Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-08-09
Our Paper.

unsvoidably crowded out by the Treasurer's
notice, Sheriff Sales and such advertisements as
could not be put of. We will arrange II in fu-
ture, so as to suit ourselves and our readers bet
ter in this respect. We have Just taken possess
sion of the office, and il viii take us few weeks
to get sufficiently established to feel at home
1t is our intention to enlarge the paper, and also
to make other improvements sometime before the
first Of September We are determined to make
itworthy Of the support of our patrons. Try US.
A Homestead Bill for the Territories.
Congress has passed an act providing for sur
veys and granting homesteads to actual settlers
| in the territories of New Mexico, Kansas and
Nebraska. 1t has been signed by the President,
and is now law. Section second reads as fol-
| lows:
Sec 2. And be it further enacted, That to
every white male citizen of the United States, or
every white male above the age of twenty-one
years, who has declared his intention to become
citizen, and who was residing.in said territory
prior to the first day of January, eighteen hun
dred and fifty three, and who may be still resid-
ing there, there shall be, and is hereby donated
one quarter section, or one hundred and sixty
acres of land. And to every white male citizen
Of the United States, or every white male above
the age of twenty one years, who has declared
| his intention to become citizen, and who shall
have removed or shall remove to and settle in
said territory, between the first day of January,
| eighteen hundred and fifty-three, and the first
day of January, eighteen hundred and fifty eight,
there shall in like manner be donated one quar-
ter section, or one hundred and sixty acres, on
condition Of actual settlement and cultivation for
not less than four years: Provided, however,
that each of said donations shall include the ac-
tual settlement and improvement of the donee,
and shall be selected by legal subdivisions, with
in three months after the survey of the land where
the settlement was made before the survey; and
where the settlement was made after the survey,
then within three months after the settlement has
been made; and all persons failing to designate
the b. undaries of their claims within that time.
shall forfeit all right to the same. ....
Here is Homestead law with as liberal pro.
visions as its most ardent advocates could desire.
We regard it as one Of the best measures ever
adopted by the government and it does honor to
the Democratic Congress and Democratic Pres
dent which passed it. 1t will, we think, meet
with the appreciation of all honest and candid
men throughout the country. Three large and
fertile territories containing an o! mcre than
four hundred thousand square miles, have thus
been laid open to rapid cultivation and improve
ment. Now, every man possessed of health and
energy no matter how poor, can have a home,
and become independent. After the passage of
this act, we think no one can entertain any fears
that slavery will be established in the territories
of Nebraska and Kansas. by offering such in
dncements to actual settlers, it has placed il in
the power of northern men to build up just such
institutions cs they please. Who will say that
the North is not benefited by this measure far
more than the South! Yet the Southern mem
bers in Congress gave it their cordial support
Had they been as selfish and ilbera as the fn-
sion papers would have us believe them to be,
they would not have voted for the passage of this
bill.