Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-06-05
PUBLIc--No. GAL

/ L.
AN ACT to secure homesteads to ac
tual settlers on the public domain.
| BE & enacted, by the Senate and House qf Repre-
sentatires Of the United States Of America in Con
gress assembled, That any person who is the head
OF family, or who has arrived at the
age OF twcnty.one years, and is a cit.
lzcn OF the United States, or who shall
have filed his declaration Of intention
to become such, as required by the
naturalization laws Of the United
States, and who has ncver borne arms
against the United States Government
or given aid and comfort to its enemies,
shall, from and after the first January,
eighteen hundred and sixty-thrcc, be
entitled to enter one quarter section
or less quantity of unappropriated
public lands, upon which said person
may have filed prc-cmption claim.
or which may, at the time the applica-
tion is made, be subject to pre-cmp-
ton at one dollar aud twcnty-fi cents
or less, per acre ;or eighty acres or less
of such unappropriated lands, at two
dollars and fifty cents per acre, to be
located in body. in conformity to the
legal subdivisions of the public lands
and after the same shall have been
surveyed Prorded, That any person
owning and residing on land may, un.
der the provisions of this act, enter 9th.
CT land lying contiguous to lis or her
said land, which shall not, with the
land so already owned and occupied,
exceed in the aggregate one hundred
and sixty acres.
SEC. 2. Ind 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 affidavit before the said register
or receiver that he or she is the head
of a family, or is twenty-onc or more
years of age, or shall have performed
service in the army or navy of the
United States, and that he has never
borne arms against the Government
of the United States VI given aid and
comfort to its enemies, and that such
application is made for his or her ex-
elusive use and benefit, and that said
entry is made for the purpose Of actual
settlement and cultivation, and not ci-
ther directly or indirectly for the uso
or benefit of any other person or persons
whomsocver and upon filing the said
affidavit with the register or receiver
and on payment of ten dollars, he or
she shall thercupon be permitted to
enter the quantity of land specified !:
Prormcd, houerer, That no certificate
shall be given or patent issued there
for until the expiration of five years
from the date of such entry and if,
ut the expiration 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 entry,
her heirs or devisec, in case of her
dcath--shall prove by two credable
witnesses that he, she, or they have
resided upon or cultivated the same
for the term of five years immediately
succeeding the time of filing the afii.
davit aforesaid, aud shall make affida-
Wit that no part of said land has been
alienated, and that he has borne true
| allegiance to the Government of the
United States then, in such case, he,
she, or they, if at that time citizen
of the United States, shall be entitled
to a patent, as in other cases provi-
ded for by law: And prorided, further
That in case of the death of both faith
CT and mother, leaving an infant child,
or children, under twentyone years
of age, the right and fee shall enure
TO the benefit Of said infant child or
children and the executor, admins
traitor, 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 be.
ing have their domicil, sell said land
for the benefit Of said infants, but for
no other purpose and the purchser
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 here
in specified.
Sec. 3. And be u further enacted, That
the register of the land Office shall
note all such applications on the tract
books and plats of his office, and keeI
a register Of all such entries, and
make return thereof to the Genera
Land Office, together with the proof
upon which they have been founded.
Sec. 4. ind Be IL further enacted, Tha'
no lands acquired under the provisions
Of this act shall in any event beeom.
liable to the satisfaction of any deb
or debts contracted prior to the issu
ing Of the patent therefor.
Sec. 5. And be IL further eaaeted, Tha
if, at any time after the filing of th,
affidavit, as required in the second sec
ton Of the act, and before the expira
a. IL L. ~ u