OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Eonorabla8aaoom Ollaa
Oammiaa1oner, @anoral Land oiiloo
Allatin,Taua
Daar sir:
a. 84OVO and 84OT9,
naral :wS Off100
oaa of gaotlon0,
mu, 8a th0 Ast8 0r
l 61 8wond oalld
da .dapartaaat
u u 0frnt WON
la na UUIA ip a e
or was Lt naraaaary forth@
Land OfiS te taka mom
a k o a a alf?*o tlTe
a ndif it
0eauiaaionar to tak* 80~ lotlon
baoam lifeotlta, t&n whothar or
oner h a 6
lnf diaaratioa~towithhold
o n la a ur a no aOf o o 8p lia no cis tha ruture
In erdarto lnawary o ur queatloa, 1 4 ia nao-
8880~ to traoa'thaportinant lagialatlon00.tho utter
566
lion.Baa008oIlam, Peea 2
an4 det*rmlnotha intontlonof tho LagIalatum. Chptor
19 of tho Aotaof fha 66th k~lalatare, 6aoonb a&11&
Soaaloo o? 1919, pago 61, Saotlon 0 has the mama pmrIaIon8
as Artlola 6669 of tha RevISe4 Cltll Statutes of lo-,
namaly, that tha laaaae under the sot shall In 6004
faith bagln an ofiaot wall within 60 day8 aftar tha 0~~
platloa or a eomeroIa1 u0l.lon adjoiningpropart *Ithin
1,000 fast 0r tho land laaaaU.
Saotloa I8 of raid sot prorldoa as foUu8:
*I? tb owner of a laaaa lhoald iail or
m0w to uka tha pamant. 0r mu au8 & us llthar0n UL
8$8&or~~lt on tb ptodaotIo.on within thirty dam
hail bowma due or I? aaoh emaex or
hIa lathorltird a nt shod knodn6l.y nka
?alae ratuz-8or.?* cm report oonoarnl~ prad8at“i oa,
royalty. or drilling, or I? aooh owaer8haaU ?aU
or raftme to Urlll any ofraat wall or r*l.la 1s
gad ralth as roWrod by ~thla hot mad the r&Las
aa4ra~tIenaa6o@adb~thammUaiamra?
the Oenual U orri0e.or if awh uaor or hla
agent lh o 8.Ur efuse th a propu a a th o r lty lo na a
to the ruorda portaLring to tha oporatloaa OPdor
this Aet,or It aaah ownoror his aathorSaod
agent shouldhnwiagly rail or nrwa ta gin
or tha knoral Land vrri0a ahall r o r fo l st
w,~anA
the araa shall b l~bjaatto luae lgaiotoaaother
thuito auoh iortatt~ ownar aftarduo l4 tutIa ~-
aunts protided, aaoh forfalture 8s~ bo 8et aaS
and tha laaae and all rI&ta thermmler raInatatad
barorothe rightsof anothar iutarvano uwa aatla-
root0 rcriaaneeor ?utum aompllanoa with t&a
provia % us a? thhia Aot an6 the rulaa sad rogulatlona
lr r f P o r to
$ ,a
%a lodoptea
d r0r th ap ur p o oufa u-
outin its prorlaIona.w
Chptar (IIof tha Laws or tk 56th La61818ttlr8,
seati oalld 8eaaIan, paga 84@ la what Is oopLoal7 krmm
as tha 8ollnq~lShawa~ *OS- ScotIon 4 thareo?, rhloh la
Ronornblo Beeoom Gllaa, Pa@ 3
Artlola 6610 of the RerIud Civil E)tatutea,1066, prarldu
as sollaws:
"I? tha puaona aforoaald, who own or oon-
fro1 land laaludod In this Aat, shoal6 fall or
n?aao to ba6Ia aaoh drllllng 0r orraot walls
thanoa within the tin raqairud or rail or
re??ma to drill aaoh wall or wells dIll6antl~
an4 in g00d faith or rail or rorumo to drill
awh roll or walls to tha do th naoaaaary for
tho puqoaa lataadd, or ?a I.!orrafuaotow
the wauibeuaaary to tha aar~lopunt or aa7
roll or ml& thuaaa withintha tIm raquIra6
uraSlorrduaoto drlU8aohudl drill104
tSiaroon,tharaupoatbarelInquIabwthan3a
graatd *halI Ipsor-t0 tamSnate an4 the
rl&a leqmirodtl&orauMorshall llkewlaa tam-
~~,udtkoilandgaa~l~a~hebho~ia
shall ruart to 8a6 booon the proport of t&
Stato*a Ouaral Rovonuo lhnd and whan the Opm-
daaiewr or tk 6asaral Land am88 la auf-
rs0i024tx~ iaromal 0s th8 raota rhioh so to&k
aaoh rZ@a, ho still latloraaon tha aappar aoa-
tablag fha papara ,-rating to tha sale o? tha
lad uorda indi*at* luah tanU.natIon and alga
it oii$oIal+~ __
taotSaa whm0r la t&o 8amm as IrtlaloSST8
of themiud Cl~iL~t~taa or l@SS, ml aabatantlally
th ama ma
la.seotSamlZ .0rahaptor 10 lbou. Tha~rellaw-
*.]ranao inudti*.le iq lot ln seotioa0 o? ahapt8r
al'nor la Artio‘l~~6avtl
-area to .Mll an7 ofraat ~01% or
wellaIn 6Oo6faith88 ro uiP.6by this hot
an4 tb hales ma6 rewat 4OIU adopta by tb
aamlamloaer.0r tam Oanaral &nd arri08.*
xt~3.u tianotadthatsntutian a orchapter
19 beingtb aoat&n~4aalia&wIth offset nalla,,ao paaalty
at rorroitrm la prowldod for, but Motion E daala rith
mf8it~ 0s uarl kin4 ,andohuaotu an4 inoludor roe
raitua far railtm to drill orraot wells, but tYhapt*~m
61. S*atIoa4, ~881~ with orraot walls prorldaa for aa
Rcnorable Beaoom oilsa. Page 4
Ipso faoto termIn&Ioa or laaaea lxeouted under that
Aot and naturally Saotioa 9 thereo?, dealIug with
rorraituroa r0r rallurm to p0rr0rP oertain datIaa on
thm part of the loaaea did not hare any provision with
raapaot to offret rolls as that has beon takan oars o?
In beotlon 4.
In the nrIaIon of 198X!,the abova protIalona
In the RolInquIahmant hot weme not ohgnged and ara ret
out In the revIaloa as Artiolea 6S70 to 63VL
Tha pro~laion0r Chapter 19 whorain it d~ala
with or?aOt walls was clotohan6ad In the rarIaIon as
shown by Artlola 6569, but amotion 12, daallng with ror-
fSItxire8was ulttod and lstlola 6360 was Inserted in
its stead, whloh prorldaa as followa:
."ThaprorIaIona of aabdIrIalon 3 of thti
ahopter ~owralng the f0rrOit- 0s rights
thermander and a rainatatmant thurao?, shall
lp p 4 to loaaea un&ar this aobdIvIaIon.and
a%SoHeltara of awh lasso, after d&oadwr-
tla-t, it shall k labjaot to lease by
another than aaoh rOI-?OitiIIg
ownar.w
Thg qnaatl.ontidlatoly arlua as to whothu
or not Artlola 8360 rofar8 to both Artlola SW0 end
Artlola 63% or ra?ara only to .ArtIola6378. In making
the mIalon, thr nr Lur 8lvIdazNy orurlook8d th8 ?a&
that Artisle USTt was nat ldantIa8l.wIth8aatloa 18 o?
Ohaptu le. In that it did .nothaie a prorl88~
roapaat t0 raslusu ~tio dr2l.l orraet wlla.
lbTiow thst the raaaon tootloa 1R was not oopld Into
lubdIrlaIoa2 of ahaptn 4 or Tit18 66, R. C, 6. bat
thm proviaiana0s rorrattam la aabdIrIalonS 0s raid
Chm tu worm Saoorporatod bf nfsranoa was to eUmlnsta
dapPIaatlona. It will ba noted that Art1018 5660 r0ru8
to the ~r0vIaiona 0r luMi+lalo~ a garernin4prorroiturm
o? rlahta thorwndar and raInatatment tharao?W, and
hat Artia1* m In bdITiaI 81 h &Sa*
roittm 0r RItzhtaaanda&kl~wl";:ror~alLa *Gil%-
lnstateaant and that uld Artlole ;a the oalf one In
aubdIrlaIonS whloh doala with ?or?mItura and reInstate-
nnt In elm. Artiala 63TO protldoa ror-ipso root0
lionorrrblo
Bmoom OIlear Paqr 6
temlnatlon o? a loam0 ander the Rallnqulahmmt AOt
oa railaro 0r tha lasso0 to drill an 0rraOt roll whioh
Is not ltrIotlJ a rorfcitun. To road Artlolo 66To
into lubdIvIaIon 8 by ramoon o? tha &worlalooa of
Art1010 6666 uould ba to mah a radio81 ahanga la the
law as It ariatad kfolr t&a ravI8Ioawith cOopot to
th0 rosa& 0s railer to arill an orraot w011 on laaua
oorora4by labdIrIaIoa t, but to raad Art1010 SW2 Into
8abdItIalon8 would laara the Irr amhmgad by the rorl-
*Ion. Of ooarn @tlala 66Yt duo not prorldofor a
rosraitw8 for raih-0 to drill an orraetwell but ooa-
midorlag Artlolaa 8669, 66dO and 6372 togather,It laaa
olaar thatMlala 6Slt was polnt~d to by Art1010 6660 as
the proaadura to ba ?ollawmd ln rorfait$mg ldaaea for tha
Tlol8tiOn of oblIgatIona Impoaod in SaMl~l81~ IIand not
for tha4refmd.ao? r0mit\a thOrm%n llatod, and then-
foiv W proudm provldadla Art1818 6SOt shoal6 k
follows6 with roeed to the ?or?olturw or tha loaaoa
lb wt whlah p a hare ma 4 0
inq -.
ti altloa to tb roaaoaa sat o u t lbwo, wa
rind 19 the fad title 0s tha iuvi8Ioa or lses, l?tu
the ~TOr%S~M that ti OiTil laws llot inol0d.d th.lrin
or whloh am aot l salyaontIaaa4ln r 0m• lx w ro-
poalad, uatloa ladmd Vabllo and Othu
*,F Land*, whlah
protldu as rouwar
*Publla and Ot&r Lands - Thatal1lawa
0rr00tiry tin 0r patoats. Was Tall6
laaaanoo
loo4 aortS?loataa;or fit* a t%8elhltin
whloh to r&au la848 aold for tax088 or au-
therising nit0 to aontaatrarrtiitorr Or amlo
ior -payaOa 0s iatenat 0a pauo 188b. or
lrrOotiry th0 ninat8taant 0s ri*ta aftar auah
rorZeftu2w;Q oaararrlng a prior rightto gor-
ohaaa land lunoyad br +lrtw of a prlvatad&t.
for whlah a pataat oannat laaw; o r lxtaadlng
oil and gas permIta oa pub110 lands; or lxknd-
lne the tlma for poymut o? prlaolpal6u oa
l*rvatI&a r0r tha bOn0rlt or Oata lottlera,
a1y oontlauod la Zoroe. (thulsruorlng
ouml
liooorablo
La404m Ollse, Fake 6
Y@ thlrrkthat thla aoctlon had the oiieot of
ocatlathg la to-0 Ch8DtU 10 Of tha Aot8 or tha 36th
Le&laturm, SeoorrdCall4 S18don, beloq tEa 18~ 08 it
lx imto bd0r 0mth ererimloo. At ala0 etmBgt&M our
oonolu8lon tlaatIkotlon It OS Chapter 19 ~68 omittad
h 6h 8F WiSiOn lBd & tiOh b %o iM WtU& iB it8P lUO~,
not for the DllrpoMof ahangln(c the peula1ty
ror fallpn
to drill 80 ofint well to tEat pr8oaribd ln Art1010
%5TO of the RoUnqu%8huot Aat but rot the plITpO8.of
llfr ir utiB &
l'4pOt1tiOB
.i.4
the 8tOttlt88
by TOierOB4a t4
Artiolm b3TR.
It18, thoroforo. the opinion of th18 dopart-
mat ttiot ordor toetioot 8 forfoltura of tb 1888*8
la
a do rltwldU8ti0a for rai0ru to brlll 80 oti8rt nil,’
88 mQUi?d by h#, th0 cti8SiOBOr Of tb 0Wr81 L8Bd
OiriO8@$@ t&b&I8Qgp 80*, MOBBtbIg t0 8 M-MtrjOr
it8 8qUi+8lWlt, luah l 8 lSdOr8ilU OILth8 lOa808 th8 iOat
thet thol h8re ken rorfoltd for f8llm-8 a0 &Ill 88
0rr80t wU. f0 8m, 8184, Of the ODiBiOB th4t th8 COr-
ri88iaE oi w (kMrd hnd QltiM h84.8M d184--
tloa in thi8 rqpti, OYM though Sootion lt of Ch8phr
10, 8nd Artfe& mT% prori4* that tha coim18010Mr or tha
CUOXW~ L8a ofriO -8h4ix fOrf8it 8~ Wh8a 8uii:OiOati~
hfO~%d Or tb f8SU Whit& 8UthOriM l rOI?f8itWOee StIOh
8 &k4V18iOBlOrdhUir~ i8 MBd8tO~ htlt I&III tOlhl?Od,
88 it i8, by 8 prOYf8iOU that t& COBd88iOBOr M7 wt
88530 th0 fO~kittU8 Ukd XVI%BmJh tha 14880 b&Or0 th#
d&t Of 8SOtbt titWVOa88 00.88ti8r8aw7 l+id+rrO8 Of
faton .-1i8W4 rith th8 A8t In thirrlt th0 8tatUti 80B-
8144l'46~ 48 8 Wh410.8bIfkr14.8ih. -8d4Wr UQOB Utti-
?88torflYi0OMO.Of tUtUI' aO@i6SW MfOm b tOTf8it8
8 lOi t0 Withhpifxbk iOriOf&U~ 8Bd 6408 aOt TOqUirO
him to Sorfeit tb ICOH 'W tlnn lm84Ql8tOl7nlmt8t4
it 0118U4h 88tl8faOe lY16aW8 Of fUtlU'8Emli8#l8*.
88 tm8t ht th18 OpiB%On 8Uii1018ntlt8n8wW8
you qlao8tloB8.
A!?TORmTQzlrxRAL O? TRXM
ATT0RKZ.YGEiCXRALOF TEXAS
RY