Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-07-02
The Homestead Bill.

ANsACT to secure IIomesteads to Actua
Settlers on the Public Domain, and t.
provide Bounty for soldiers in lieu o
Grants of the Public Lands.
BE Il enacted Jy tie Senate and House Q
Representatives. ofhs URfcdSt Of -lnier'e'
=, Cor1reSs IsscHbied: That any persoI
who is the head of family, or has arrived
at the age of twenty one years, and Is
citizen of the United States, or who shal
have filed his declaration of intention L
become such, as required by the natural
ization laws of the United States, anc
who has never born arms against.the I'm
ted States Government, or given and anC
comfort to its enemies, shall, from ano
after the lst of January, 1868, be entitled
to enter one quarter section, or less guam
tity, ofunappropriated public lands, upor
which said person may have filed pre-
emptiOn claim, or which may, at the
time the application is made be subject
to pre-emption at Sl.25, or less per acre;
or eighty acres or less of such unappro
priated lands, at S2.50per acre, to be loca
ted in a body, in conformity to the legal
subdivisions of the public land, and after
the same shall have been surveyed: Pro
vidsd, That any person owning and resid-
ing on land may, under the provisions of
this act enter other land lying contigous
to his or her said land, which shall not
with the land already owned, exceed IN
aggregate lG0 acres. .....s
SECTION 2. 1nd be Il further enacted,
That the person applying for the benefit
of this act shall. upon application to the
Register of the Land Office in which he or
she is about to make such entry, make at-
fidavit before the said Register or Receiver
that he or she is the head of family, or
is twenty-one years ormOre of age, shall
have performed service in the army of the
United States, and that he hasnever borne
arms against the Government of the Uni
ted States, or given aid and comfort to its
enemies and that such applications made
for his or her exclusive benefit, and that
said entry is male for the purpose of act
ual settlement and cultivation, and not e.
ther directly or indirectly for the use and
benefit of any other person or persons
whonsoever: and upon filing the said affi-
davit with the Register or Receiver, and
on payment of SO, he or she shall there
upon be permitted to enter the quantity
of land specified: Prorided, h01evcr, That
no certificate shall be given or patent is
sued therefore until the expiration of FIVE
years from the date of such entry; and
if, at the expiration of such time, or at
any time, or at any time within two years
thereafter, the person making such entry
or if he be dead, his widow or in
case of her death, his heirs or devises ; or
in case of a widow making such entry, her
heirs or devises, in case OF her death
shall provide by two credible wit
nesses, that he, she, or they have
resided upon or cultivated the same
Tor the term of five years Immediately sue
ceeding the time of filing the affidavit
aforesaid, and shall make gLfaart hSt no
part OF said land has been Gi,ented, and that he
has borne t7tr: allegiance to tie GoyeTHRcht of
tie United States then, III such cases, he,
she, or they, if 1T that time a citizen
of the United States, shall be enti-
tied to 4 patent, as in other cases provi-
ded for by law And provided further,
that in case of the death of both father and
leaving the infant child or chill
dren, under twenty-one years of age, the
sight and fee shall enuPe to the benefit of
of said infant child or children: and the
executor, administrator. or guardian may,
at any time within. two years after the
death of the surviving parent, and in ac-
cordance with the laws of the State in
which such children for the time have |
their domicil, sell said land for the benefit |
Of said infants, but for no other purpse !; |
and the purchaser shall acquire the abso-
lutte title by the purchase, and be entitled |
to patent from the United States, on
payment of the Office fees and sum of
money herein specified
SEC. 8. And be Il further enacted, That |
the Register of the Land Office shall note
all such applications on the tract books
md plates of his Office, and keep regis
ter of all such entries, and make return
thereof to the General Land Office, to-
yether with the proof upon which they
have been founded.
SEC 4, And be Il ttutJ,rr enacted, That no
ands acquired under the provisions of
This act shall in any event become liable
10 the satisfaction of any debt or debts
prior to the issuing of the pa
int therefor
SEC. 5. AHd be It further enacted, That if
1t any time after the filing of the afida-
yit as required in the section of this act,
md before the expiration of FIVE years
it shall be proven, after due no
ice to the settler, to the satisfaction of
,he register of the land office, that the
person having filed such affidavit shall
lave ceased to occupy said land for more
han six months at any time, then, and
n that event, the land so entered shall
evert to the Government.
SEC. 6. And be Il further enacted, That
10 individual shall be permitted to ac-
Iuire title to more than one quarter sec
ion under the provisions of this act and
hat the Commissioner of the General
land Office is hereby required to prepare
md issue such rules and regulations, con-
istent with this act, as shall be necessary
nd proper to carry its provisions into eff
ect (; and that the registers and receivers
# the several land offices shall be entitled
o receive the same compensation for
NY lands entered under the provisions of
his act that they are now entitled to re-
GIVE when the same quality of land is
ntered with money, one half to be paid
" the person making the application at ,
he time of so doing, and the other half
n the issue of the certificate by the per-
on to whom it may be issued; but this
hall not be construed to enlarge the max
mum of compensation now prescribed by ,
lw for any register or receiver: Provided,
hat nothing contained in this act shall !
e construed as to impair or interfere in !
NY manner whatever with existing pre- :
mption rights: Ind prorided, further, !
hat all persons who may have filed their :
publications. for preemption right prior to
he passage of this act shall be entitled to >
II privileges of this act. Prorided, further, :
hat no person who has served, or may |
GREATER serve, for period of not less =
han fourteen days in the army or navy :
f the United States, either regular or :
olunteers under the laws thereof, during :,
ne existence of an actual war, domestic =
r foreign, shall be deprived of the bene- .
IS of this act on account of not having =
ttained the age of 81 years.
SEC. I. Andbe Il further enacted, That the .
fth section of the act entitled, Gan act h
l addition TO an act more effectually to h
rovide for the punishment of certain a
rimes against the United States, and for a
therpurposes," approved the 3dofMarch, n
! the year 1857, shall extend to all oaths, "
tfirmations and afidavits, required or au h
lorized by this act. n
SEC. s. And be Il further enacted, that /,