Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1854-03-23
The HOMESTEAD BILL.

AuS N'"S''0@u Oiti mas passed the House
and is new before the Senate. Below we COP
the provisions Of the measuSe as agreed to B
the House
The bill provides-Fira That anv fire.
white person who is the head of family. O
who has arrived at The age of al wears, and !
a citizen Of the United States shall be entitle,
to enter, free Of cost, one quarter section DIVA
cant and unsPprOpriated public land, which, a
the time Of the application, may be subject L
private entry at s rs per acre, or q1antit,
equal thereto to be located in body, in con
formity with the legal subdivisions Of the pub
llc lands and after the same shall have beer
surveyed. ..
Second The person applying for the benef
ofthis act shall, upon application TO the regis
tel, of the land Office in which be or she i.
about to make such entry, make affidavit be.
fore the said register that he or she is the head
of family. or twenty-one years of age, and
upon making affidavit, and fling on the regis.
ter he OF she shall therupon be permitted to en-.
ter the quantity of land already specfed pro.
vided that no certificate shall be given or pa.
tent issued therefor until the expiration of five
years from the date of such entry, and if at the
expiration Of such time the persons making
such entry, or il he be dead his widow, or in
case Of his death his heirs OF devisee in csse.oi
a widow making such entry her heirs or devil
see in case OF her death, shall prove by two
credible witnesses he or she or they have con-
tinued to reside upon and cultivate said land,
and still reside upon the same, and have not
alineated it or any part thereof, then in such he
or she or they shall be entitled 10 patent, as
in other cases provided for by law; plovid ed
further, in case Of death ofboth father and
mother, leaving an infant child or children un.
der twenty-one years Of age, the right and the
fee shall insure to the benefit Of the said infant
child or children, and the executor. administra-
tor, or guardian may at any time within two
years after the death of such surviving parents
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
the said infants, for no other purpose, and the
purchaser shall acquire the absolute title by
the purchase and be entitled to patent from
the United States.
Third: All land acquired under this act
shall in no event become liable to satisfaction
of any debts contracted prior TO the issuing of
the patent therefor.
Fourth: In case person who has filed the
affidavit required shall have changed his or
her residence or abandoned said entry for more
than six months at any one time, in that event
the land so entered to revert back to govern
ment subject 10 an appeal to the General
Land Office,
FJh! If any individual now resident OF
any one of the State or Territories, and not
citizen of the United States at the time OF ma
king such application fol the benefit of this act,
shall have filed declaration of intention, as
required by the naturalization laws of the Uni |
led States, and shall become citizen of the
same before the insuance of the patent, as made
and provided for in this act, shall be placed
upon an equal footing with the native-born of
The United States.
Sirth: No individual is permitted to make
more than one entry under the provisions of
his act and the Commissioner OF the General
Land Office is required to prepare and issue
such rules and regulations, consistent wtIRthis
sct, as shall be necessary and proper to carry
ts provisions into effect; and the Registers
md Receivers of the several Land Offices shall !
De entitled to receive the same compensation
or any lands entered under the provisions ofI
his act that they are now entitled to receive
when the same quantity of land is entered with
huff to be paid by the person ma.
ting the application at the tiue of SO doing |
Ind the other half on the issue of the certi- |
icate by the person to whom 1t may be issued: |
Provided however, all persons entering land |
lnder the provisions of this act shall, as near |
IS may be practicable in making such el-
res, be confined to each alternate quarter
ection, and to land subject to private entry:
And provided nothing in this act shall be SO
as to impair or interfere in any man
er whatever with existing preemtion rights;
And provided further, that the provisions of
his act shall be so construed as to authorize |
he class of persons provided for who may not
wn over 100 acres Of land, to enter flee of
ost any public lands adjoining his or her farm
ubject to private entry at the minimum price
a quantity when added to what he or she
ow owns, equal to 100 acres, provided he or
he shall cultivate the whole or part there
The bill passed. Yeas, 1O7; Nays, 79,