FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. CHS. 456-459. 1898. 473 CHAP. 456.-An Act To provide an American register for the steamer Arkadia. June 16,1sss. , Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the S¢¤¤¤¤¤r"Ark¤<1i¤-" Treasury is hereby authorized and directed•to cause the foreign-built mgigifd A'"°"°°" steamer Arkadia, owned by the New York and Porto Rico Steamship ‘ Company, incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, to be registered as a vessel of the United States: Provided, That the said P~·*···; steamship shall not engage in the coastwise trade of the United States, °°"°`"”° °`"°°' gut shall not be excluded from that between this country and Porto ico. Approved, June 16, 1898. · ` Ch.AJP.45'I.—-An Act To provide American registers for the steemers Victoria, ·T¤¤¤ 16, 1898- · Olympia, Arizona, Columbia, Argyle, and Tacoma. “‘t"1" Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United ` States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the __§,*={•¤¤·¤f‘V}5=¢g¤y1•." Treasury is hereby authorized and directed to cause the foreign-built mm.,i·°i'·8l.i{...nf.$i¥ steamers Victoria, Olympia, Arizona, Columbia, Argyle, and Tacoma, ;;‘}_}’g’°·" nd "T¤- owned by the Northern Pacific Steamship Company, to be registered emma mmm 'as vessels of the United States. “""‘°"· Approved, June 16, 1898. CHAP. 458.—An Act For the protection of homestead settlers who enter the mili— June 16. 1898. taryornavalserviesof thellniteal Statesintimeof war. ·__ _?"—‘—’ Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United _ States of America in Congress assembled, That in every case in which a §‘{_Q;fc;*’f;·”“,cr settler on the public land of the United States under the homestead minima es serum, laws enlists or is actually engaged in the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps {’,§”,·;,,§§,§’,§’_,,,f‘},‘{‘,,Y"'°“‘ of the United States as private soldier, officer, seaman, or marine, during the existing war with Spain, or during any other war in which the United States may be engaged, his services therein shall, in the administration of the homestead laws, be construed to be equivalent to all intents and purposes to residence and cultivation for the same length of time upon the tract entered or settled upon; and hereafter no contest shall be initiated on the ground of abandonment, nor allegation of abandonment sustained against any such settler, unless · it shall be alleged in the preliminary ailidavit or ailidavits of contest, and proved at the hearing in cases hereafter initiated, that the settler’s alleged absence from the land was not due to his employment in such service: _ Provided, That if such settler shall be discharged on account of wounds {,’{;,";'a‘;'é_ M din received or disability incurred in the line of duty, then the term of his mm,-. enlistment shall be deducted from the required length of residence _ _ without reference to the time of actual service: Proridedfnrther, That ,,,‘Q§,‘§,§§y“f "°‘“’°"°° no patent shall issue to any homestead settler who has not resided upon, improved, and cultivated his homestead ior a period of at least one year after he shall have commenced his improvements. · Approved, June 16, 1898. CHAP. 459.-An Act For a survey for a channel leading from Ship Island Harbor, Jum W 189* Mississippi, to the railroad pier at Gulf Port, Mississippi, and to Biloxi, Mississippi, HH`"'?" and for a survey of Ship Island Pass. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War be, hmh?‘g and he is hereby, authorized and directed to cause to be made a survey na-. ummm u for a channel leading from Ship Island Harbor, Mississippi, to the rail- G‘“ P°"·°'°·
