New Orleans Republican., 1872-06-15
[GrNERAL NAruRE-No. 39.l

An act to enable hOnOrably discharged
soldiers and sailors, their widows and
orphan children, to acquire homesteads
on the public lands Of the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of REPRESENTATIVE Of the United States
of America, in Congress assembled,
That every private soldier and Of
ticer who has served in the army
of the United States during the
recent rebellion for ninety days, or more,
and who was honorablv discharged, and
has remained loyal to the government, in
cluding the troops mustered into the ser
vice of the United States by virtue Of the
third section of an act entitled IAN act
making appropriations for completing the
defenses Of Washington, and for other pur-
pOses,7 approved February thirteenth,
eighteen hundred and sixty-two, and every
seaman, marine, and officer who has served
in the navy Of the United States, or IN the
marine corps, during the rebellion, for
ninety days, and who was honorably dis
charged, and has remained loyal to the gov
ernment, shall, on compliance with the pro-
visions of an act entitled 'AE act to secure
homesteads to actual settlers on the public
domain" and the acts amendatOTy thereof,
as hereinafter modified, be entitled to enter
upon and receive patents for quantity OF
public lands mot mineral) not exceeding
one hundred and sixty acres, or Onequarter
section, to be taken in compact form ac-
cording to legal subdivisions, including
the alternate reserved sections Of public
lands along the line of any railroad
or other public work, not otherwise re-
served or appropriated, and other lands
subject to entry under the homestead laws
of the United States; provided, that said
homestead settler shall be allowed six
months after locating his homestead within
which to commence his settlement and i'm
provement; and provided, also, that the
time which the homestead settler shall have
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 incurred in the line Of duty,
then the term of enlistment shall be de-
ducted 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 notresided upon,
improved, and cultivated his said home
stead for period of at least one year after
he shall commence his Improvements as
aforesaid.
SEC. ,. That any person entitled under
the provisions of the foregoing section to
enter homestead who may have heretofore
entered under the homestead laws guam
titv of land less than one hundred and sixty
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.
SEC. 3. That in case of the death Of any
pnrson who would be entitled to a homestead
under the provisions of the first section Of
this act his widow, if unmarried, or in case
of her death or marriage, then his minor
orphan children, by a guardian duly ap-
pointed and officially accredited at the De
partment of the Interior, shall be entitled
to ali the benefits enumerated in this act
subject to all the provisions as 70 settle
ment and improvements therein contained;
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. That where a party at the date OF
his entry of tract of land under the home
stead laws, or subsequently thereto, was
actually enlisted and employed in the army
or navy of the United States, his services
therein shall, in the administration of said
homestead law, be construed to be equiva-
lent, to all intents and purposes, to a resi-
dence for the same length Of time upon the