Wb hero your lottor

holu, to l rpliore l ox tine, o r at- gas or other ainar- o r l xeroised rlthln on or law be aban- owner., unlers y eara, that r o r l aoh oonrsoutloo ruooosding year nfter th e l x$.retlon of the above mntloned ten year period, that lf the owner 0r swh mineral rights shall goperly and timely wader amh Txinsral for ttutlon and pay the taxes aseessed agal t r-i&s ri&te nithtn the ti.ae or pwiqd preecrlb- suoh ninasal ed by law to tie proper authoritiam, suoh right to en- ter in upoa, er uadrr raid Jnndr or prealsrr to ex- p&ox-m #or m.ll rdr exploit pro&or nine or . attempt t$ gawduoo 0; a&no od, gar or othor ndnmal.~, *2 Eonorablo Laster alark, pago 8 aha not l xph, inr DOT w opmtion ti0

abandoned to tbs surfs00 ownrr or ownsr8.r

Tho forsgolng aclendxlent provide8 In err00t that the

right8 of tho 108800 under an oil and gar loare shall l xplr o at tho end of tori (10) ys48,udLWs ,(I) l&h. lssoeo l xsrOIsss hir right to mtez and dolnlo the lsarsd ~arisor within $sn (1 ywr, ~11088 (8) tho a8o plrotiilo8 for a longer P tlm than ten {IO) ysare awl tho losses rendors tho P rights for taxation and pay8 tho taxer. The amondmnt doe8 not ispreasly state the tlnto froa whioh the ton (10) yecrr period Ir to be oaloulatod, but ws bellero that It I8 roaeon8bl.y 8has that the Intention Is that the ten (10) year period bog+at tho time the lessee*8 rights rirst'aooruo and we brlloro that'ths atsfqtea would bo g$nn this soa8truOilO& Sos 39 ~Texao~.Jurie- prudonoe, 48, tiO6,

~a to oontraots whish booome orrootlro ~~!lor to the

ennaotient of tha propored atatuto, ua aro of the 09IaI@n the% the statute I8 unoonatltutlonal a8 8n Impairment oi tha obliga- tion of oontraotcl to tha ertont that it &nay oonfllot with the Provisions of 8uoh oontraots, under the protI8Ion8 of Artiols I, 3eotlon 16 of the Constitution o? Texas, and Artlolo I, Seotlon 10 Qf the United State8 Constitution, An oil and gas lea88 i8 a oon- tiaot whIoh oreates poperty right8 in r&i e8tate In the 1088eo. Texar Compw. Y. Daugherty, 107 Fox. a4, 176 6. -a. 717; Leamr 'I* Qarner, lfzl Ter. 808, SO 3. I. (fid) 780; Brown tm H&310 Oil and ;;;fIng Company,186 Tax. g96, 8S 3. W. (ad) MS, 87 & PT. (Bd) To the oxtent the propoSed 8tatutO muld OtW t t!O that sort& or impair ruoh rights orsated by OXi8tl~~OOatraO $ 8 *hIoh mre ‘valid at the time of thsfr oxooutlon, euoh proposed statute Intsrnational Building and Loas AssoaIatI~ Te worild bo invalid. B'udy, 86 Tex. 610, S!b 5. 1. 497; Thompson *a Cobb, 95 Tax. 140, 65 9. w, lOQO* Travelerr' Ineuranoo Corn y v. Earshall, U4 Tax,

8. led) 10071 Langover Y. Ull f" er, 124 Texr SO, 76 3. We _.

AS to oontraota oieauted arter the err@otive data o?

the proposed etatute, we believe that It is ~OOMtItUtlOMl because it denies the right of redozption of land for non-payment Of toxss which right Ie qlven by ArtdOle E, .;aOtiOn 13 Of the Under the proposed statute, the right8 Of %as Co&titutIon. 1es~e0 would ,be forfeited, with no right of rdemption, upon a raIlure either to render the mineral rights for taXatIOn Of

Emomblo LOStOr Cork, P-0 )

. to pry the taxos thoroon. Y’uHhomora, nolthsr the Stato nor any Oi it. WbdiViSiOaS ~Otllfld rOeOiV0 UV benoilt irOn 8Uoh forfeiture, whloh would benoilt en1 th0 losaor. 8uoh b for- I felturo would hare no roasonablo ro a8ion to OOllOetIOn of taxall, cmd rould, uo bellero, wunt to a taking of the l~s8om~8 propertq without Buo prooess of law. Soo 12 Oorpur a’ur18,957. Vary truly yOlW8