Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1860-12-22
The Homestead Bill.
VIC Give baIoW 2 conY oc alo IL,

- ~ o1ioH - COPY o. vac LGfNG
stocd Bill, which passed the House Of
Representatives one day last week.
This bill avoids the objection made bv
the President in lis veto CT the bill
passed BY the Thirty-ffth Congtess,
and IS likely 20 become law:
4 BILL TO SECURE Ho3EEsTEADs TO Ac-
TUAL SETTLERS O, THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Be 1t enacted By tie Senate and
Aoase9 Of Representatives. OF lie Unit
es< States Of 1H}srjca IN Congress as
SoH2d1o0, That any person Who is the
head Of & family, or who has arrived
at the age Of twenty-ono years, and is
a citizen of the United States, or who
shall have fled lis Intentions to be-
come such as required by the NATURAL
ization laws Of the United States, shall.
from and after the passage Of this act,
be cntitled to enter, free Of cost, enc
hundred and sixty acres Of unappropTi-
ated public lands, upon which said
person may have fled pre-emption
claim, or which may, at TIE application
is made, be subject to prc-cmption at
one dollar and twenty-five cents, or
less, per acre or eighty acres Of such
unappropriatod lands, at two dollars
and fifty cents per acre to be located
in q body, in conformity to the legal
sub divisions Of the public lands, aud
after the same shall have been survey
ed.
SEC. o.-I521 be Il 5tssthor enacted,
That the person applying !. for the bene-
fit Of this act shall, upon application to
the register Of the land 0 flee il which
he or she is about to make an entry,
make affidavit before said register or
receiver that he or she is the head Of
q family, OF is twcnty~one years OF age,
and that such application is made for
his or her exclusive use and benefit,
and those specially mentioned il this
act, and not either directly or Indirect
| ly for the use or benefit Of any other
person Or persons whomsoever, and
upon fling the affidavit with the regis
ter Or receiver, he or she shall .thercup-
on be permitted to enter the quantity
! Of land specified. P'0rj9cH h0oc6uoT,
That no certificate shall be given, or
! patent issued therefor, until the exipir a.
ton Of FIVE years from the date Of such
entry and if, at the expiration Of such
time, or at any time within two years
thereafter, tie person making suuh en-
try-or, if he be dead, lis heirs Or de-
y;so8; OF ia ease oc 3 widow making
such entry, her heirs Or dovisos, in ease
Of her death--shalI prove by two crc3.-
blo witnesses that he, she or they have
resided upon and cultivated the same
for the term Of FIVE years Immediately
succeeding the time Of fling the at1ila-
Yit aforesaid, then, III such case, he,
she, or they at that time q citizen Of
the United States, shall On payment Of
ten dollars, be entitled to D patent, as
i'll other cases. provided for by Law:
And provided, further, that in case Of
the death Of both father and mother,
leaving an Infant cbiId, Or children,
under twenty-one years Of age, the
right and fee shall o0Urc to the benefit
of such infaut, child or children; and
the exc cutor, administrator or guardian
may, at any time within two wears after
the death Of the surviving parent, and
| in accordance with the laws Of the
State in which such chiidren for the
time being, have their dom;ciIe, sell
such land for the benefit Of said infants.
but for 10 other purpose; and the puy-
chaser shall acquire the absolute title
/ by the purchase, and be entitled to a
| patent from the United States, on pay
mert Of the Office fees and sum Of mon
ey herein specified.
SEC. 3. -I3.d be 1t further enacted
That the register Of the land Office shall
note all such applications Oh the tract
books and plats Of his Office, and keep
q register Of all such entries, and make
return thereof to the General Land
! Office, together with the proof upon
which they have been founded.
Sec. /. Ind da It f;Irth81' enuct41
That all land acquired under the pro-
visions Of this act shall in no event be
come liable to the satisfaction Of any
debt Or debts contracted prior to the
issuing Of the patent thereof.
SEC. ). Ind be 1t FURTHER euucted
That if, at any time after the filing Of
the affidavit, as required in the second
section Of this act, aud before the expi-
ration Of the five years aforesaid, it
shall be proven, after due notice to the
settler, to the satisfaction OF the regis
ter Of the land Office, that the person
having fled such affidavit shall have
7 actually changed his or her residence,
OF abandoned the said entry for more
than six months at any time, then, and
in that event, the land so entered shall
revert to the Government.
Sec. &. Ind b. IT further, enacted