The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-05-24
THE wOMAN's HOMESTEAD BILL

the NOmanS Real Estate ASsoclatlOni /
has been reported in Congress, and will
undoubtedly become law.
In the Senate of the United States,
May 1, 1872, Mr.. Pomeroy, from the
Committee on Public Lands, reported
the following bill; which was read the
first and second times and recommitted
to the Committee on Public Lands.
A Bill supplementary to an act enti-
tied IAN act to secure homesteads to ac-
tual settlers on the public domain"
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States
of America in Congress assembled:
SECTION /. That every woman,
whether married or single, now resid-
ing in the State of Oregon, or in any one
of the Territories of the United States,
or who shall hereafter become such resi-
dent, and who is or shall become a cit
izen of the United States, shall, upon
complying with the provisions of this
act, or the act TO which it is supplement
tary, be entitled to a tract of land, not
exceeding one quarter-section, of one
hundred and sixty acres of the public
lands, subject to pre-emptiOn or private
entry in such State or Territory in
which she may reside.
SEC. ,. That in order to entitle any
woman mentioned in the preceding
section to such tract of land, she shall
reside upon and cultivate the same for
/ four consecutive years, or, in lieu of such
residence and cultivation, she shall re-
side two years in the State or Territory
/ in which the land is situate, and make,
or cause to be made, Improvements on
such tract of the value of two hundred
dollars, by erecting buildings and fences,
or by clearing and eultivating the same.
Instead Of acquiring title to such land,
/ i'm either of the modes hereinbefore pre-
seribed, she may do so by paying to the
receiver of the proper land-ofiice the
sum of one dollar for each acre of such
tract of land, after becoming a resident
Of said State or Territory in which the
land is situate.
SEC. 8. That any woman, desirous OF
acquiring a title to land, under the pro.
visions of this act, may, at any time af.
ter she becomes a resident of said State
or Of either of said Territories, make ap-
plication in writing to the register oi
the land-ofiice in the district where the
lands are situate, setting forth the man,
ner in which she proposes to acquire title
to the same, andspecifyiug the particular
legal subdivision of land which she
claims, and she shall also state i'm hel
application that the said land is for hel
exclusive use and benefit, and not, ethel
directly or indirectly, for the benefit o
any other person or persons whomsO
ever, and such application shall be veri
fled by her oath or affirmation. Upor
proving to the satisfaction of the regis
ter and the receiver of the proper land
Office, by two credible and disinteresteC
witnesses, and also by the affidavit o
the claimant, that she has complied
with the requirements of this act, so fa
as residence and cultivation, or residenc,
/ and improvements, are concerned, o
, upon the payment to the receiver of on
/ dollar per acre for such land, she shall
be entitled to a patent certificate iron
the register and the receiver for the tTac
q Of land specified in her application; ant
= if the same shall be approved by TIN
= Commissioner of the General Land-Oi
flee, she shall be entitled to a patent, il
her own right, for such tract of land
g And il she be 4 married woman sucl
land shall not be liable to be sold upol
execution, or in any way disposed Of +
pay the debts or liabilities of her hus
band.
SEC. 1. That in case of the death G
=, any woman who shall have filed her al
, plication, and commenced proceeding
to obtain n title TO n tract of land a
hereinbefore provided, before she shal
: have complied with the requirements c
h this act, all her rights shall descend {
5 her heirs at law, unless she shall other
= = wise dispose of the same by will, exc
cuted according to the laws Of the stat
!, or Territory where she resided; and proc
: Of residence and cultivation upon In
\ land, up to the time of her death, shaI
4 be sufficient to entitle them to n paten
# for the same. But if the decedent shal
! not have made, or caused to be made
y the improvements, or paid the none
n herein required, it shall be lawful fo
: such heirs or devisees, or the execute
! or administrator of the estate of sue
h deeedent, to make the improvements @
d pay the money to the receiver as spec
g fed in this act; and thereupon sue
u heirs or devisees shall be entitled to
a patent certificate for the tract Of land.
n SEC. ). That il, at any time after fl
< ing her application as required by thl
= act, any woman entitled to the benefit
r of this law shall cease to reside upon an
n cultivate the land claimed by her fc
: the period of six months at any on
) time, she shall forfeit all her right {
4 the same, and such land shall revert {
Il the United States; or if any such won
e an shall fail to make the improvement
herein required upon the land elaine
in her application, or pay the none
n for such land for the period of one yea
/ after filing the same, then all her right
a to the same shall become forfeited an
. the land revert to the United States.
- SEC. 6. That no woman shall be PEI
e mitted to acquire title to more than on