East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-06-17
THE HOMEsTEAD BILL.

dent:
An act to Secu-e Hometcads TO Actua
Settlers on the Public Domain, and t.
provide Bounty for Soldiers in ler
OF Grants of the Public Lands.
BE tt enacted by the Senate and House o.
Representatives. Of the United State of Inner
ica IN Congress assembled: That any per
son who is the head Of a family, or who
has arrived at the age of twenty-onc
years, and is q citizen Of the United
States. or who shall have filed his dec
lsration of intention to become such, as
required by the naturalization laws OF
the United States, and who has never
borne arms against the United States
government, or given aid and comfort to
It's enemies, shall, from and after the lSt
of January, 1864, be entitled to enter
one quarter section, or less quantity,
of unappropriated public lands, upon
which said persons may have fled pre-
empton claim, or which may, at the
time the application is made, he subject
to pre-emptlon at Sl,25, or less, per
acre; or eighty acres or less of such un =
appropriated lands, at $3.50 per acre, to
be located in a body, in conformity to
the legal subdivisions of the public lands,
and after the same shall have been sur
veyei: Proridsd, That any person own
ing AMI residing on land may, under the
provisions of this act, enter other lands
lying contiguous to his or her said lands,
which shall not, with the land so already
owned and occupied, exceed in the ag-'
gregate 100 acres.
SECTION 2. And be IL further enacted,
that the person applying for the benefit
of the act shall, upon applicati on to the
Register of the Land Office in which he
or she is about TO make such entry, make
affidavit before the said Register or Re
ceiver that he or she is the head of a
family, or is twenty one years or more of
age, or shall have performed service in
the army of the United States, and that
he has never borne arms against the gov
ernment of the United States, or given
aid and comfort to its enemies, and that
said application is made for the purpose
Of actual settlement and cultivation, and
not either directly or indirectly for the
use or benefit of any other person or
persons whomsoover; and upon fling said
affidavit with the Register or Receiver,
and on payment of ten dollars, he or she
shall thereupon be permitted to enter
the quantity Of land specified Providsd,
ho0erer, That no certificate shall be Civ
en- or patent ISSUED therefor until the ex-
pratiou of five years from the date of
such entry; and if at the cxpirotion Of
such 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 devisee;
or in case of widow making such en-
try, her heirs or devisee, in case of her
death--sha prove by two credible wit
nesses that lie, she or they have resided
upon or cultivated the same for the term
of five years Immediately succeeding the
time of filing the affidavit aforesaid, and
shall make affidavit that no part of said
land has been alenatod, and that he has borne
true allegiance TO the gorrnment Of tho UNI
ted States; then, in such case, he, she
or they, if at that time a citizen of the
United States, shall be entitled to pat
ent, as in other eases provdcdfor by law:
And propided, further, That in the case
of tho death of both father and moth
err leaving an infant child, or children,
under twenty one years Of age, the right
and fee shall inure to the benefit of said
iatant child or children; and the execu-
tor, administrator, or guardian may, at
any time within two years after the death
Of the Surviving parent, and in accord
ance with the laws of the State in which
such children for the time being may
have their domicl, sell said lands for the
benefit of said infants, but for no other
purpose; and the purchaser shall acquire
the absolute title by the purchase, and be
entitled to a patent from the United
States, on payment of the Office fees and
sum of money herein specified.
Sec. 3. Ind be IL further enacted, That
the Register of the Land OF the Land
Office shall note oil such applications on
the tract books and plats Of his office
and keep register of oil such entries,
and make return thereof TO the General
Land Office, together with the proof
upon which they have been founded.
Sec. A. And DO it further enacted, That
no lands acquired under the provisions OIL
this act shall in any event become liable
to the satisfaction Of any debt or debts
contracted prior to the issuing of the
patent thereof.
Sec. 5. And bs IL further enacted, That
if at any time after the fling of the afii.
davit, as required in the % section OF
this act, and before the expiration Of the
five years aforesaid, it shall be proven,
after due notice to the settler, to the sat.
isfaction of tho Register of the Land
Office, that the person having filed such
affidavit shall have actually changed his
or her residence, or abandoned the said
land, shall have ceased to. occupy said
land for more tnan six months at time,
then and in that event the land shall re-
vert to the government.
Sec: 6. And BE- it further enacted, That
no individual shall bo permitted to &C
quirc title to more than ono quarter sec.
ton under the provisions Of this act; and
that the Commissioner Of the Genera
Land Office is horeby required to pre-
pare and issue sncb rules aad regu'a