Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-12-28
The Hometead Bill.

The HOmetead Bill.
The interest with which the country is looking
for the acton of Congress on the Homestead bill
induces us to publish it at full length, report
ed by Hon. J. L. Dawson, of Pennsylvania, from
the committee on Agricultural, of which he is
chairman We reserve our remarks for another
day, having room now only to give the bill:
A bill to encourage agriculture, commerce, manu-
features, and all other branches of industry, by
granting to every man who is the head of fam
lily and citizen of the United States home
stead of one hundred and sixty acres of land out
of the public domain, upon condition of occu-
pancy and cultivation of the same for the peri
cd herein specified. r- s..t- .4-l as,i
Be at enacted, DC, That any person who is the
head of family and citizen of the United States
shall from and after the passage of this act be
entitled to enter free of cost, quarter section
of unappropriated public lands, or quantity
equal thereto, to be located in body in conform
ity with the legal subdivisions of the public lands,
and after the same shall have been surveyed.
Sec. 2. And be at further enacted, That the per-
son applying for the benefit of this act shall, up
on application to the Register of the land Office
in which he or she is about to make such entry,
make affidavit before the said register that he or
she is the head of family and upon max
ing the affidavit as above required, and fill
ing the affidavit with the Register, he or she
she shall thereupon be permitted to enter the
quantity of land already specified: Provided, hoao-
ever, That no certificate shall be given, patent
issued therefor, until the expiration of five years
from the date of such entry; and if; at the expira
ton of such time, the person making such entry,
Or if he be dead, his widow or in case of her DEATH
his heirs or devisee, or, in case of widow max
ing such entry, her heirs devsee in case Of her
death, shall prove, by two credible Witnesses that
he, she, they have continued to reside upon and
cultivate said land, and still reside upon the same
aed have not alienated the same, ,or any part there
0f. then in Such a he she. thew shall be
entitled to patent, as in other cases provided
for by law: And provided further, In case of the
death Of both father and mother, leaving an infant
child or children under fourteen years of age the
right and fee shall inure to the benefit of said in
FAINT child or children, and the executor, admins
traitor, or guardian may, at any one time within
two years after the death of the surviving parent,
and in accordance with the laws of IT, State in
which such children for the time being have their
domicil, sell said land for the benefit of said in
fants, but for other purpose; and the purchaser
shall acquire the absolute title by the purchase
and be entitled to patent from the United States
Sec. 8. And be 1t further enacted, That the reg
lister of the land office shall note all such appica-
tons on tract book and plats of his office, and
keep register of all such entries, and make re-
turn thereof to the General Land Office, together
with the proof upon which they have been found
ed.
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 contracted prior to the issuing the
pate mt therefor. r.--
Sec. 5. And be 1t further enacted That, if at
any time after filling the affidavit rs required in
the second section Of this act, and before the ex-
piration of the FIVE years aforesaid, it shall be
proven, after due notice to the settler to the sat-
sfaction of the register Of the land Office, that the
person having filed such affidavit shall have ac-
tually changed his or her residence, or abandoned
the said entry for more than six months at any
one time, then, and in that event, the land so en-
tered shall revert back to the government, and be
disposed of as other public lands are now by law,
subject to an appeal to the General Land Office.
Sec. 6. And be 1t further enacted, That if any
individual now a resident of any one of the States
or Territories, and not citizen of the United
States, but at the time of making such application
for the benefit of this act, shall have filed de-
claraton of intention, required by the natural
zation 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 placed upon an equal footing with the native
born citizen of the United States. 1@r ra.
Sec. 7. And lie 1T further enacted, That no indi
vidual 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 10 prepare and issue such rules
and regulations consistent with this act as shall be
necessary and proper to carry its provisions into
effect; and that the registers and receivers of the
several land Offices shall be entitled to receive the
same compensation for any lands entered under
the provisions of this act that they are now en-
titled to receive when the same quantity of land
is entered with money, one half to he paid by the
person making the application at the time of SO
doing, and the other half the issue of the cer-
ticate by the person to whom it may be issued:
Provided however, That all persons entering land
under the provisions of this act, shall as near s
may be practicable in making such entries, be
confined to such alternate quarter sections, and
to land subject to private entry: And Provided
further, That nothing in this act shall be con-
strued as to impair, or interfere in any manner
whatever with, existing prempton rights.
The bill was referred to the Committee of the
Whole on the State of the Union, and, with the
report, ordered to be printed. s.sas -.
MIR. DAWSON. I move that the bill be made
the special order for the second Tuesday in Feb,
ruary next; which motion was adopted Wash.
Union.
Santa Anna.
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