, 1859-02-09

The following Is the bill to secure homesteads
to actual settlers On tile public domain; which pass.
ell the House OF Repre- scatptiyes Oh the q inst:
Brit enactrd BY the >tna1e and House ef Repre-
seniaiires nf The United Suites in Congress osstb
led, Thut any person wlo II the he:la of family,
or who has arrived at the age oftweuty one year..
and is citizen OF the Unite States, or who shall
have filed his intention 10 become such, as rcquir-
ed by the naturalization Ia us OF the United siles,
SHALL from ail after the passage Of tnts act lie
titlel to enter, FREE Of cost oIe quarter secTlon II
vacant saa unapproptiatel pubic 12nls whi'h
may, at the time the application il made, be sub
ject to ptyac entry, at 81 rs per acre, Or quilt
torniiy with the legal subdivisions Of the public
lands. and after the same shall have been sur
veyed-
SEE. ?. dnd be it Jurthtr enacted. That per=fn
applying for the benefit OF 1hs act shall, npou ap.
plcarion to the register of the land Office in With
he or she is about 70 make Eu:h egtry, make al.
davit before the said 1egister that lie sue is .he
head OF family, or Is twanty one years or more
Of age, an that such application Is maze for bis
or her exclusive use and belett, and those epeci-
ally mentioned in this net, aud not either dir city
or indirectly tor the 1855 OF benefit of any other
person Of persons whumsoarcr; aud upoa mlk,rg
the affidavit a5 abuve required, and filing the af1-
yayt with the register, be, ,tr she shall the.eup1n
be permitted to cn'er the quantity Of land already
specified: Prorided, hoscfrer. That no certidca!e
shall I've 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, tue !person making sRch
entry, or, il he ba dead, hi5 widow OF, in case o[
her deab, his heirs or deyisee, or in case Of Nid
on making such entry, hcf heirs or deTlsee, ia
case Of her death, shall pEoxe ty two credible Wit
uesses that he. she, they have continued to r.
side upon and cultivate sucl land. andEti!l reside
upon ihe sane, aud have not a1ienatcd the same,
any part thereof then, il such cls. lie, she, OF
they, it at tie time ei izen Of the Uaited States,
sh1ll on p1yment If ten dollars, be entitled TO d
patea, rs IN other cases provided for by law And
pTorided, further. In ca ei Of the. death Of boh
father aua motaeE, leaving an infant chill or
children under tFepty one gear Of age, tue right
aud tho fec shall inuEe 10 tile benefit Ut said intt
child or children, and the executor, administrator,
or guardian may, at any time within two yearJ
after the death Of the surviving p1rent. and in ac
cordance with the laws Of The State in WHICH such
said land for the beaet OF 4aid iufants but for no
other purpose; and the purchaser stall acquire
the absolute title by the purchase, and be entitled
to patent from the UniteI Statcs.
SIC .. Aad BE- It furtkr enacted, Thai the
register of the land oice ahall note all such cp-
plicasions on the tract books and p1ats Of his
office, and keep 1egistef Of all such entries.
aod make return thereof to the General Land
Office, together with the proof upon which they
have been founded
SEo 4. And h. il .furtl<r enacted, That all
lands acquired under the provisions OF this act
thall in no event hecoms liable for the sa.isfac.
tion Of any debt or debts cbntracsed prior to the
iasaipg the patent therefor
SEC. 5. Aad be j: furthtf enacted, That il, at
any time after filing the affidavit, as required
in the second section OF thf oct, aud before the
expiration Of the fve yeaFs aforementioned, it
ahal1 be proven, after due notice to the settler,
to the satlstaeton Of the Register Of the land
office, that tho person having fled such affidavit
shall have ec.ually changed his or her residence,
or abandoned tha said entry for more than siI
months at any time, then, and in thasevent, the
land 40 entered shall revert back to the Govern.
meut, and be disposed Of il other public lauds
are now By i.w, subject 10 hn appeal to the Gen
eral Land Office.
SEo, 6. <n<Itti il fs~t&e,l s,,zeseu, That no in.
dividua shall be permitted to make more than
one entry under the provisions Of this act; and
that the Commissioner Of the General l. lud Of
fce is hereby required to pfepsre and issue such
rnles and regulations consistent with this bet,
es shall ha necessary and prorer: to cltry its
provisions into effect; aud that the registers and
RECEIVERS uf the several land Offices shall be en-
titled to oreceisa the same cpnpeusa:ion for spy
lards entered under the piovisonsof this act'
that they nre now entitled 10 receive when the
Same quantity Of land is seatered' with money,
enc haf to be paid by tbs tperso7 making the
application, ut the tins Of 50 'dons, and tue
oshe1 half on the issue Of the cersihcat. III the
person to whom ]. may ba is.ned: : Prostdtd,
That nothing 10 this act shall bo 50 conAtrued as
to impair or Interfere in'any manner wflstever
with existing pse'emption ights. " , . ~