The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-14
THE NEW LAND LAW.
All the Amendments Applicable
to Washington.
REPEAL or PREVENTION LAW.

REPEAL OF pRE-EMpTlon LAW.
Homestead Commstatisn Period Tx
tended six Months Tho Annual
nent Of Patents.
Register 7. NJ. Reed, Of the United
States land Office, yesterday received .
copy Of the general land laws as amended
by congress March 3. The copies are not
sent out officially, but the copy is reliable.
Section 4, Of the land Law, as shown by
the copies received. repeats the pre-emp.
tionslaw. The section IS as follows:
THAT chapter 4. Of title xxXII. ex-
cepting sections o,275, 2.276. o3S6 Of the
revised statutes of the United States, and
all other laws allowing presumption of the
public lands of the United States, are
hereby repealed, but all bona-fide claims
lawfully Unlisted before the passage Of
this act, under any Of said provisions of
law so repealed, may be perfected upon
due compliance with law in the same man
ner, upon the same terms and conditions,
and subject to the same limitations, for
FIXTURES and contests, as If this act had not
been passed.
ssetion 5 deals with the homestead law.
Its provisions are more strict as to proofs
at entry and all final proofs extending
the period Of communication from six
months to fourteen months. The Law as
amended is:
Every person who is the head Of q
family, or who has arrived at the age of u
years. and is q citizen of the United States,
or who has filed his declaration of in
tention to become such, as required by the
naturalization laws, shall be entitled to
enter one quarter section, or less guam
tity, of unappropriated public lands, to be
located in body in conformity to the
legal subdivisions of tn. public lands; but
than 16O acres Of land in any state or terri
tory shall acquire any right under the
homestead kw. And every person own
ing and residing on land may, under the
provisions OF this section. enter other land
lying contiguous to his land. which shall
not, with the land SO already owned and
occupied, exceed in the aggregate 160 acres.
That any person applying to enter land
under the preceding section shall first
make and subscribe before the proper land
Office an affidavit that he or she is the
head Of family, or is over twenty-One
years old. and that such application is
honestly and in good faith made for the
purpose Of actual settlement and cuitiva-
ton. and not for the benefit Of any other
person. persons or corporation, and that
he or she will faithfully and honestly en-
deavor TO comply with the requirements
OF law as to settlement, residence and Gull
tivation necessary to acquire title to the
land applied for; that he or she is not act
ing as agent for any person, persons, cor
poration or syndicate to give them the
benefit of the land entered or any part
thereof or the timber thereon; that he or
she do not apply to enter the same for the
purpose of speculation, but in good faith
to obtain home, and that he or she
will not, directly or indirectly. make
any agreement or contract in any
way or manner with any person or per-
the title which he or she might acquire
from the government of the United States
should inure in whole or part to any per-
son except himself or herself; and upon
filing such affidavit with the register or re-
ceiver on payment of So, when the entry is
not more than eighty acres. and on pay
ment of $40 when the entry is for more
than eighty acres, he or she shall there
upon be permitted to enter the amount of
Land specified"
The blank affidavit which the applicant
must NIL out and sign in accordance with
the law in the above paragraph, was pub
lished in full in the PosT-INTELLIGExcER
OF the issue of March 10.
Section Is shown to be amended to read
a. follows:
Nothing in this chapter shall be so con-
strued as to prevent any person tho shall
hereafter avail himself of the benefits of
section 2,2S9 from paying the minimum
price for the quantity of land 50 entered at
any time after the expiration of fourteen
calendar months from the date of such
entry, and obtaining a patent therefor,
upon making proof of settlement and of
residence and cultivation for such period
OF fourteen months and the provision of
this section shall apply to lands on the
coded portion of the Sioux reservation. by
act approved March 2 1889, in South Da-
kota, but shall not relieve said settlers
from any payments now required by law"
Sections and 8 provide details as to
final action in the interior department on
final entries. and provide limitations as to
contests and suits to cancel patents, tx
ing the latter at five years as to patents
now issued and six years as to future ones,
and provisions as to timber trespassery
the sections are here given:
THAT whenever it shall appear to the
commissioner of the general land Office
that clerical error has been committed
IN the entry of any of the public lands,
such entry may be suspended upon proper
notification to the claimant, through
the local office, until the error
Hos uCcG NOfiSCtcu, anu I'LL entries
made under the presumption, homestead,
desert-land or timber-culture laws, in
which f,nal proof and payment may have
been made and certificates issued, and to
which there are no adverse claims origi-
mating prior to final entry, and which have
been sold or incumbered prior to the LIST
day of March. 1888. and after final entry.
TO bona nde purchasers or incumbrancers.
Tor valuable consideration, shall. unless
upon an investigation by government
agent fiaud upon the part of the purchaser
has been found be confirmed and nat
ented upon presentation of satisfactory
proof TO the land department of such sale
or incumbrance: Provided SHAT after the
lapse OF two years from the date of the is
suance OF the receivers receipt upon the
final entry of any tract of land under the
homestead, timber-cuiture, desert-land or
presumption laws, or under this act, and
when there shall De no pending contest or
protest against the validity of such entry.
the entryman shall be entitled to a patent
conveying the land by him entered. and
the same shall be issued to him: but this
proviso shall not be construed to reouire
the delay of two years from the dale Of
said entry before the issuing of patent
therefor
.'Sec. S. That suits by IL United States
TO vacate ana annul any patent heretofore
issued shall only be brought within i've
years from the passage of this act. and
suits to vacate and annul patents hereafter
Issued shall only be brought within six
years after the date of the issuance Of
sucn patents. And in the states of Colo