, 1864-10-14
No other land in the County is subject to pri-

No other land in the County is subject to pri-
vate entry.
Any surveyed land can be entered under the
homestead or pre-emption laws whether it has,
or has not, been offered at public sale In home
stead cases, the procedure is just the same
whether the land is or is not subject to private
entry, to-wit
The applicant must forward his application, ,
and affidavit, (taken before the Clerk of the
Court with the fees-whch are to the govern
ment Sl0 to the Register & Receiver, each So;
total, SIG At this time no witnesses are re-
quired, but at the expiration of five years he
(the settler) must prove by two credible witness
that he has actually resided upon and culti-
waited the land during and for that period.
If the settler, before the expiration of FIVE
years, wishes to enter the land he can do so, by
proving by two witnesses, actual occupation
&C., as required by preemption laws. He need
not come to this Office to do this, as he has no
affidavit to make himself, except the oath of al
legiance, which can be administered by any Of
icer using a seal.
fla person settles upon, and claims the right
of pre-emption to land, "subject to private en-
try" he must file his declaratory statement
within thirty days from the day of settlement,
and prove up, and make payment within one
year from settlement.
If he settles &c, upon land not Su5jectto private
entry, he must file his declaratory statement
within three months from settlement and prove
up &C., at any time before it is offered at public
auction.
In pre-emption proof, the afidayits of witness
es as to residence and cultivation, may be taken
before any officer as above but the law requires
a personal affidavit Of the pre-emptor, which
MUST BE taken before either the Register or Re-
ceiver, therefore, pre-emption claim cannot
be perfected without the personal attendance of
the pre-emptOr.
We do not allow entries (pre-emptiOn or home
stead turned to pre-emptiOn) upon a residence
of less than three months. The fee for filing a
declaratoIy statement is 81 so. The total cost
of pre-emption of l6O acres, is, for the land
5000; Register Receivers fees, So; total, S203.
A person cannot take land as pre-emption and
afterwards change it to a homestead.
Land which has been entered as homestead
and afterwards abandoned, is not subject to pri-
vate entry but may be entered as homestead or
pre-emptiOn.
If John Jones buys Robert Smiths homestead,
he (Jones) should have Smith write the aban-
donment on the back of the homestead receipt,
sign it in the presence of two witnesses, and
acknowledge it before an officer as in case Of a
deed. The land must be abandoned to the Uni
ted States, and not to John Jones. As soon as
this is DONE Jones should make his application
and affidavit, or his declaratory statement,
as the case may be, without loss Of time. Jones
must remember that he has not bought the land,
be has only bought Smith, poseessOry right, and
to secure this right, Jones must take possession
of the land in person; and in order to retain pos
session, he must proceed according to law.
If he is in actual possession, and yet does not
notify this Office within three months, any per-
son who conforms to the law can rob him of his
homestead; and if he makes no settlement, the
fact that he paid Smith to abandon the land,
will avail him nothing
l am sometimes asked how long a man may
live on land without notifying this office.
have answered the question, above; but my ear
nest advice to all is, Do it at once. You have
only to do it once, and you must do it once.
In making entries a person has only to for
ward a description of the land and the amount
at S 25 per acre The officers will make out
his papers, gratis. But in homestead cases, a
settler will save time and trouble by getting
some competent person to fill out their papers
The following persons in Walla Walla attend
to such business and do it well, viz;