The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-05-20

The measure has been introduced in the
| House, at several successive sessions, by An
drew Johnson, of Tennessee, but has never
come fairly under discussion till the present
session It was made the special order for
March Sd of this year. when the debate was
opened by Mr.. Dawson, of Pennsylvania; and
from that time it was kept up, with occasional
interruptions, till the 18th instant, much the
larger portion of it embracing political topics
alien to the bill In fact, considering the i'm
portance of the measure there has been little
discussion of its merits; but the People gen.
orally seem to have made up their minds in
favor of its policy SO that it was sure to COM
mand decisive majority, could it be placed
in such q position as would allow demand
for yea and nay vote. Some members were
willing to throw obstacles in its way in Com
mittee, who were unwilling to record their
names against it in the House.
The bill has been referred in the Senate and
we presume will there undergo thorough dis
cussion. 1t will encounter more formidable
opposition in that body than in the House for
obvious reasons Its final passage will be
hailed as the contamination of wise and be-
neficent policy, involving consequences of vital
Importance to the highest interests of the
country.
The following is a copy of the bill as it
passed the House
Be 1t enacted, &C., That any person who is
the head Of family and citizen of the United
States, or any person who is the head of fam
ily and had become citizen prior to the first
day Of January, eighteen hundred and fifty
two, rs required by the naturalization laws of
the United States. shall, from and after the
passage of this act, be entitled to enter, free of
cost one-quarter section of. vacant and unap-
proprated public lands, or o 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. @ And be II 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 about to make
such entry, make affidavit before the said Regis
ter, that ne or she is the head Of a family, and
is not the owner 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 affidavit as
above required and filing the affidavit with the
Register, he or she shall thereupon be permit
ted to enter the quantity Of land already speci-
fed PROVIDED, howeper That no certificate
shall be given, or patent issued therefor, until
the expiration 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
BIO dead, his widow or, in case Of her death,
his heirs or devisee; or, in case of widow
making such entry, her heirs or devisee, in case
of her death, shall prove by two credible wit
nesses that he, She or they, have continued to
reside upon and cultivate said land, and still
reside upon the same, and have not alenated
the same, or any part thereof then, in such
case, he she, or they, shall be entitled to a
patent Is in other cases provided for by law :;
And proridsd, 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 tho fee shall inure to the benefit
of said infant child or children; and the execu-
tor. administrator, or guardian, may, at any
time within two years after the death Of the
surviving parent sell said land for the benefit
of such Infants, but for no other purpose; and
the purchaser shall acquire the absolute title
by the purchase, and be entitled to patent
from the United States.