Year: 1866

we nave received b uumDer OF lctLeFS
from returned soldiers, inquiring upon
what terms they can secure farms upon the
public lands. As the most satisfactory an
swer we publish the following sections of
the Homestead Law as it was approved by
the late President Lincoln on the goth OF
May, 1862. 1t is as follows;


+ Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives Of the United States of
America in Congress assembled. That any
person who is the head of family, or who
has arrived at the age Of twenty y-one years,
and is citizen of the United States, or
who shall have fled his declaration Of in.
teution to become such, as required by the
naturalization laws of the United States,
and who has never borne arms against the
United States Government or given aid and
comfort toits enemies, shall, from and after
the first of January, eighteen hundred and
sixty-three, be entitled to enter one quarter
section, or less quantity Of unappropriated
public lands, upon which said person may
have filed pre-emption claim, or which
may, at the time the application is made,
be subject to pre-emption at one dollar and
twenty-five cents, or less, per acre; or
eighty acres, or less, of unappropriated
lands, at two dollars and fifty cents per
acre, to be located in body, in conformity
to the legal subdivision Of the pubic lands,
and after the same shall have been survey.
ed Provided, That any person owning or
residing on land, may, under the provisions
of this act, enter other land lying contig-
uous to his or her said land, which shall
not, with the land go already owned and
occupied, exceed in the aggregate one
hundred and sixty acres.


Sec 2. And belt further enacted, That the
person applying for the benefit Of this act
shall, upon application to the register of
the land Office in which he or she is about
to make such entry, make affidavit before
the said register or receiver that he or she
is the head of a family, or is twenty-one
years or more of fage, or shall have perform
ed service in the army or navy of the Uni
ted States, and that he has never borne
arms against the Government Of the Uni
ted States, or given aid and comfort to its
enemies, and that such application is made
for his or her exclusive use or benefit, and
that said entry is made for the purpose Of
actual settlement and cultivation, and not
either directly or indirectly for the use or
benefit OF any other person or persons
whomsoever, and upon filing the said
affidavit with the register or receiver, and
on payment of ten dollars, be or she shall
therefrom be permitted to enter the quanti-
ty Of land specified: Provided however,
that no certificate be given or patent issued
therefor until the expiration of FIVE years
from the date of such entry and il, at the
expiration of such time; or at any time
within two years thereafter, the person
making such entry or, if he be dead, his
widow ! or in case of her death, his heirs or
devises, or in case of a widow making such
entry, her heirs or devises, in case of her
death, shall prove by two credible witness
es, that he, she or they have resided upon


or cultivated the same for the term of FIVE
years Immediately succeeding the time OF
fling the affidavit aforesaid, and shall
make affidavit that no part of said land has
been alienated, and that he has borne true
faith and allegiance to the Government OF
the U. S., then in such case, he, she or they,
fiat that time citizen ofthe United States,
shall be entitled to patent, as in other CO.
ses, provided for by law And provided
further, That in case of the death Of both
father and mother leaving an infant child,
or children under twenty -one years of age,
the right and fee shall inure to the benefit
of said infant child or children and the ex-
ecutor, administrator or guardian may, at
any time within two years after the death
of the surviving parent, and in accordance
with the laws of the State in which such
children for the time being have their
domicil, sell said land for the benefit Of
said infants, but for no other purpose; and
the purchaser. shall acquire an absolute
title by he.purchase, and be entitled too
patent from the United States, on payment
Of the fees and sum Of money herein speci'
fled. Asfie