Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-05-19
2 lFrom the Standard of July 90, 1884,

From the Standard of July 20, 1884,
THE HOMESTEAD AND GRADUATION BILL.
The following are the homestead provisions of Mr..
Hunters BILL which passed the Uniteo States Senate
on Thursday last:
CSC 8. That amy free sohite person who is at the
head of family, or who has arrived at the age OF
81 years, and is capable of holding lands under the
laws Of the State in which the lands lie, shall, from
and after the passage of this act be entitled to enter
one quarter section of vacant and unappropriated
public lands and no more. which may, at the time
the application is made be subject to private entry
or q quantity equal thereto, to be located IN one
body, in conformity with the legal subdivisions Of
the public lands.
Sec 9. That the person applying for the benefit
of the eighth section of this act SHALL upon applica
ton to the register of the land office in which he or
she is about to make such entry, make affidavit be-
fore said register that he she is the head of fam
w. or is twentyone years of age, and that such ap-
plicaton is made for his her exclusive use or BEN
eft and those specially mentioned therein, and not
either directly indirectly for the use or benefit OF
any other person or persons whomsoever, ana upon
making the affidavit herein required and filing it
with the register he she SHALL thereupon, be per-
mitted to enter the quantity of land specified, pro-
vided, however that certificate shall be given or
patent issued therefor, until the expiration of five
years from the date Of such entry, and until the per-
son persons entitled to land so entered shall have
paid for the same twenty. five cents per acre; or, it
the lands have been IN market more imam twenty
years, twelve and half cents per acre."
The graduation clause of the same bill is as fol-
lows:
"That the minimum price of the public lands Of
the United States shall remain unchanged until she
commencement of the fiscal year, beginning July
first eighteen hundred and fifty five, but after that
period the price shall be reduced according to the
following scale All lands which shall have been Of
fered at public sale and remaining unsod five years.
,I>cn bo To- onfop dol nor M
all lands which shall have been offered at public sale
and remaining unsold ten years. shall be reduced to
seventyfve cents an acre; and all lands which shall
have been offered at public sale, and remaining un
sold fifteen years. shall be sold at fifty cents an acre
and all lands which shall have been offered at pub
lie sale, and remaining unsold twenty years shall
thereafter be reduced to price of twenty five cents
an acre and all lands which shall have been offered
at public sae and shall remain unsod thirty years
thereafter shall be reduced to price of twelve and
half cents an acre; Provided, That the graduated
process, from fifty cents to twenty-five cents an acre.
shall not take place until the lands in the fifty cent
class shall have been exposed to sale for period of
at least two years, at the price Of fifty cents per
acre; alter which the price of the said lands shall
be reduced to twenty five cents per acre."
The following is the vote of the Senate by which
Mr. Hunters substitute for the original homestead
bill was adopted and the bill ordered to its engross
ment Democratic Senator voting in the negative:
YEAs-Messrs. Adams, Atchison, Bright Benja-
min, Broadhead, Brown, Butler, Cass, Clay, Dodge
Of Wisconsin, Dodge of Iowa, Douglas, Evans, Fitz.
patrick, Geyer, Gwin, Houston, Hunter, James,
Johnston, Jones of Iowa, Mallory, Mason, Petit,
Rusk, Sebastian, Shields, Sl;del, Stuart, Thompson
of Kentucky, Thompson of New Jersey, Toombs,
Toucey, and Walker-34
NAYs-Messrs Allen, Badger, Bell, Chase, Daw-
son. Fessenden, Fish, Foot Gillette, Jones Of Temp,
Pratt, Sumner, and Wade-13.
On Friday the Senate finally passed the Home
stead bill, by vote of SO yeas to 10 nays having
deprived it of its homestead feature in its ttle-ma.
king that read: "a bill to graduate and reduce the
This bill will have to be acted on by the House,
and, as Congress will adjourn on Friday next it is
not probable that it will be passed.