640 "°’“· forty acres, including such mining improvements. Snoriou 3. That all claims under section two of this act must be presented Claims to be to the register of the proper land-district within sixty days after the date ggyjgsyvgggigosggrg of actual possession and the commencement of improvements on the land, days of actual by the tiling of a declaratory statement therefor : Provided, That when the D<>SS¢5Sl<>¤· township plat is not on file at the date of such improvement, filing must Pr°m°s‘ be made within sixty days from the receipt of such plat at the district oflioe ; 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 expiration of said three months shall be allowed for the filing of a declaratory statement, and no sale under the provisions of this act shall be allowed until the expiration of six months from the date hereof. Sicotrion 4. That this act shall be held to authorize only one entry by the Only one entry same person or association of persons under its provisions ; and no associa— gx: g‘;‘;;°l;Sm tion 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 association shall enter or hold any other lands under the provisions of this 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; and all persons Clainiants unclaiming under section two hereof, shall be required to prove their respcc- ;l°* ”“°}°“ *“'° _ _ . . . o pay for lands tive rights and pay for the lands filed upon within one year from the time