Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1879-06-21
The New Homestead Law.
Reeiaers and Receivers Of United States Distrit
Land Offices.

Ldnd-offces
GENTLEMEN: have to call attention to the
provisions Of the ass OF Congress % =, entitled rat
stead settlers on public lands within railroad
limits" approved March 3, 1879.
j. That act provides that from and after Its
| passage "the even sections within the limits
of any grant of public lands to any railroad
company, or to any military road company,
| or to any State in aid of any railroad or mil
homestead laws to the extent of l6o acres to
of entries with the distinction be-
tween ordinary minimum and double
minimum lands, or lands held at
at ats $3.50 per- eTf acre, Which had existed UNDER d
section 2, ,2s9 of the Revised Statutes of the
United States les so SO far q, as the double minimum
the limits of land grants for railroads or
military roads. Congress has not seen prop
as to embrace any double minimum lands
| which may be found in odd numbered Sec
description of public works. 1t must be held
| to be imperative in any case where the eten
sections are granted and not reserved You
will observe the change in the law, as above
noted, in future proceedings respecting the
entries under said section 2S9 of the Revised
Statutes; observing III however, r. that m the com
| on the cash price of the land under the
third and twelfth subdivisions of section
a,23s.
| .. The act further provides that "any per-
| son who has, under existing laws, taken q
| homestead on any even section within the
limits of any railroad or military road land
grant, and who by existing laws shall have
| been restricted to eighty Scres, may enter
| under the homestead laws an additional
| eighty acres adjoining the land embraced in
| his original entry. If such additional land be
subject to entry" without payment of fees
| and commissions, and that the residence
and cultivation of such person upon and of
| the land embraced in his original entry shall
| be considered residence and cultivation for
the same length of time upon and of the land
embraced in his additional entry, and shall
be deducted from the five years residence
| required by law" with the proviso, however.
| that in no case shall patent issue iuntil the
person has actually, and in conformity with
| and cultivated the land" embraced in his ad-
| ditional entry "at least one year."
Upon any party proposing to enter an ad-
require him to make homestead application
| and affidavit, accorsing to annexed forms,
Nos. 1 and2. You will then, If you find his
| original entry to he intact on your records,
whether patented or not, and II no objection
| appears in any respect. allow the entry ap-
Piled for, note the same on your records, CIV.
homestead series, and report 1t with your
monthly homestead returns, indicating its
| act on the margin of the Tonth1y abstracts,
with reference to the original entry by its
| number and the description of the land. The
| money columns in the abstracts will of course
be left blank, since there will be no fees and
commissions paid.
In this class of entries the party, IL still
resident on the original entry tract, win not
| be required to remove therefrom to the addi.
tional entry tract in order to make a new
| residence on the latter, as the two, forming
one body of land, residence on either will be
regarded as satisfying the legal requirement.
but in making final proof on the additional
| entry the party must show such residence,
| with occupancy and cultivation of the tract
| taken as additional under said act, for five
| years from the date thereof, less the time to
be deducted on account of residence and cul-
| tivation on the original entry, which shallnot
| exceed four years In any case.
s. The act further provides that, II the per-
son so elect he may, instead of making an
| additional entry, surrender his existing en-
| try to the United States for cancellation, and
| thereupon be entitled to enter lands under
| the homestead laws the same as If the surren-
| dered entry had not been made" with the
| same provisions, as regard fees and commits
sions not being required, and requiring set.
| tlement and cultivation, occupation, and
| residence, as have been already stated with
| regard to additional entries. In case of any
| party eiecting to surrender his entry un-
| der this act you will receive his relfnQuish-
| ment, which shall specify for what purpose
| made, and be accompanied by the duplicate
receipts issued for the relinquished entry, or
| by statement under oath, showing a good
| reason for its absence, report the case in q
special letter to this office and await instruc-
| tions before proceeding further in the mat
| ter. Existing regulations will be observed as
| TO the manner of executing ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
| Very respectfully, }. a. WILLIAMSON,
| Commissioners.