"School lands," within the meaning of this chapter, are sections numbered 16, in every township, granted by the United States for the use of schools in the township, and such other lands as may have been granted to any township or district for the use of schools; and all such lands are vested in the state in trust to execute the objects of the grant.

(a) The lots reserved for timber are for the common benefit of the lessees of the other lots; but no timber shall be cut down, injured or destroyed as long as there is sufficient on the other lots, which the Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is to determine; but the lessees must in no case cut down, injure or destroy such timber without permission from said commissioner, which may be given on such terms as he may think proper, having due regard to the interest of the township or district.

(b) Any person who, without authority, cuts down, boxes, injures or destroys any tree on school lands shall forfeit and pay for every such tree the sum of $25.00, to be recovered before any court having jurisdiction in the name of the county board of education for the school located in the township in which such lands are located, or the school district in which such lands are located.

(c) All fines and forfeitures under this section shall be paid into the Treasury and added to the credit of the permanent Sixteenth Section Fund of the township.

The Secretary of State must issue patents, upon satisfactory evidence furnished him of full payment of purchase money to any person, agent or other officer legally authorized to receive such payment; and, upon proof of a mistake in the issue of any patent, he must correct the same or issue a new patent on the return of the original to his office.

All notes for school lands held by or deposited with the State Superintendent of Education, if not paid within six months after maturity, must be placed with the Attorney General for collection; but this section shall not be so construed as to prevent the State Superintendent of Education from ordering an action on notes at any time after maturity, when so ordered by the sureties on the notes.

All funds now in the Treasury derived from the sale of sixteenth section or other school lands, or which may hereafter accrue from sale of such lands, together with the redemption money of other lands in which former accumulations have been invested under an act approved March 1, 1881, entitled "An act to authorize the compromise and settlement of claims for school lands in this state," are covered into the Treasury and made available for general purposes, and the faith and credit of the state is pledged for the payment of the interest on such fund to the public schools of the state, at the rate of six percent per annum.

When a person is in possession of any sixteenth section lands under color of title, and has been in such possession for more than 20 years prior to the first day of May, 1908, and neither the state, nor any department thereof, holds any note, bond, obligation or other contract of anyone for the purchase money of such land, and the Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Director of Finance shall so certify, and the Attorney General shall certify that proof of adverse possession, by the person now in possession, or coupled with his predecessor in possession, for 20 years prior to May 1, 1908, under color of title, has been made, which proof is satisfactory to the Attorney General. The Governor must cause a patent to issue to said land under the seal of the state to the person entitled thereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, if the Attorney General is satisfied with the proof of color of title for 20 years prior to 1908 by the person now in possession or coupled with his predecessors in said color of title, the Attorney General shall not require affidavits of adverse possession for the period prior to 1908, except in cases of boundary line disputes, to establish said adverse possession.

Township lines for school purposes are abolished; but the inhabitants of no township shall be deprived of the sixteenth section or any fund arising therefrom, or of selling and leasing such lands as provided by law.

Whenever the county board of education of any county shall certify to the State Superintendent of Education that it is to the benefit of the public school interest of such county, or a public school district thereof, for any lands situated in such county or district which have been conveyed to the State of Alabama for school purposes to be sold, particularly describing the same, the Superintendent of Education, upon receipt of such certificate, with approval of the Governor, shall negotiate the sale of such land, either at public or private sale. A deed to the purchaser of such land shall be executed and shall be issued as provided by law.

The proceeds of any sale of lands made under Section 16-20-8 shall be paid by the State Superintendent of Education to the county custodian of school funds where such land is situated.