New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-01
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
SENATOR FOOT'S BILL.

BILL to grant homestead of hundred and sixty acres
the public lands to actual settlers
Ben enacted by the Senate and House of RepreeR-
tatires Ofhe Uned States Of america in Congress G'-
sembled That any person who is the head OF family,
and is a citizen of the United States, shall, from
and after the passage of this act be entitled to enter
free of cost one quarter section of vacant and unap
prOPriaed public lands which may; at the lime tne
dollar and twenty-five cents per 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
SEC. g. And be ii further enacted, That the person
arnlvpp for the benefit of this act SHALL upon appca
ton 10 the register of the land Office in which he or
che is about to make such entry make aihdayit
before he said Register that he or she is the
head of family, or is twenty-one years OF
age, and that such application is made for
his or her exclusive and benefit and those special
v mentioned in this act and not either directly or in
directly for the use benefit of any other person or
persons whOmsoever; and upon making the afhdaVh
as above required and filing the affidavit with the reg
ster he or she shall thereupon be permitted to enter
the quantity of land already sPecihed: FTot'dea noa
erer That no certificate shall be given or patent IS
sued therefor, until the expiration OF hve years
from the date of such entry; and IT. at the e4pi-
ration Of such time, the person making soch en-
try, or if he be dead, his widow, or IN case
Of her 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 credible witness
that he she or they have continued to reside upon
and have not alenated the same, or any part thereof
then in such case, he she or they shall be entitled to
patent, in other cases provided for by law: Ana
pTOrdCd further In case Of the death OF both ather
and mother leaving infant child or children under
twentv-one wears Of age the right and fee shall nure
10 the benefit of said infant child or children and the
executor, administrator or guardian may al any tine
within two wears after the death Of the surviving pa
rent and in accordance with the laws OF the state 10
which such children for the time being have their
domic sell said land for the benefit OF said infants,
hut for no other purpose and the purchaser SHAH ac
quire the absolute title by the purchase, and be enti
tied TO patent from the United States.
SEC 8. And be further enacted, That the register
of the land Office shall note all such applications on
the tractbeoks and pats of his Office, and keep reg
lister of all such entries and make return thereof to
the General Land Office, together with the proof upon
which they have been founded.
SEC. 4. Aad be further enacted, Ihat al ahas ac
quired under the provisions of this act shall IN no
become liable to the satisfaction of any debt or
debts prior the issuing the patent therefor
SEC. s. And BE- At further enacted, That ii, at any
time after filing the affidavit required in the second
section Of this act and before the expiration of the
hve years Aforesaid it shall be proven, after due no
uce 10 the settler to the satisfaction OF the register o
the snd once that the person having filed such am
| davit shall have actually changed his or her resi-
dence or abandoned the said entry for more than six
months at any time, then and in that event the land
so entered shall revor back to the Government, and
be disposed Of "a other public lands are now by law
subject TO an appeal to the General Land Office
Src. 6. And be IL further enacted That If any ind-
vidua now resident OF any of the States or Ter
rtories and not a citizen of the United States but
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 citizen of the before
the issuance Of the patent made and provided for
in this act shall be placed upon equal footing with
The pstye.born citizen Of the United States.
SIC. :. And k nfarther enacted That no individual
The prtysions Of this act end that the Commissioner
oS ne Ceoersl Land Office is hereby required TO pre-