Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-11-16
COpp's Land Review.
THE NEW ADDITIONAL HOMESTEAD BILL
THAT DID NOT BECOME LAW.

THAT DID NOT BECOME LAW.
Some few weeks ago l gave a synop
sis of a bill pending before Congress
containing important and beneficen
provisions, and predicted that it woul,
pass both houses. Well, the predic
ton proved correct, but the bill failet
to become law because it was no
reached by the President for signatur,
before the adjournment of Congress
l have no doubt that the matter vii
receive early attention when Congress
recOnvenes in December; that tn,
bill will be re-enacted, and receive tn,
signature of the President. In ordel
that the people may be familiar will
all its provisions, l print it entire il
this letter to the exclusion of Other
matter, deeming it of the utmost i'm
portance:
An act to dHOW persons Who hdpt
abandoned or reiinqaished their home
stead entries to make another entrU
and for other purposes:
ABE 1t enacted etc, That any per
son who has not heretofore protected
title to tract of land which he has
made filing upon under the pre-emp.
ton law. or entry of under the home
stead law may make homestead en-.
try of not exceeding onc-quarter sec.
ton of public land subject TO such
previous filing or entry to the
contrary Notwithstanding; but this
right shall not apply to persons
who perfect title TO lands under the
pre-emption or homestead laws already
initiated
SECTION 2. That whenever it
shall be made to appear to the register
and receiver of any public land office
under such regulations as the Secre.
tary of the Interior may prescribe
that any settler upon the public do.
main under existing law, is unable by
reason of drouth, whole or partial des.
truction of crops, sickness, or other
unavoidable casualty, to secure sup.
port for himself. herself or those de.
pendent upon him or her upon the
lands settled upon, then such register
and receiver may grant to such settlers
leave of absence from the claim upon
which he or she has filed for IL period
not exceeding one year at any one
time, and such settler SO granted leave
of absence shall forfeit no rights by
reason of such absence: Propided
That the time of such actual absence
shall not be deducted from the actual
residence required by law.
SECTION }. That the price of all
sections and parts of sections OF the
public lands, within the limits of the
portions of the several grants of lands
to aid in the construction of railroads,
which have been heretofore and which
may hereafter be forfeited, which were
by the act making such grants or have
since been increased to the double
minimum price and, also, of all lands
within the limits of any such railroad
grant, and not embraced in the grant
lying adjacent to and coterminous
with the portions Of the line of any
such railroad which shall not be COM
pleted at the date of this act, is hereby
fixed at one dollar and twenty-five
cents per acre.
"SECTION 4. That from and after
the passage of this act, any homestead
settler who has entered less than one
quarter section of land may enter
other and additional land lying contig-
uous to the original entry, which shall
not, with the land first entered and
occupied, exceed in the aggregate, one
hundred and sixty acres without
proof of residence upon and cultiva-
ton of the additional entry; and il
final proof of settlement and cultiva-
ton has been made for the original
entry, when the additional entry is
made, then the patent shall issue
without further proof.
"SEcTIoN 5. That every person en-
titled, under the provisions of the
homestead laws, to enter a home
stead, who has heretofore complied
with, or who shall heretofore comply
with the conditions OF said laws, and
who shall have made his final proof
hereunder for quantity of land less
than one hundred and sixty acres, and
received the receivers final receipt
therefore shall be entitled under said
laws to enter, by legal subdivisions of
the public lands of the United States
subject to homestead entry SO much
additional land AS added to the guam.
tity previously so entered by him
shall not exceed one hundred and
sixty acres: Provided, That in no
case shall patent issue until the person
making such additional homestead
entry shall have actually and in con
formity with the homestead laws re.
sided upon and cultivated the land
entered therein and otherwise COM
piled with such laws"
Should my opinion as herein ex
pressed be verified, many homeless
people will have occasion to rejoice il
the opportunity to secure homes.
HENEY N. Corr.
A NAN won a wager in Washington
few days ago by lighting his cigar by