Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-06-04
TEE HOMESTEAD BILL.

AN ACT TO secure Homesteads to Actual
Settlers on the Public Domain; and to
provide u Bounty for Soldiers in lieu
of grants OF the Public Lands
Be 1t enacted By the Senate and House
Of Representatives. Of the United States
Of 4mericu ~ CongreSs assembled That
any person wIo i at tue head Of fam
ilv, or who has arrived at the aye OF twenty
o years, and is citizen OF the Unite
States or who shall. have fled his deela-
ration OF intention to become such, as re-
quired by the naturalization laws of the
United -ta e., r who h; never borne arms
rIinst he United States Government, or
.iveu aid and comfort to enemies shall.
from aud aiter the lst of January / S63,
be entitled TO enter one quarter section,
or less quantity OF unappropriated
public lands, upon which said person
may have filed a presumption claim or
whIcl may at the time the application Is
made, he subject to- presumption at 81. %
or less, per acre, or eighty acres or less
of such unappr0priated lands, at 3 30
per acre to be located in a body. IN con
formity to the legal subdivisions ef the
public lands and after the same shall
have been surveyed: Proridsd That any
person owning and residing on land NAV.
other land lying cont ruou5 To his or her
said lands, which shall aot, with the land
50 already owned and occupied, exceed in
the aggregate loo acres.
Sec , IHd be 1T further enacted,
That the person apply iying for the benefit
OF this act. shall upon Applicant n to the
Register Of the Land Oifice in which he
or she is about to make such entry, make
affidavit before SAID REGISTER or Receiver.
that he or she Is the head of the family,
or Is twenty-one years or more Of are, or
shall have performed service in the army
OF the United States, and tltt he has
never borne arms against the Government
Of the United States or given aid and
comfort to It's enemies and that such APP
pication is made for his or her exclusive
use and benefit, and that said entry 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 whomsOever; and
upon filing the said affidavit with the Reg
istsr or Receiver and on payment of SO,
be or she snail thereupon be permitted
TO enter the quantity OF land specified
Prorided. h0tcerer That no certificate
shall he given or patent issued therefor
antil the expiration of five yeras IRON the
date of such entry; and IT, at the expira-
ton of such time Ur at any time within
two years thereafter. the person making
such entry-or If he be dead, his wild
ow; or in case of her death, his heirs or
devisee; or in case of widow making
such entry, her heirs or devisee, in Ease
of her death-shall prove by two eredit.l-
bic witnesses that he, she, or they, have
T, sided upoa or cultivated the same fer
the ter-L Of five years Immediately sue
ceedinr the time Of fling the affidavit
aforesaid. and shall make afidarit that
no part Of said land has been dijeaated
and that he has borne tgile allegiance to
the GererHgoeRt IF the United States J;
then, IN such case, he, she, or thev, if at
tnaa time citizen of tae United States,
shall be entitled to a patent, as in other
cases provided for By law; And DrGrided
further, That IN case Of the death ot both
father and mother, having an infant child
or children, under twenty-one years of
age, the right and fee shall enare 70 the
benefit Of said infant child or children
and the executor administrator, or guar
! dian may a. any time within two years