Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 29.djvu/227

FIFTY-FOURTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. CHS. 311, 312. 1896. 197 satisfied that the bridge to be built will conform to the requirements of this Act, to notify the parties authorized to build the same that he approves of the same; and upon receiving such notification the said corporation, its successors or assigns, may proceed to erect said 'bridge, conforming strictly to the approved plan a11d location, and should any change in the plan of the bridge or accessory works become desirable during the progress of the work thereon, such change shall only be authorized when recommended by a board of engineer officers and approved by the Secretary of WVar. SEO. 5. That any bridge built under this Act and subject to its lim- Lswrui structure itations shall be a lawful structure and shall be recognized and known ““° *’°" ’°““°· as a post route, upon which, also, no higher charge shall be made for _the transmission over the same of the mails, the troops, and the munitions of war of the United States than the rate per mile paid for the transportation over the street railways or public highways leading to the said bridge, and it shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post roads in the United States, and equal privileges in the use of said bridge shall be granted to all telegraph and telephone companies, and ruin zsisgmpt. the United States shall have the right of way across said bridge and its approaches for postal-telegraph purposes. Sec. 6. That this Act shall be null and void if actual construction of €·>=¤¤1¤¤¤¤¤¤¤>¤¤ md the bridge herein authorized be not commenced within two years and °°mP1°°°°' completed within five years from the date hereof. Sec. 7. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby A”*°°d*¤°¤*·°*°· expressly reserved. Approved, June 3, 1896. CHAP. 312.-An Act Relating to commutations of homestead entries, and to con- ·T¤¤¤ 3.1896- firm such entries when commutation proofs were received by local land officers __"?; prematurely. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America ·i n Congress assembled, That whenever it shall appear §¤l¤g¤ l¤;v1¤· I to the Commissioner of the General Land Office that an error has here- Stella 'Zifiyi°$`§°pl#§$,$Q tofore been made by the officers of any local land office in receiving *°$g*Y;°';;*“g},i premature commutation proofs under the homestead laws, and that m.``P' there was no fraud practiced by the entryman in making such proofs, and final payment has been made and a final certificate of entry has been issued to the entrymau, and that there are no adverse claimants to the land described in the certificates of entry whose rights originated prior to making such final proofs, and that no other reason why the title should not vest in the entryman exists except that the commutation was made less than fourteen months from the date of the homestead settlement, and that there was at least six months’ actual residence in goou faith by the homestead entryman on the land prior to such commutation, such certificates of entry shall be in all things confirmed to the cntryman, his heirs, and legal representatives, as of the date of such final certificate of entry and a patent issue thereon; and the title so patented shall inure to the benefit of any grantee or transferee in good faith of such entryman subsequent to the date of such final certiti- _ cate: Provided, That this Act shall not apply to commutation and f2';'j,‘;§;0n_ homestead entries on which final certificates have been issued, and which have heretofore been canceled when the lands made vacant by such cancellation have been reentered under the homestead Act. Sec. 2. That all commutations of homestead entries shall be allowed m§,_l}§§:‘°° °f °"'“' after the expiration of fourteen months from date of settlement. Sec. 3. That all Acts and parts of Acts in conflict with any of the R°P°“r °*°· provisions of this Act are hereby repealed. Sec. 4. That this Act shall take eflect and be in force from and after E¤’¤<=*· its passage and approval. Approved, June 3, 1896.