Mississippi Code Title 3. State Sovereignty, Jurisdiction and Holidays § 3-5-11

The land commissioner, with the approval of the governor, is hereby authorized to sell to the United States any state forfeited tax lands held by the state which lie within the boundaries of the DeSoto National Forest, or which lie within the boundaries of any national park or game preserve; provided, however, that in the event such lands are sold to the United States under the provisions of this section, all oil, gas and other mineral rights shall be reserved to the State of Mississippi, and such reservation shall be expressly incorporated in the patent. The limitation imposed by law upon the quantity of state forfeited tax lands which may be sold to a single individual shall not apply to sales of lands to the United States government under the provisions of this section; nor shall the amount of such lands embraced in a patent to the United States be limited to one-quarter of a section.

In cases where, in the opinion of the attorneys for the United States, the title to any such land is defective, and it is desirable to take the same by condemnation in the federal court, the attorney general of the State of Mississippi is hereby authorized to accept service of summons, or other legal process, or to enter an appearance on behalf of the State of Mississippi.