New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-04-18
zE0snesteatIs at Last.


United States performed an act which will
entitle it to the gratitude of soldiers for all
coming time; and not to be left behind, the
House on Monday completed the work, so far
as lay in its power. We allude, of course, to
the soldiers homestead act, which passed
both Houses without division. 1t reads as
follows:
Be 1t enacted By the Senate and House Of Rep
resentatices Of the United States Of 14merico n,
Congress assembled, That every private soldier
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
discharged, and has remained loyal to the
Government, including the troops mustered
into the service of the United States by vir-
tue of the third section of an act entitled
T" An act making appropriations for COM
plotting the defenses' of Washington, and for
other purposes" approved February 13,
1862, 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 hon
orably discharged, and has remained loyal to
the Government, shall, on compliance with
the provisions of an act entitled. !" An act to
secure homesteads to actual settlers on
the public domain" and the acts amend
atory thereof as hereinafter modified be
entitled to enter upon and receive patents
for a quantity of public lands (not min
eral) not exceeding one hundred and sixty
acres, or one quarter-secton, to be taken
in compact form according to legal sub
divisions, including the alternate reserved
sections of public lands along the line of any
railroad or other public work, not otherwise
reserved or appropriated, and other lands
subject to entry under the homestead laws of
the United States: Proudled, That said home
stead settler shall be allowed six months
after locating his homestead within which to
commence his settlement and Improvement ::
4nd prOUided 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 protect the title, or if discharged on account
of wounds received, or disability incurred 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: Pro-
oided, ho,oecer, That no patent shall issue to
any homestead settler who has not resided
upon, improved, and cultivated his said home
stead for a period of at least one year after
he shall commence his improvements as
aforesaid.
SEC. 2. That any person entitled under the
| provisions OF the foregoing section to enter
homestead, who may have heretofore entered
under the homestead laws quantity 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 the case of the death of
any person who would be entitled to home
stead 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 guardian duly appointed
and officially accredited at the Department
of the Interior, shall be entitled to all the
benefits enumerated in this act, subject to
all the provisions as to settlement and inn
provements therein contained: Prori1ed.
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 party at the date of
his entry of a tract of land under the home
stead laws, or subsequently thereto, was ac-
tually enlisted and employed in the Army
or Navy of the United States, his services
therein shall, in the administration of said
homestead laws, be construed to be equiva-
lent, to all intents and purposes, to a resi-
dence for the same length of time upon the
tract so entered: Provided, That if his entry
has been Cancelled by reason of his absence
from said tract while in the military or naval
service of the United States, and such tract
has not been disposed of, his entry shall be
restored and confirmed: 1ad prOUided further,
That if such tract has been disposed of, said
party may enter another tract subject to en-
try under said laws, and his right to patent
therefor shall be determined by the proofs
touching his residence and cultivation of the
first tract, and his absence therefrom in such
service.
SEC. 5. That any soldier, sailor, marine,
officer. or other person coming within the
provisions of this act may, as we'll by an
agent as in person, enter upon said home
stead Provided, That said claimant in per-
son shall, within the time prescribed, COM
mence settlement and improvements on the
same, and thereafter fulfill all the require
mentS of this act.
SEC. q. That the Commissioner of the Gen
eral Land Office shall have authority to make
all needful rules and regulations to carry
into effect the provisions of this act.
This law grants all that the majority of
soldiers have asked, and will be received
with universal satisfaction. To Gen. Logan
in the Senate and Gen. Hawley in the House
the thanks of soldiers are particularly due.
Gen. Stoughton has also been interchangeable
i'll his eXertiOns, and in one respect we regard
the bill introduced by him as superior to the
one adopted-and that is, the provision which
allows crippled soldiers to make their settle
ment by proxy. We hope to see this propo-
sition taken up and acted on separately be-
fore the close of the session. The proviso
in regard to settlement is all right, and is |
needed for the protection of the settler and
the Government, but it is only justice to al |
low our disabled comrades the privilege of
employing an agent to do the hard work of
making improvements for them. So the |
lands are improved by actual settlement and
cultivation, it makes no difference to the
Government who makes the settlement,
while it does make very decided difference
to men who are disabled by army service.
The law as it stands, however, will work
great good. Thousands of soldiers will take |
advantage of its provisions at once, and we |
shall see new cities and States spring up in |
the West faster than ever before. AS a |
measure of good, we do not believe all the |
legislation of the last three sessions of Con- |
gress will accomplish more for the benefit of |
the country. We congratulate our soldier |
comrades, and in their name we thank the |
Representatives of the people for this good |
work
An exchange says: "Mr. Henry Hummel. |
OF Decatur, Illinois, has in his house jar of |
jelly given to him by his grandfather many |
years ago, made by the hands ofMartha Wash
Nt.RfA 49, 49,. -Rl