The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-03-27
20
The Homestead Bill.

The bill provides-FIrSt That any fret
white person who is the head of a family, o.
who has arrived at the age of 81 years, anC
is citizen of the United States shall be en-
titled TO enter, free of cost, one quarter sec
ton of vacant and unappropriated public
land, which, at the time of the applicat ton
may be subject to private entry a $l.25 pei
acre, or quantity equal thereto, to be
located In body, in conformity with the
legal subdivisions of the public lands and
after the same shall have been surveyed.
Second: The person applying for the ben
eft of this act shall, upon application to
the register of the land Office in which he or
she is about to make such entry, make affi-
davit before the said register that he or she
is the head of family, or twenty-one years
of age, and upon making affidavit, and filing
on the register he or she shall thereupon be
permitted to enter the quantity of land al
ready specified; provided that no certificate
shall be given or patent issued therefor until
the expiration of five years from the date of
such entry, and if at the expiration of such
time the person making such entry, or if he
be dead his widow, or in case of his DEATH
his heirs or devisee, or in case of widow
making such entry her heirs or devisee in
case of her death, shall prove by two credi-
BILE witnesses he or she or they have contin-
ued to reside upon and cultivate said land,
and still reside upon the same, and have not
alienated it or any part thereof, then in such
case he or she or they shall be entitled to
patent, as in other cases provided for by
law provided further, in case of death of
both father and mother, leaving an infant
child or children under twenty-one years of
age, the right and fee shall inure to the
benefit of said infant child or children, and
The executor, administrator, or guardian. may
at any time within two years after the death
Of snch surviving parent, and in accordance
with the laws of the State in which such
children for the time being have their domi
Gil, sell said land for the benefit of the said
infants, for no other purpose, and the pur-
chaser 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 satisfac-
ton of any debts contracted prior to the
issuing of the patent therefor.
Fourth: In case a 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
10 Government, subject to an appeal to the
General Land Office.
Fifth: If any individual now a resident
Of any one of the States or Territories, and
nota citizen of the United States at the time
of making such application for the benefit
Of this act, shall have filed declaration of
intention, as required by the naturalization
laws of the United States, and shall become
3 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 native-born citizen of the United
States.
.Sirth: No individual is permitted to
make more than one entry under the provis-
ions of this act, and the Commissioner of the
General Land Office is required to prepare
and issue such rules and regulations, consis-
tent with this act, as shall be necessary and
proper to carry its provisions into effect
and the Registers and Receivers Of the sew
rral Land Offices shall be entitled to receive
The same compensation for any lands entered
under theprovisons of this act that they are
,iow entitled TO receive when the same guam
,itv of land is entered with money-one half
10 be paid by the person making the applica-
ion at the time of so doing, and the other
half on the issue Of the certificate by the
person to whom it may be issued: Provided
lowever, all persons entering land under the
provisions Of this act shall, as near as may
4, ,,ra cti ca bla in oakinU cuCh entries he