Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1852-06-17
Homestead Bill.

The following is the Bill which passed
the House of Representative ssome time
since by the strong vote of l07 TO SO
Be 1t enacted by tie Senate and House
Of Representatives 0f the United States
any person who is the head of a family
and citizen of the United States, or any
person who is the head of family, and
had become a citizen prior to the lst day
Of January eighteen hundred and fifty
two, as required by the naturalization
laws Of the United States, shall, from
and after the passage of this act, be enti-
tied to enter, free Of cost, one quarter sec
ton of vacant and unappropriated public
lands or a quantity equal thereto, to be
located in body in conformity with the
legal subdivisions Of the public lands, and
after the same shall have been surveyed.
Sec 2. Ind be 1t further enacted. That
the person applying for the benefit of this
act shall upon application to the register
of the land Office in which he or she is a
bout to make such entry, make affidavit
before the said register that he or she is
the head Of a family, and is not the ow-
ner of any estate in land at the time of
such application, and has not disposed of
any estate In land to obtain the benefits
Of this act; and, upon making the afhda-
Wits as above required, and filing the aft
davit with the register, he or she shall
thcreupon be permitted to enter the guam
tity of land already specified: Pr0Cided
hOlcerer, That no certificate shall be Civ
en- or patent issued therfor until the ex-
piration of five years from the date Of
such entry; and if, at the expiration of
such time, the person making such entry,
or if he be dead, his widow, or in case of
her death, his heirs or devises or in case
Of a widow making such entry, her heirs
or devisee, in case of her death, shall prove
by two credible witnesses that he, she. or
they have continued to reside upon and
cultivate said land. and still reside upon
the same, and have not aljented the same,
or any part thereof, then in such case. he
she, or they shall be entitled to a patent
as in other cases provided for by Law
Ind prOU5dcd further, That in case of the
death of both father and mother, leaving
an infant child or children under fourteen
years OF age, the right and the fee shall
ensure to the benefit Of said infant child
or children; and the executor. admins
tor, or guardian. may, at any time with
in two years after the death of the sur
viviHg parent, sell said land for the bene-
fit Of such infants, but for no other pur-
pose; and the purchaser shall acquire
the absolute title by the purchase, aud be
entitled to a patent from the United
States.
Sec. 3. Ind be 1t further enacted, That
the Register of the land Office shall note
all such applications on the tract books
and plats of his Office, and keep a register
of all such entries, and make return
thereof to the General Land Office to-
gether with the proof upon which they
have been founded
Sec 4. And be 1t further enacted. That
all land acquired under the provisions Of
this act SHALL in no event become liable to
the satisfaction of any debt or debts con
contracted prior to the issuing the patent
therefor
Sec. 5. Ind be II further enacted, That
if at any time after filing the affidavit as
required in the second section of this act.
and before the expiration of the FIVE years
aforesaid, it shall be proven by two or more
respectable witnesses, upon oath, to the
satisfaction of the register Of the land Of
fee, that the person having filed such af-
fdavit shall have actually changed his or
her residence. or abandoned the said EN-
try for more than six months at any one
time, then, and III that event, the land so
entered shall revert back to the Govern
ment, and be disposed of as other public
lands are now by law
Sec. g. lind be 1t further enacted. That
if any individual, not a resident of any
one of the States or Territories. and not
a citizen Of the United States, but at the
time of making such application for the
benefit of this act, shall have filed de
claratIOn of intention as required by the
naturalization laws Of the United States.
and shall become citizen of the same
before the issuance of the patent, as made
and provided for in this act, shall be plac-
ed upon an equal footing with the native
born citizens of the United States.
Sec. 7. Ind be It further enacted, That
no individual shall be permitted to make
more than one entry under the provisions
of this act and that the commissioner of
the general land Office is hereby required
to prepare and issue such rules and regu-
latiJns consistent with this act as shall be
necessary and proper to carry It's provis-
ions into effect; and that the registers
and receivers of the sew eral land offices.
shall be entitled to receive the same com
pensation for any land patented under the
provisions of this act. that they are now
entitled to receive when the same quaint
ty of land IS entered with money. to be
paid by the party to whom the patent shall
be issued Pr0Ujded, holCeUer, That all
persons entering land under the provis-
ions Of this act, shall, as near as may be
practicable, in making such entries, be
confined to each alternate quarter sec
ton, and to land subject to private entry:
ind Prog1dea further, That nothing in
this act shall be so construed as to impair
or interfere In any manner whatever with
existing presumption rights
LEAD.-By papers received yesterday, we
learn. that 22l pigs Of Lead were sold in St.
Louis on the 9TH. at an advance OF S cts uer 100