Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-07-25
SYNOPSIS OF UINTEkS BILL.

Tho frs; section provides that the minimum i'ro.
the public lands "a; tho United STATE 'h'n In 't w ,S,.
,;,,r IN, lst uf July, lSn,, and sold according "'n.
;.,n,v;rr s,,,l,. For lmnls which shall nav" p'ch Of
i,.r,h nj public sale and remain uns"ln I'VE !c"'S "t
,lrNnr Der acre for lands which shall nn''
fared al public sale ani remain "i'',E" ~" ~ II h h"'
s.,crty.fiyc cents an acre for lands when sum nav
h,,.n offered ut public sale and remain u'ls'Hu h,'een
wears, fifty cents al acre for lands wiirh nanr "eu"
offered ut public sale ana remain uIS'i" WIN III
TWENTY-FIVE cents an acre: uid Tor ihi''S ~" So"
l,uyc been offered ut public sale and fchia'' "nS"'u
thirty wears. twelve and n half cents al acre pr".nr"
tl,ut The Graduating process, from fifty GEMS ~ tMrn-
tv-tive cents an acre. shall not lnR' i,"'r WI" Wv
lands in the tfty-cen; class shall nave oc'" .Nl"."
IN snlc for Il period uf az least tw" years u" '"e P'S'
,f tifty cents pcr acre, after which the irce vi inc
said lands shall be reduced to twenty-five echs per
acre. ,., n S,,to
The second section provides that whenever II MI'e
shall desire To acquire n Prt-eNaP''n -" a,,s" n rnI
lands, or Ia all the lands OF any certain c'usS a"u
price. within its borders. !nr other purposes man !"
railroad or canal, and signifies the saii!e l" 'ne frssf
dent of the United States by nn at oil ns i'cSisi",mi',
,icy sbnil be granted on TIE following terms: in"t
snil State may fix the price Of said lands above INA.
prescribed in the first section "i th's aci' r'ScI,''s
the excess 10 itself: provided that inc me el"ia ni
mass TO the purchaser until he has pud the li1ce hNs"
in the said first section to the : H'a,'S, "Hu 'H ", =, :,
lands shall be subject 10 the same hrgai suuuE'Nio"s Il,
,Ir. sale and survey rs are now provided 10y law anu
provided further, that any State when SINH actel"
the provision nj this ac:, ani shnii Prc,ci"n u.
lands under it, shall take them m ia n," ~ , m nrnr.t" III
NJ sail lands. But any State accepting me Pr"Ir-
sinns of this and the preceding, section si:ail ."ke u
lands ut the price fixed for each ParIlcul"r ri'sS' a'u
,n Inr,Is shall be sold by them for Twenty-Five cents
nm mere until they shall hsre been previously sup
irct 10 entry through e period of two years al inc
price of fifty cents per acre, Ia be paid I" me oh'ea
States. c,,,.
| sI,nll charter a railroad ur canal To run through the
lands of the United StatcS, AMI such State shall ac-
cent the benefit OF the provisions hereinafter pre-.
scribcd by ill net I" be passed ~ a Scncrai sesSlrn VI
ia LEGISLATURE, upon due notice being gwen of lhe
fact tn the Secretary OF the Interior, 1t shall De his
| dutv To set apart, OF The public lands, seven Thousand
six hundred and eighty acres per inie ot raiFo"o vi
canal, within twelve miles oil each side, ana as near
:Ia rnute of such railroad or canal us possible, and
In. same shall be withdrawn from sale or entry u!
rrhli,. advertisement OF the Secretary OF the INTERIOR
ryr,p in the manner and form hereinafter prescribed.
The price "f these lands siiali he ono uoA"r per acre
for tius. which have not yet been ufcreu III pubic
| sale. or for those which have been subject to private
entry less than live years seventy five cents Tor
| those which have been 81 subject to entry more tlan
five years and less than ten Years my cents ir
,h,sc which have been 81 subject IL entry more than
ten wears and less than twenty years; and twenty
five cents per acre for those which have been 50 sub
ipct IA entry more than twenty years.
RI, fnrrth section provides that whenever n State
,brnurb which such railroad or canal passes. and i'll
| which the said lands lie, shall desire 10 do 50, II may
select, IA prc-cinptcr, all the lands so reserved at Inc
minimum prices designated i'll the third section "i TINS
or;: Lu, the State must takc up and pny III cash Tor
| snil land within ten years from the time when set
mart bv the Secretary OF the interior, or ntl!ciwisc
it, right to such of them IA remain unsold shal he
forfeited. But before the expiration of tins period
,l, STATE mnv sell the lands thus reserved 10 llidirl-
,,,is ar CORPORATIONS, provided that no title shall vest
in I'M. purchaser until he pays to the receiver OF The
prop,r land office NJ the United States, for the use oi
The United States, the price herein fixed as the price
n.r mere for which the lands shall be soil.
| RI. .tl u,nti,p IrtNlIt5 tluf. IN INC tNcnI Dl u
| difference between the PostmaStcr General and the
| railroad company ~ To the compensation Tor carrying
ri,, mails, the mater shall be settled by mutual agree
ment between the Postmaster General ana Inc nov
crnor of the State in which such railroad hes.
The sixth scction provides that the lands purchased
hy my State. under the provisions Of the third sec
| ton of THE crt, shall be applied by SAID stare i"r me
construction ui The railroad or canai Tor "lnch lheE
wcr. reserved: and That no lands shall be included
within the ou,rntlon III this act Ia Which The indlai
tide has not been CNtingusiiru. -.
The seventh section provides TINT this net shall III
mo- wnv upplv To town ur village property, either III
snt. or nn,.Li;.. nor be su construed rs To interfere
with INV pre-rmpjop IIaivl- ct tnIlnis reserved l"r
sclu4lear-ut!icr rApOscs, under amy EXISTING laws oi
I The United State, nor 10 any Of the mineral lulnl' oi
;hc United States.
The eighth section provides that any free white
narson, who il the head of II family, or VIII" has ar
rived a; the a.e Of twnety-"mc year., aild Is capabl"
of holding lands under the laws "i the State III which
tho lands lie, or if thew lie in Il Territory, then any
person who is capable Of acquiring II prc.cinption ull-
der tho laws of the United States, shall, from niId al
ter the passage OF this act, be entitled To- enter one
nunrtcr section of vacant aud Wnapprnrriatcd public
lands, and no more, which may at the time the applI-
cation is made be subject to private entry, or Il guam
thy cuunl thereto, To be located in Il body, conformity
with the legal subdivisions of the pablo lands: pro-
vidrl. that lnnds ccdcd by any Indian treaty stipnla-
ling for the payment I" such lEdiars .! the nett pre-
cccls of The sales uf the ccdcd lands shall moi 10" rub
jac,cd To the operations of this act, except at the gra-
luatcd prices fixed therefor.
The lin,l. section provides tia; the person apply
iuC for the benefit "i the foregoing eighth section
shall, upon application ~ the register "i the !aiid o.
icc i'm which, he or she il about 10 make such entry,
make affidavit before the sud register that he nr SIZE
is the head of II family, "r is twcniy-"nc years ii age
and that such application liz mad" for his or her
| exclusive Use and benefit, ami those specially mcn-
toned herein, and not either directly or indirectly for
The use or benefit of any other person or persons
wll"msocvcr: and upon making the affidavit US here
in required. unl filing II with the register, he or sLc
| shall ih~creurun bc permitted TO enter the quantity" i
land specified: provided, that no certificate shall be
| ,iycn or pu,cut Issued therefor until the expiration OF
| five wears from the date of such entry, and until the
person or persons entitled to the land so entered shaii
have paid for the same twenty-five cents per acre, or
il the lands have been in market more than twenty
years, twelve and Il half cents per acre; and If, at the
expiration of such time, the person making such entry
-hall prove by two credible witnesses that he or she
have continued tn reside upon and cultivate said land,
and still reside upon the same, then, III such ciiSc, he
or she shall be entitled 10 a patent, IA i'll otlJr cases
provided for by law; aud all such persons ~ nrc spc-
cited in the eighth section, and who are now settled
upon lands subject To entry by this act, shall be en-
titled to its benefits, upon the expiration Of five years
from the date Of such settlement. The benefits Of
this and the proceeding section of this act shall be en-
tended to the settlers upon the public lands III Califur-
uiu, upon payment OF one dollar per acre.
The tenth section provides thnt the Register Of the
land Office shall keep register of nll entries, and
make return thereof TO the General Land Office.
The eleventh section provides that any person who
.- l-. sl-l h,,,- liar ain IJf Of M ntI,tr, -.