The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-03-22
BOUNTY LAND LAW.
Wehersfeld, Conn.

AN ACT in addition certain granting bounty land
10 certain officers and soldiers who have been engaged
in the military service of the United States
BE ii enacted by the Senate and House o.
Representatives. of tie United States of Ameri
ca IN Congress assembled, That each of the
surviving commissioned and non-commissioned
officers, musicians, and privates, whether OF
regulars, volunteers, rangers, or militia, who
were regularly mustered into the service of the
United States, and every officer, commissioned
and non-commissioned, seaman, ordinary sea
man, marine, hotilla- man. clerk, and landsman
in the navy, in any of the wars in which this
eountry has been engaged since seventeen hun
dred and ninety and each of the survivors OF
the militia, or volunteers, or State troops of any
State or Territory, called into military service
and regularly mustered therein, and whose ser
vices have been paid by the United States, shall
be entitled to receive a certificate or warrant
from the Department of the Interior for one
hundred and sixty acres of land and where any
of those who have been so mustered into service
and paid shall have received a certificate OF
warrant, he shall be entitled to a certificate or
warrant for such quantity of land as will make
in the whole, with what he may have heretofore
received, one hundred and sixty acres to each
such person having served as aforesaid: PrOct
ded, The person so having been in service shall
not receive said land warrant, if it shall appear
by the muster rolls of his regiment or corps
that he deserted or was dishonorably discharged
from service Pocided. further, That the ben
efts of this section shall be held to extend to
wagon-maSters and teamsters who may have
been employed under the direction of compe-
tent authority, in time of war, in the transporta-
ton of military stores and supplies.
SEC. 2. Ind be Il further enacted, That in
case of the death of any person who, if living,
would be entitled to a certificate or warrant as
aforesaid under this act, leaving a widow, or,
if no widow, a minor child or children, such
widow, or, if no widow, such minor child or
children, shall be entitled TO receive a certificate
or warrant for the same quantity of land that
such deceased person would be entitled to receive
under the provisions of this act, if now living I:
PrOrided, That subsequent marriage shall not
impair the right of any such widow to such war
rant, if she be a widow at the time of making
her application: and prOrided, further, That
those shall be considered minors who are so at
the time this act shall take effect
SEC. 3. Ind be IL further enacted, That in no
case shall any such certificate or warrant be
issued for any service less than fourteen days,
except where the person shall actually have been
engaged in battle, and unless the party claim
ing such certificate or warrant shall establish
his on her right thereto by recorded evidence of
said service.
SEC. 4. and be II further enacted, That said
certificates or warrants may be assigned, trans
ferred, and located by the warrantees, their
assignees, or their heirs-atlaw, according to the
provisions of existing laws regulating the assign
ment, transfer, and location of bounty-land war
rants.
SEC. 5. Ind be IL further enacted, That no
warrant issued under the provisions of this act
shall be located on any public lands, except
such as shall at the time be subject to sale at
either the minimum or lower graduated prices
SEC. 6. Ind be IL further enacted, That the
registers and receivers of the several land off
ces, shall be severally authorized to charge and
receive for their services in locating all warrants
under the provisions of this act the same com
pensation or per centage to which they are emit
tied by law for sales of the public lands for cash
at the rate Of one dollar and TWENTY-FIVE cents
per acre; the said compensation to be paid by
the assignees or holders Of such warrants
SEC. Z. And be ii further enacted That the
provisions of this act and all the bounty.land
laws heretofore passed by Congress shall be
extended TO Indians, in the same manner and to
the same extent as il the said Indians had been
white men.