State ex rel. Pindall v. Ross

Section 2 of the act of March 17, 1897 (Laws 1897, p. 293), relating to the mineral lands of the state, provides that:

“Any citizen of the United States, finding precious minerals upon any lands belonging to the State of Washington, may apply to the commissioner of public lands for a lease of any amount of land not to exceed the amount of land allowed by the United States mining laws for locating and recording mining claims, and the same dimensions.”

*243This section was amended by §1 of the act of March 18, 1901 (Laws 1901, p. 313,) to read as follows:

“Any citizen of the United States, finding…