Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-07-26
The Homestead and Graduation Bin

The first section provides that the minimum
| price nf the public lands of the United States
shall be reduced after the LIST Of July. 1855. and
sold according 10 The following scale For
lands which shall have been offered Mt public sale
and remain unsod five years. one dollar per acre;
for lands which shall have been offered at public
sale and remain unsold ten years, seventy five
cents an acre !: for lands which shall have been
offered at public sale and remain unsold fifteen
years. fifty cents for lands which have
been offered at public sale and remain unsold
twenty years, twenty FIVE cents an acre ;
for lands which have been offered at public
sale and remain unsold thirty years, twelve
and n half cents acre provided, that
The graduating process, from fifty cents to
twenty-five cents an acre, shall not take
place until the lands in the ifty-cent class shall
have been exposed To sale for period of at least
two years, at the price Of fifty cents per acre.
after which the price of the said lands shall be
reduced to twenty five cents per acre.
The second section provides that whenever n
State shall desire to acquire n presumption right
10 all the lands. to all the lands of any certain
class and price, within its borders for other pur-
poses than a railroad or canal and signifies the
same to the President of the United States by an
act of its Legislature, they shall be granted on
the following terms: That snd State may fix
the price of said lands above that prescribed in
the first section of this act reserying the excess
To itself provided. that the title shall not pass TO
the purchaser until he has paid tie price fixed in
the said first section to the United States, and
that the lnnds shall be subject to the same legal
subdivisions in the sale and survey ms are now
provided by law and provided further, that any
State which shall accept the provision of this act,
and shall pre- empt any lands under II, shall take
them in full of the five per cent fund thereafter
tn become due from the proceeds OF said lands
But any State accepting the provisions OF this
and the preceding section shall take the lands ut
the price fixed for each particular class, and no
lands shall be sold by them for twenty five cents
an acre until they shall have been previously sub
ieot TO entry through period of two years,at the
price OF fifty cents per acre, to be pnid to the
United States.
The third section provides, that whenever a
State shall charter a railroad or canal TO run
through the lands of the United States, aud such
State shall accept the benefit Of the provisions
hereinafter prescribed by an net to be passed at
general session of its Legislature, upon due
notice being given of the fact to the Secretary of
the Interior 1t shall be his duty TO set apart of
the public lands. seven thousand six hundred and
eighty acres per mile Of railroad or canal. within
twelve miles on each si1e aud as nenr the route
of such railroad or cannl ~ possible, and the same
shall be withdrawn from sale or entry by public
advertisement of the Secretary of the Interior,
except in the manner and form hereinafter pros
eribcd. The price of these lands shall be one
dollar per acre for those which have not yet been
offered at public sale, or for those which have
been sub eot to private eutry less than five years
seventy five cents for those which Lave been 50
subject 10 entry more than five years aud less
thnn ten years; fifty cents for those which have
been subject TO entry more thnn ten years and
less than twenty years; and twenty five cents
per acre for those which have been so subject to
entry more than twenty years.
The fourth section provides, that wi tneyer a
State through which such railroad or ennnl pass
ea, and IN which the said lands lie, shall desire to
do so, IT may select as pre- emptcr, all the lands
so reserved at the minimum prices designated in
the third section Of this act, but the State must
take up aud pay in cash for said land within ten
years from the time when set apart by the Sec
retnry of the Interior, or otherwise its right 10
such of them as remain unyold shall be forfeited.
But teiorc the expiration of this period the State
may sell the lands thus reserved to individuals or
corporations, provided that no title shall vest IN
the purchaser until he pays Ia the receiver oi the
proper land Office of the United States, for the
use of the United States, the price herein fixed
as the price per acre for which the lands shall be-
sold
The fifth section p.oyides, that in the event OF
n difference between tha Post Master General
and the railroad company MS 10 the compensation
by mutual agreement between the Post Master
General and the Governor of the State i'll which
such railroad lies.
The sixth section provides that the lands pur-
chased by any State under the provisions of the
third section of this act. shall be applied 10y said
State for the construction of the railroad or ca
nal for which they were reserved; and that NO
| lpnds shall be iut luded within the operation o
this act to which the Indian tile has not been
| tmguished
| The seventh section provides, that this act shall
in no way apply to town or village property, eth
or in-ots or out lots, nor be SO construed as to
| interfere with any pre-emption claim, or TO land,
reserved for schools, salnes, or reserved sections
on railroad grants, or other purposes, under any
existing laws of the United States, nor to any 81
| the mineral lands of the United States.
The eighth section provides that any free white
| person, who is the head ola family, or, who has
arrived at the age of twenty-one years. and is ca
pable of holding lands under the laws Of th,
state in which the lands lie, or if they lie in
! Terrtorythen any person who is capable of &C
| curing presumption under the laws of the |
States, shall from aud after the passage of th
act, be entitled to enter one-quarter section o
vacant and Incorporated public lands, and N
more, which may at the time the application i
made be subject to private entry, a quantity
| equal thcretoto be located in a body in conform
ty with the legal subdivisions of the public lands
provided that lands ceded by any Indian treaty
STIMULATING for the payment TO such Indians q
the nett proceeds of the sales of the ceded lands
shall not be suhjeote to the operations of th'
act,except at the graduated prices fixed therefor
The ninth section provides, that the person APP
plying for the benefit. of the foregoing eighth sec
ton shall upon application to the register of th
land office in which he or she is about to MAKE
such entry, make affidavit before the said registe
that he or she is the head of family or is tween
ty-one years of age aud that such application i