The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-08-09
A BILL,
TO ORGANIZE THE TERRITORIES OF
NEBRASKA AND KANSAS.


following limits, except such. portion
thereof as are hereinafter expressly ex
empted from the operations of this act
to wit beginning at point in the Mis-
souri, river where the fortieth parallel oi
north latitude crosses the same; thence
west on said parallel to the east bounda-
ry of the Territory of Utah, on the sum
NIT of the Rocky Mountains; thence on
said summit northward to the forty-ninth
parallel of north latitude; thence east
on said parallel to the western boundary
of the Territory of Minnesota; thence
southwark on said boundary to the Mis-
souri, river thence down the main chan
mel of said river to the place of begin
ming, be, and the same is hereby created
into a temporary government by the
name of the Territory of Nebraska; and
when admitted as State or States, the
said Territory, or any portion of the same
shall be received into the Union with or
without slavery, as their constitution
may prescribe at the time of their admis-
sion Provided, That nothing in this
act contained shall be construed to in
hibit the government of the United States
from dividing said Territory into two or
more Territories, In such manner and at
such times as Congress shall deem con-
Yenient and proper, or from attaching
any portion of said Territory to any 9TH
er State or Territory of the United
States; Provided further, That moth
ing in this act contained shall be constru-
ed to impair the rights of person or prop
erty now pertaining to the Indians In
said Territory, 80 long as such rights
shall remain unextinguished by treaty
between the United States and such In
dians, or to include any territory which,
by treaty with any tribe, is not, without
the consent of said tribe, to be included
within the territorial limits or jurisdic-
tion of any State or Territory; :, but all
such territory shall be, excepted out of
the boundaries, and constitute no part of
the Territory of Nebraska, until said
tribe shall signify their assent to the
President of the United States to be in
eluded within the said Territory of Ne
braska, or to affect the authority of the
government of the United States to make
any regulations respecting such Indians,
their lands, property, or other rights, by
treaty, law, or otherwise, which it would
have been competent to the government
to make if this act had never passed.
SEQ 2. 2.4=sAnd be it further -eKzrtcztt,
That the executive power and authority
in and over said Territory of Nebraska
shall be vested in governor, who shall
hold his Office for four years, and until
his successor shall be appointed and
qualified, unless sooner removed by the
President Of the United States. The
governor shall reside within said Terri
tory, and shall be commander-in-chief of
the militia thereof lie may grant par
dons and respites for offences against the
laws of the United States, until the de-
cision of the President can be made
known thereon; he shall commission all
officers who shall be appointed to Office
under the laws of the said Territory,
and shall take care that the laws be faith
fully executed.
Sec. 8. And be 1t further enacted,
That there shall be q secretary of said
Territory, who shall reside thereon and
hold his Office for five years, unless SOON
er removed by the President of the Uni
ted States he shall record and preserve
all the laws and proceedings of the leg
islative assembly hereinafter constituted,
and all the acts and proceedings of the
governor in his executive department;
he shall transmit one copy of the laws
and journals of the Legislative assembly
within thirty days after the end of each
session, and one copy of the executive
proceedings and official correspondence
semi-annually, on the first days of Janu-
airy and July in each year, to the Presi-
dent of the United States, and two cop
les of the laws to the President of the
Senate and to the Speaker of the House
of Representatives to be deposited in
the Libraries of Congress; and, in case
of the death, removal, resignation, or
absence of the governor from the Terri
tory, the secretary shall be, and he is
hereby, authorized and required to exc
cute and perform all the powers and du-
ties of the governor during such vacancy
or absence, or until another governor
shall be duly appointed and qualified to
fill such vacancy.
Fec. 4. Ind be it further enacted,
That the legislative power and authori-
ty of said Territory shall be vested in
the governor and a Legislative assembly.
The Legislative assembly shall consist
of council and house of representatives..
The council shall consist of thirteen
members, having the qualifications of
voters, as hereinafter prescribed, whose
term of Office shall continue two years.
The house of representatives shall, at
its first session, consist of twenty-six
mesabers, possessing the same qualifca-
tions as prescribed for members of the
council, and whose term of service shall
continue one year. The number of rep
resentatives may be increased by the leg
islative assembly, from time to time, in
proportion to the increase of qualified
voters: Pr00ided, That the whole num-
Der shall never exceed thirty-nine. An
apportionment shall be made, as nearly
equal as practicable, among the several
counties or districts, for the election of
the council and representatives, giving to
each section of the Territory representa-
tion in the ratio of its qualified voters as
nearly as may be-. And the members of
the council and of the house of represen-
tatives shall reside in, and be inhabitants
of, the district or county, or counties,
for which they may be elected, respect
to the first election,
the governor shall cause a census, or
enumeration of the inhabitants and quail
fled voters of the several counties and
districts of the Territory, to be taken by
such persons and in such mode as the