Washington sentinel., 1854-01-07
A BILL TO ORGANIZE THE TERRI
TORY or NEBRASKA.


States included within the following limits, except
such portions thereof are hereinafter expressly
i exempted from the operations of this act 10 wit.
Beginning at the southwest corner of the State oi
i missouri, thence running west on the line of
thirtysix degrees and thirty minutes OF north lat
itude until il ntersects the one hundred and third
1 meredian Of longitude west of Greenwich; thence
! north, on the said meridian until il intersects
the thiryeighth parallel of north latitude thence
west, on the said parallel of latitude 10 the sum
nit OF the Rocky Mountains; thence northward
along and upon the summit of said range of
mountains 10 the western boundary of the Terri
tory OF Minnesota thence southward, on and
with said boundary, TO the Missouri river; thence
down the centre of the main channel of said river
TO the Stale oil Missouri; thence south, on and
i with the western boundary of said State, 10 the
place OF beginning, be and the same is hereby
| created INTO temporary government by the name
oil the Territory OF Nebraska,aand when admitted
as State or States, the sah Territory, or any
/ portion OF the same, shall be received into the
lnion with or without slavery, as their consi-
| tuition may prescribe at the time of their admis-
sion Profidea, That nothing in this act contained
shall be construed TO nhibit the government Of
the United States from dividing said Territory into
/ two or more Territories in such manner and al
such times as Congress shall deem convenient
| and proper or from attaching any portion of said
Territory TO any other State. Territory of the
United States. Prociaed further, That nothing in
this act contained, shall be construed TO impair the
VI PcTsoH or now pertaining 10 the
Indians IN said Territory. so long as such rights
shall remain unextinguished by treaty between
the United States and such Indians, or 10 include
| any Territory which, by treaty with any Indian
tribe IS not without the consent of said tribe to
be included within the territorial limits or jursdic
tion of any State or Territory; but all such Ter
rtory shall be excepted out of The boundaries and
constitute no part of the Territory of Nebraska
until said tribe shall signify their assent 10 the
President Of the United States to be included
WI ha QalI 'Eaan AN 4
feet the authority of the government of the United
States 10 make any regulation 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 il this
| act had never passed.
| SEC. 2. And be it fitrther enacted That the ex-
ecutive power and authority in and over said Ter
rtory OF Nebraska shall be vested in q governor
who shall hold his Office for four years, and until
his successor shall be appointed and qualified un-
less sooner removed by the President of the Uni
ted States The governor shall reside within said
Territory shall be ecommander-n-chief of the militia
thereof, shall perform the duties and receive the
emoluments Of superintendent of Indian affairs
and shall approve all laws passed by the legisla-
| live assembly before they shall take effect; he
may grant pardons and resptes for offences against
the laws of said Territory, and repreves for OF.
fences against the laws OF the United States until
| the decision of the President can be made known
thereon; he shall commission all officers who
the said Territory and shall take care that the
laws shall be faithfully executed.
SEC. 8. lind be IT. further enacted, That there shall
be secretary Of said Territory, who shall reside
therein, and hold his Office for five years. unless
sooner removed by the President Of the United
States; he shall record and preserve all the laws
| and proceedings of the legislative assembly here
inaiter constituted and al the acts and proceed
Jugs OF the governor in his executive department
he shall transmit one copy Of the laws and Jour-
mails OF the legislative assembly within thirty days
after the end of each session. and one copy Of the
executive proceedings and official correspondence
semi-annuay. on the first days Of January and
July in each year, 10 the President OF the United
States, and two copies of the laws the President
of the Senate and to the Speaker Of the House OF
Representatives, for the use of Congress- And in
case ofthe death, removal. resignation or absence
OF the governor from the Territory the secretary
shall be. and he is hereby authorized and required
TO execute and perform all the powers and duties
OF the governor during such vacancy or absence,
or until another governor shall be duly appointed
and qualified to fill such vacancy.
SEC. A. And be 1t further enacted, That the legis-
lative power and authority of said Territory shall
be vested in the governor and legislative assem-
bly,. The legislative assembly shall consist Of a
council and house OF representatives. The coun-
Gil shall consist Of thirteen members, having the
qualifications OF voters, hereinafter prescribed,
whose term of service shall continue two years.
The house OF representatives shall its first ses-
the same qualifications as prescribed for members
of the council, and whose term of service shall
continue one year. The number of representa-
tives may be increased by the legislative assem-
bly,, from time TO time, in proportion 10 the in
crease of qualified voters Provided That the
whole number shall never exceed 'hirty-nine. An
apporionment shall be made, as nearly equal as
practicable, among the several counties or dis
ricts for the election of the council and represent
taives. giving 10 each section of the Territory rep
resentation in the ratio of its qualified voters as
nearly as may be. And the members of the coun-
Gil and Of the house of representatives shall reside
in, and be inhabitants of, the district or county,
or counties, for which they may be elected, re-
spectively. Previous to the first election, the
governor shall cause census or enumeration of
the inhabitants and qualified voters OF the several
counties and districts OF the Territory, to be taken
by such persons and in such mode, as the COVER
nor shall designate and appoint; and the persons
so appointed shall receive a reasonable compen-
sation therefor. And the first election shall be
held at such time and places, and be conducted in
such manner both as TO the persons who shall SUI
perntend such election and the returns thereof as
the governor shall appoint and direct and he shall
at the same time declare the number of members of
the council and house ofrepresentatives TO which
each of the counties or districts shall be entitled
under this act. The persons having the highest
number of legal votes in each of said council dis
ricts for members of the council shall be declared
by the governor TO be duly elected to the council,
ana Inc persons having Inc nlSneSt NUMBER OIL
legal votes for the house of representatives shall
be declared by the governor TO be duly elected
members Of said house: Propided, That in case
two more persons voted for shall have an equal
number Of votes, and in case vacancy shall
otherwise occur in either branch fthe Legislative
assembly, the governor shall order new election
and the persons thus elected 10 the Legislative
semby shall meet at such place, and on such day,
as the governor shall appoint; but thereafter the
time, place, and manner Of holding and conducting
all elections by the people, and the apportioning
the representation in the several counties or dis
tricts 10 the council and house of representatives
according TO the number of qualified voters, shall
be prescribed by law, well as the day of the
commencement of the regular sessions Of the
Legislative assembly: Prorided, That no session in
any one year shall exceed the term of forty days,
except the first session, which may continue sixty
days.
SEC. 5. And be a further enacted That every
free white male inhabtant above the age of TWEEN
ty-one years, who shall be an actual resident Of
said Territory and shall possess the qualifications
hereinafter prescribed shall be entitled TO vote at
the first election, and shall be eligible TO any Office
within the said Territory; but the qualifications