Show government MUST PROVE that lands taken up As bona fidei homesteads show greater value for mining purposes washington february 25 A bill which had previously pawed the house was pi aged in the senate today with an amendment the object of which is to non mineral in the public domain who entered landa in good faith believing them to bo non mineral but which have since been found by the geological survey 1 to contain coal the bill allows a patent to the surface of alie land to be issued to alie with a reservation to the united states of minerals under the surface alie bill reserves the ight to the to mine coal for domestic use A proviso also admits the patentees to a hearing to determine whether coal really exists in the land one amendment added by the senate grants absolute patent without mineral actions to those who entered lands dashed as agricultural and not withdrawn from settlement and who made proof of settlement and cultivation the most important senate amendment direct that chero homestead entries hao been or shall bo made of agricultural lands not withdrawn in good faith and final proof is offered to the local land office the proof shall bo accepted and certificate of patent iesue notwithstanding the land contain coal provided the land is moie valuable for agricultural alian for mining and the burden of proof to show greater value for mining shall bo upon the government the hill was passed in alie bouc by mondell and in the senate by senator dark of wyoming |