Washington sentinel., 1854-03-07
O


The Senate was not in session ves,erday
House Of Representatives.
Mr.. RUSSELL, from the COMMITTEES ON Print
ing, reported joint resolution for settlino the
accounts of A. Boyd Hamilton, which was passed
OCEAN POSTAGE.
Mr.. APPLETON presented the resolutions Of
the legislature of Massachusetts in favor of cbean
ocean postage. Laid on the table and ordered 10
be printed.
NEBRASKA BILL.
Mr.. FULLER presented the resolutions of the
Legislature Of Maine, instructing their senator's
and requesting their representatives, to oppose in
every practicable way the passage Of the Nebras-
ka bill, so long as il contains any provision re-
scinding or invalidating the Missouri compromise
Laid on the table and ordered 10 be printed "a
HOMESTEAD BILL.
The House resolved itself into Committee OF
the Whole on the State of the Union [Mr. OLps
in the chair and resumed the consideration of the
bill to encourage agriculture, commerce, manu-
factures, and all other branches of industry, by
granting TO every man who is the head of family,
and citizen ofthe United States, a homestead OF
one hundred and sixty acres of land out Of the
public domain, upon condition Of occupancy and
cultivation OF the same, for the period of FIVE
years.
After various amendments were offered and
discussed and several of them agreed to-
Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN proposed additional sec
tions, providing surveys and the construction. OF
three railroads to the Pacific ocean.
The CHAIRMAN ruled the amendment out OF
''Ss Mr. GaEsR KEsIaRea sppsasa om ne aee
sion; which, however, was, the question having
been taken sustained by the committee
Mr. GROW said he would now offer substi-
tute for the BILL s N&
was willing not TO offer il, and suggested that
other gentlemen who had prepared substitutes
do the same so as not to embarrass the bill and
consume the time Of the House.
Objection to this course was nterposed
Mr. WENTWORTH, of Illinois. rose to a point
Of order He asked whether il was competent for
gentlemen who had offered amendments to offer
substitutes, the letter to undergo the same formal
y as the former, and thus go on 10 the end Of
time, in this matter of buncombe.
Mr. HAMILTON called the gentleman to order
Mr. COBB offered substitute which was
after debate, disagreed to.
Mr.. GROW likewise offered one for the bill,
which was rejected.
The committee then rose, and the bill as-amend-
ed, was reported TO the House.
Mr.. GOODE moved that it be laid upon the
table; which motion was disagreed to--yeas 60,
| nays 124.
The House then voted on the first amendment,
which restricts the benefits of the bill to " free
white persons, and agreed to it-yeas 101, nays
rs.
The remaining amendments were agreed to-
The main features Of the bill are as follows: .
l. Any free white person who is the head Of a
family, or who has arrived at the age Of twenty
one years, and is citizen Of the United States
shall be entitled 10 enter, free Of cost one-quarter
section Of vacant and unappropriated lands, which
may. at the time the. application is made be sub
ject to private entry at 81 25 per acre. or quaA-
tity equal thereto, to be located in body in con
formity with the legal subdivisions of The public
lands, and after the same shall have been sur
veyed. A4
< y
2 The person applying for the benefit Of this
act is required, upon application TO the register OF
the land ofice in which he or she is about to make
such entry, to make affidavit before him that he
or she is the head of family, or is twenty -one
years Of age and that the application is made for
his or her exclusive benefit, and not for that,
directly or indirectly, Of any other person whom
soever Provided, No certificate shall be given
or patent issued therefor, until the expiration of
FIVE years from the date OF such entry and il, at
the expiration of such time, the person making
case of her DEATH his heirs or dsvisee or, in case
Of widow making such entry, her heirs or devi-
see, in case other DEATH shall prove by two credi.
bic witnesses that he, she, or they, have continued
70 reside upon and cultivate said land and still
side upon the same, and have not alienated the
same, or any part thereof; then, in such case he,
she. or they, shall be entitled to a patent as in
other cases provided for by law. Provided further
In case of the death of both father and mother
leaving an infant child or children under twenty
70 the benefit of said infant child, or children; and
the executor, administrator, guardian may. at
any time within two years after the death of the
surviving parent, and in accordance with the laws
of the State in which such children for the time
being have their domicil sell said>land for the
benefit Of said infants, but for no other purpose
and the purchaser shall acquire the absolute title
BY the purchase and be entitled TO a patent from
the United States. 4s a-s&4r
The sixth section provides that if any individual
a q ne Of he Sfafa or
tories, and not citizen Of the United States but
at the time OF making such application for the ben
eft of this act, shall have filed a declaration opn
tention as required by the naturalization 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 nativeborn citizen
Of the United States
The other sections relate principally TO details.
The bill was finally passed-yeas l07, nays 72
as follows: stfa5 d asG I
YEAS--Messrs Abercrombie, James O., Allen
Willis Allen, Banks, Bennett, Benton, Breck.
inridge, Bridges, Bugg, Campbell Carpenter, Ca
ruthers, Chamberlain, Chandler, Chase, Chrisinan.
Chqrchwel Clark, Cobb, Cook, Corwin, Cox, John
z Davis, Dawson, Dean, Dick, Disney, Drum,
Dunbar, Eastman, Edgerton, Elliott Ellison, Eng
lsh, Ewing. Farley, Florence, Gamble, Goodrich. y
Green, Greenwood, Grey, Grow. Andrew ]. Har-
Ian, Harrison, Hendricks, Hem, Houston, Howe,
,
ley, McCulloch, McMullen Macy, Maxwell, Nav I
all, Middleswarth, John G. Miller, Morgan, Mich
OILS, Norton, Olds, Andrew Oliver, Mordecai Oil
yer, Peckham, Pennington, Phelps, Preston, Prin-
gle, Ready Richardson, Ritchey, Robbins, Rus
sell, Sapp. Shannon, Singleton Samuel A. Smith,
William r. Smith, Frederick p Stanton Richard
4. Stanton, Hestor L. Stevens, Straiton, Andrew
Stuart, John L. Taylor, Thrston, Trout, Tweed.
Vail, Vansant, Walbridge, Warren, Ellihu B. Wash
burne, John Wentworth, Tappan Wentworth,
Westbrook, Wheeler, Hendrick B. Wright, Yates,
and Zolcofer--l07 All
:. NAYS--Messrs. Aiken, Appleton, Ashe, Thomas
Il. Bayly, Barksdale, Belcher, Benson, Bocock,
Boyce, Brooks, Caskie, Chastain, Clingman, Col
quit, Crage, Crockcr, Cumming, Cutting, Thomas
Davis Dent, De Witt, Dickinson, ,DowdeII, Edmands,
Edmundson, Faulkner, Franklin, Fuller, Goode,
Hamilton, Sampson w. Harris, Wiley p Harris,
Hastings, Haven Hbbard, Hill. Hunt, J. Glancey
Jones, Keitt, Kerr, Kidwell, Kittredae, Kurtz,
Letcher, McDougall. Mcqueen, Matteson, May,
Meachaln Smith Miller Millson, Morrison, Bishop
Perkins John Perkins, jr., Phillips, Pratt, Pur-
year, Rogers, Rowe, Rufin, Sabin, Seward Sey-
mour Shaw, Gerrit Smith, William Smith, George