Arizona citizen., 1872-04-27
HOMEsTEADs FOR SOLDIERS.

HOMES IEADS FOK SOLDlEhSs
 March 26, the House of Represent atives concurred in the Senate Home stead bill, and it was doubtless promptly signed by the President As the law is of special interest to sol- diers, we give the following synopsis of its provisions:
 It provides that every private sol dier and officer who has served in the Army of the United States during the recent rebellion for ninety days or more, and who was honorably dis charged, and has remained loyal to the Government. 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- propriations for completing the defenses of Washington. and for other purposes" approved Febru- ary 13, 1862, and every seaman, Yarine, and officer who has served in the Navy of the United States or in the Marine corps, during the re- bellion, for ninety days, and who was honorably discharged, and has re- mained loyal to the Government, shall, on compliance with the pro- visions of an act entitled "An act to secure homesteads to actual settlers on the public domain," and the acts amendatory thereof, as hereinafter modified, be entitled to enter upon and receive patents for 8 quantity of public lands (not mineraD not exceed ing one hundred and sixty acres, or one quarter section, to be taken in compact form according to legal sub divisions, including the alternate re- served sections of public land along the line of any railroad or other public work, not otherwise reserved or appropriated, and other lands sub ject to entry under the homestead laws of the United States; provided that said homestead settler shall be allowed six months after locating his home stead within which to commence his settlement and improvement; and pro- vided also, that the time which the homestead settler shall hav9 served in the Army, Navy, or Marine corps aforesaid shall be deducted from the time heretofore required to perfect title, or if discharged on account of wounds received, or disability in cured in the line of duty, then the term of enlistment shall be deducted from the time heretofore required to perfect title, without reference to the length of time he may have served :; provided, however, that no patent shall issue to any homestead settler who has not resided upon, improved, and cultivated his said homestead for a period of at least one year after he shall commence his improvements as | aforesaid
 The bill in its second section pro- ! vides that any person entitled under the provisions of the foregoing section to enter a homestead, who may have heretofore entered under the home stead laws a quantity of land less than 160 acres, shall be permitted to enter under the provisions of this act so much land as, when added to the quantity previously entered, shall not exceed one hundred and sixty acres.
 The bill in its third section provides that in case of the death of any per- son who would be entitled to home stead under the provisions of the first section of this act. his widow, If un- married, or i'll case of her death or marriage, then his minor orphan children, by guardian duly appoint ed and officially accredited at the De- partment of the Interior, shall be entitled to all the benefits enumerated in this act, subject to all the provis- ions as to settlement and Improvements therein contained provided, that if such person died during his term of enlistment, the whole term of his en- hstment shall be deducted from the time heretofore required to perfect the title.
 The bill in its fourth section pro- vides that where party at the date of his entry of tract of land under the homestead laws, or subsequently, thereto, was actually enlisted and en- ployed in the Army or Navy of the United States, his services therein shall, in the administration of said homestead laws, be constructed to be equivalent to all intents and purposes to resident for the same length of |