Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-02-23
SOLDIERS HOMEsTEADS.
Land for Soldiers and Sailors.

: The following is the text OF the
bill reported in Congress few days
since by Gen. Stoughton, and pass
, ed with two dissenting votes:
A bill to enable honorably discharg-
, ed soldiers and sailors, their
widows and orphan children, to
acquire homesteads on the public
r lands of the United States.
Be it enacted ETC., That every
private soldier and officer who sery-
ed in the United States during the re
cent rebellion, for ninety days, and
who was honorably discharged and
has remained loyal to the govern
ment,including the troops mustered
into the service of the United States
by virtue of the third section of
AN act entitled an act making ap-
} preparations for completing the de-
fense of Washington and for other
purposes approved February 13,
1862; and every seaman and marine
and officer or other person who has
served in the navy of the United
States, or in the marine corps during
the rebellion for ninety days and
who has honorably discharged, and
has remained loyal to the Govern
ment, shall on compliance with the
provisions of an act entitled IAN act
to secure homesteads to actual set
tiers on the public domain" and the
acts amendatory thereof as hereafter
modified, be entitled to enter upon
and receive patents for quantity of
public lands,no mineral,n exceed
ing 160 acres or one quarter section,
to be taken in compact form accord
ing to leading Subdivisions, including
the alternate reserved sections of
public lands along the line of any
railroad or other public work, or
other lands subject to entry under
the Homestead law in the United
States, wherever public lands have
been or may be granted by acts
of Congress: Provided, that said
homestead settler shall be allowed
twelve months after locating his
homestead within which to com
mence his settlement and improve
ments; and provided also, that the
time which the homestead settler
shall have served in the army, navy,
or marine corps aforesaid, or if dis
charged on account of wounds re-
ceived or disability incurred in the
line o: duty, then the term of en-
listment shall be deducted from the
time heretofore required to perfect
title; and provided further, that any
homestead settler as aforesaid NAV
assign his homestead certificate
within twelve months from the date
thereof to any citizen of the United
States over twenty-one years of age,
or person who has declared his in
tention to become such,who has not
previously availed himself of the
benefits of the homestead or pre-
emption laws, ,and said assignee shall
succeed to all the rights of the said
homestead settler but no such as
signor of 4 homestead certificate
shall thereafter have the right to
avail himself of the benefits of this
act,or the act, or the acts heretofore
passed granting homesteads to actu-
al settlers, nor shall such assignee
have the rights to acquire any other
homestead under said acts; provid-
ed, however, that no patent shall
issue to homestead settler or his
assignee who has not resided upon,
improved, and cultivated his said
homestead for period of at least
two years, except as provided in sec
tion four of this act.
Sec. 2. And be itfurther enacted,
That any person entitled, under the
provisions of the foregoing section,
to enter a homestead, who have
heretofore entered under the home
stead laws a quantity of land less
than one hundred and sixty acres,
shall be permitted to enter under
the provision of this act so much |
land as, when added to the quantity
previously entered, shall not exceed |
one hundred and sixty acres.
SEC. 3. And be it further enacted,
That in case of the death of any
person who should be entitled to a |
homestead under the provisions of
the first section of this act, his |
widow, if unmarried or in cas- of her
death OF marriage, then his minor
orphan children shall be entitled. to
all the benefits enumerated in this |
act; provided that if such person
died during his term Of enlistment |
the whole term of his enlistment
shall be deducted from the time
heretofore required to perfect the
title.
SEC. 4. And be it Further enacted,
That every soldier and every sea-
man, marine, and officer, who served
in the army and navy for the said
period of ninety days, and is now
inscribed on the pension rolls of the
United States, or is entitled to be
so inscribed, on account of wounds
received or disabilities incurred in
line of duty, may, in lieu of the
rights, privileges and benefits here
inbefore conferred, enter upon by
an agent or an attorney, and receive
a patent for, one-quarter section of
land, as provided for in section l of
this act, and shall be entitled to all
the benefits OF said first section, or
liable to all the provisions thereof,
except as to the actual residence;
and that all acts and things re-
quired to be don by said homestead
settler by said first section may be
done by said agent or attorney;
provided that no such agent or at
torney, shall act as such for more
than one person at the same time.
Sec. 5. And be ii. further enacted,
That all declarations and proofs
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