The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1859-02-16
THE HOMESTEAD BILL.


Be IL enacted By tie Senate and Ho''se
of Representatives of The United States
in Congress assembled, That any person
who is the head of family, or has ar
rived at the age Of twenty-one years, ana
is a citizen Of the United States, or who
shall have fled his intention to become
such, as required by the naturalization
laws 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 unappropriated public lands
which may, at the time the application is
made, be subject to private entry, at
81 25 R acre, or a quantity equal there
to, to be located in body, in conformity
with tho legal subdivisions of the public
lands, and after the same shall have been
surveyed.
SEC. 2. Ind be IL further enacted,
That persons applying for the benefit Of
this act shall,upon application to the Reg
lister OF the land office in which he or she
is about to make such entry, make afh-
davit before the said Register that he or
she is the head Of a family, or is twenty
one years or moro Of age, and that such
application is made for his or her exclusive
use and benefit, and those specially men
toned in this act, and not either directly
or indirectly for the use or benefit Of any
other person or persons whomsoever; and
upon making affidavit as above required,
and filing the affidavit with the Register,
he or she shall thereupon be permitted TO
enter the quantity of land already speci-
fed: Provided, however, That no GER
tifcate 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, or at any time
thereafter, the person making such entry,
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 witnesses that
he, she, or they have continued to reside
upon and cultivate such land, and still
reside upon the same, and have not alien
ated the same, or any part thereof, then,
in such case, he, she, or they, if at the
time citizen of the United States, shall,
=; ',sl',s,;rnt Of ten dollars, be entitled 10
the death OF both fatner or frIvru6a, 49,
ing an infant child or children under
twenty years of age, the fee shall in
IRE To the benefit of said infant child OF
children, and the executor administrator
or guardian may, at any time within two
p years after the death of the surviving pa
rent, and in accordance with the laws OF
the State in-which such children for the
time being have their domicil, sell said
land for the benefit Of said infants, but
for no other purpose; and the purchaser
shall acquire the absolute title by the pur-
chase, and be entitled TO patent from
the United States.
SEC. 8. Aad be IL further enacted,
That the Register of the land office shall
note all such applications on the tract
books and plats Of his Office, and keep a
register Of all such entries, and make re-
turn thereof to the general land office,
together with The proof upon which they
have been founded.
Sec. 4. 1nd be IL further enacted,
That all lands acquired under the proyis-
ions Of this act shall in no event become
liable for the satisfaction of any debt or
debts contracted prior TO the issuing the
.pateIt therefor.
SEC. 5. and be IL further enacted,
That if, at any time after filing the affi-
davit, as required in the second section of
this act, and before the expiration of the
five years aforementioned, it shall be
proven, after due notice to the settler, TO
NE satisfaction of the Register of the
land office, that the person having filed
such affdavit' shailhav actually changed
his or her residence, or abandoned the
said entry for more than six months at
any time, then, and in that event, the
land so entered shall revert back to the
government, and be disposed of as other
public lands are now by law, subject to
an appeal to the general land office.
SEC. 6. Ind be IL further enacted,
That no individual shall be permitted 10
make more than one entry under the pro-
visions of this act; and that the Com
missioner of the general land office is
hereby required to prepare and issue such
rules and regulations consistent with this
act as shall be necessary and proper to
carry its provisions into effect; and that
the Registers and Receivers of the several
land offices shall be entitled to receive the
same compensation for any lands entered
under the provisions of this act that
they are now entitled 10 receive when
the same quantity of land is entered with
money, one half to be paid hv The nor