Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-03-21
Homestead Bill.

Homestead Bill.
The House OF Representatives, some time since,
made the bill reported from the Committee on
Public Lands by Mr.. Cobb, of Alabama for the
encouragement of agriculture, commerce, and
manufactures, commonly called the homestead
BILL the special order Of the day for Tuesday, the
4th Of April next.
The Speaker, on Thursday last, by permission
the House, had leave to Introduce substitute
for the said bill to be taken up with the original
bill in Committee OF the Whole on the state of the
Union as part of the special order. II is as fol-
lows
Bill 10 dispose OF the public lands lying within
the limits Of the States ofthe United States.
Be IL enacted &C., That all the public andswiihin
the States Of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana. Ar
kansas, Florida Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
Michigan. Iowa, Wisconsin, and California, with
the exception of the sites Of Notifications, navy
and dock yards, arsenas, magazines, and all Other
public buildings shall, after the ------ day OF
----, eighteen hundred and fifiy-fve, be disposed
OF to the States within the limits of which they are
respectively situated, they having previously COM
piled with the following conditions
First. That the said States shall severnlly pass
acts to be irrevocahe, that they will quarterly as
the sales ofthe said land shall progress pay into
the Treasury Of the United States, at the most
convenient place deposit, and TO such officer as
may be appointed TO receive the same, --- per
centum on the, gross amount of the sales of such
lands including, under sales. grants and dona.
tons by the States, estimating the lands at the
selling price at the time of the grant or donation
on or before the first day Of ---- of each sue
ceedng year.
Secondly. That the minimum price, as now
fixed by law, shall remain unchanged until the
-- day Of ---- aforesaid; but, after that
n a. &C.
respectively. according TO the following scale all
lands heretofore offered at public sale, and then
remaining uDsold ten years or upwards, preceding
the - day of -- aforesaid, may be re
duced by said States to o price not less than one
| dollar per acre; and all lands Tint may have been
| offered at public sale, and remaining unsod ff
| teen years or upward, preceding the said -----
| day of ---, one thousand eight hundred and
6ty-ive, may thereafter be reduced by said States
| TO price not less than seventy-fve cents per
acre and all lands that may have been offered al
public sale, and remaining unsod twenty years or
1 upward, preceding the said --- day of ----
eighteen hundred and ffly-fve, may then be re
duced by said States to price not less than fifty
cents per acre; and all lands that may have beei
offered AT public SALE and remaining unsold TWEEN
ty-five years or upward, preceding the said ----
day Of ----, eighteen hundred and fifty five.
may thereafter be reduced by said States TO
price not less than TWENTY-FIVE cents per acre; and
all lands that may have been offered at public
| sale, and remaining unsold thirty years up
ward preceding the said -- day of -
eighteen hundred and fi(ty-fve, shall be ceded i'm
mediately to the States in which said lands are
situate: Prorided That all leS1s which shat
remain unsold after having been efsred at pub
lie sale Tor ten years, and which do not come
under the above provisions, shall DO subject 10
the provisions of presumption, graduation, and dis
position aforesaid, at the respective periods o.
ten, fifteen, twenty-five, and thirty years after
said sale, commencing from the expiration Of Ter
years after the same had been offered at public
sale. "
Thirdly. That the lands shall be subject to The
| same legal subdivisions in the sale and survey a.
is now provided by law, reserving for each town
ship and fractionalto township the sixteenth section.
or the substitute, for the Of schools. as here
tofore provided by law; and the land not yet
offered for sale shall be first offered by the State
| at public auction, except in cnscs OF presumption,
| and be sold for cash only, in the manner now pro-
vided by law. And any land now or hereafter re-
msining unsold, after the same shall have been
offered for sale at public auction, shall be subject
10 entry for cash only, according 10 the graduation
which may be fixed by the States respectively
under the provisions of this act and thai the acts
of Congress which mfy be in force at the time OF
asserting 10 this act shall remain unchanged ex-
ccpt as modified by this act, unless with the assent
of Congress Propided, That any of said lands
may, after they shall have become subject TO pri.
vatc entry, be sold, at the option of the purchaser
in quarter-quarter sections without any limitation
whatever.
Fourth. This disposition OF the public lands To-
gcther with the portion of the sales to be retained
by the States respectively, under the provisions oil
this act, shall be in full of the FIVE per centum fund
or any part thereof. no, already accrued to any
State and The said States shall be exclusively
liable for all charges that may hereafter arise from
| the surveys, sales, and management the public
| lands, and extnguishtnent OF Indian title within
the limits of the said States, respectively.
! Fifth. That on failure 10 comply with any OF
the above conditions or a violation ofthe same on
the part OF any of the said States, the ccssion
| herein made to the State failing to comply with or
violating said conditions shall be hereby rendered
null and void and all grants titles thereafter
made by said State, for any portion OF the public
lands within the limits of the same, ceded by this
act, shall be, and are hereby declared TO be, null
and void, and of no effect whatever.
SEC g dad be Vt further enacted, That upon
every reduction in the price of said lands, which
shall take place by The graduating process Of this
bill, the legislatures of the several State. in which
The lands are situated shall at their discretion,
have power TO grant to the respective occupants
or settlers upon any of the said lands rights of
presumption at such graduated or reduced prices;
which rights shall extend to period Of ninety
days from and after the dates at which the respec
tive graduations shall take place: and any lands
not taken up by the respective occupants or set
tiers within that period, shall be liable to be en-
tered or purchased by any other person, untlf the
next graduation or reduction in price shall take
place, when il shall, il not previously purchased,
be again subject 10 the right OF pre-empton for
ninety days, as before; and so on, from time 10
time, as said reductions shall take place.
a. SEC. 3. And Be u further ENACTED, That whene
ever the President of the United States shall be
officially notified that any of the States aforesaid
| has passed act in compliance with the above
| conditions, il shall be his duty, after the - day
| OF 49, aforesaid, forthwith after tho passage OF
said act, il passed subsequent TO that period, TO
| adopt such measures as he shall think proper TO
close the land offices, including the surveying do
| partment within the limits Of said State; and that
the commissions OF oil officers connected there
with shall expire on day TO be fixed by him, bur