Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1854-07-28
A Sort of Homestead Bill.

The Homestead Bill which passed .he
House was about amended 10 death in the
Senate, when Mr.. Hunter of Va, as the
organ Of caucus Of the Administration
members offered a substitute which the
Tribune styles "a hybrid Graduation Pre-
emption Bill" and which was agreed to,
yeas "a, nays l3-the latter being Messrs.
Allen, Badger. Bell, Chase, Dawson, Fes.
senden. Fish, Foote, Gillette, Jones Of Tenn,
Pratt Sumner and Wade. 1'he bill then
passed the Senate by the decided vote of
30 to |, the nays being Messers. Badger,
Bell, Dawson, Fessenden, Fish, Foote Gil.
ette, Jones, Pearce, Pratt and Rockwell.
Mr. Chase voted for the bill Mr.. Wade's
name not recorded. The title is IA bill
to reduce and graduate the price of the
public lands TO purch asesr and actual SET
tiers, and 10 gr Mt pre-emption privileges
in certain cases, and for other purposes"
and the following are the homestead
provsions
SEC. 8. That any free white person
who is at the head of family, who has ar
rived at the age Of twenty -one years, and
is capable of holding lands under the laws
Of the State in which the lands, lie, shall,
from and after the passage of this act, be
entitled to enter one quarter section of va
cant and unappropriated public lands and
no more, which may, al the time the appli-
cation is made, be subject to private entry,
or quantity equal thereto, to be located in
a body, in conforming with the legal sub
divisions Of tie public lands.
Sec. o. That the person APPLYING for
the benefit of the eight section of this act
shall, upon application to the Register Of
the land Office in which be or sheis about
to make such entry, make affidavit before
said Register that he or she is the head Of
a family or is twenty. .one years Of age, and
that such application is made for his or
her exclusive use and benefit, and those
specially mentioned herein, and not, either
directly or indirectly, for the use or deneft
of any other person or persons whomso-
ever; and, upon making the affidavit as
herein required, and filing it with the Reg
lister, be or she shall thereupon be permit
ted to enter the quantity ofland specified
provided, however that no certificate shall
be given, or patent issued therefore, until
the expiration Of FIVE years from the date
of such entry, and until the person or per.
sons entitled to the land so entered shall
have paid for the same twenty five cents
per acre, or if the lands have been in mar
ket more than twenty years. twelve and
b alE cents per acre.
Other provisions follow in case ofthe
death Of the settler before obtaining the
patent, &c.
1t is though the House will concur and
the President approved Of the bill Should
the bill become law, free white persons'
have they Stare "whte pcrsons"-at the
South ?-will te enabled to locate quarter
sections Of the public lands on easier terms
than heretofore. The revenue from the
public lands will be cut down, and the
tendency must be to keep down the price
of improved and unimproved lands already
entered contiguous to Unucle Sans cheap
patrimony. The law, however vii! swell
The tide Of fpopulation so resisilessly setting
toward the Pacific, and if properly guar
ded SO as prevent the direct acquisition of
the public lands by spectators, will prove
II blessing to countless thosands.- Ckere-
iand Herald