Squatter sovereign., 1855-03-20
ATCH4soN, KANSAS TERRITORY; TUESDAY, MARCH ae fs55
THE KANSAS BILL.
.ANACT 70 oReAsIzr. rHs TgRRITenr

AN ACT TO oRcAsIzE. rHh TERRITenr
or Kansas.
SEC. 10. s..9nd te at further enacted.
Tia. all that part Of the territory OF the
United States included within the follow
ing limits. except such portions thereof as
are hereinafter expressly exempted from
the operations Of this act. 10 Ssits' beginning
al point on the western boundary of the
State of Missouri, where the thirty-sevellth
parallel of north latitude crosses the same:
thence west on said parallel 10 the eastern
boundary Of New Mexico: thence north on
said boundary to latitude thirty eight; thence
| following said boundary of the Territory
of Utah, on the summit of the Rocky
Mountains; thence northward on said sum
NIT to the fortieth parallel of latitude !;
| thence east on said parallel TO the western
boundary of the State of Missouri; thence
south with the western boundary of said
State to the place of beginning, be, and
the same is hereby erected into tempo
rary government by the name of the Ter
ritory OF Kansas, and sckeft admitted as a
State or STATES, Ike said Territory, or any
portion of the same, shall be receiced into
the URioa, Nth or Githoa,t s'acery. as their
constitutions may prescribe at The time OF
their admission, PrOUided, That moth
| ing in this act contained shall be construed
to inhibit the government of the United
States from dividing said Territory into
two or more Territories, lii such manner
and at such times as Congress shall deem
convenient and proper, or from attaching
any portion of said Territory to any other
State or Territory of the United States:
Procaded further, Thai nothing in this act
contained shall be construed to impair the
rights Of persons or property now pertain
ing TO the Indians in said Territory, so
long as such rights shall remain unextin-
guished by treaty between the United
States and such Indians, or TO include any
territories which by treaty with any Indian
| tribe is not, without the consent OF said
tribe, to be included within the territorial
limits OF jurisdiction OF any State or Terri
tory but all such territory shall be except
ed out of the boundaries, and constitute no
part of the Territory of Kansas, until such
tribe shall signify their assent to the Pres
ident of the United States to be included
within the said Territory of Kansas, as to
affect the authority of the government oi
the United States to make any regulation
ertv, or other rights, by treaty, law or 9TH
erwise, which it would have been compe-
tent to the government to make If this act
had never passed.
Sec. 20. find be ii ffrfher enacted
| That the executive power and authority in
and over said Territory Of Kansas shall be
vested in governor, who shall hold his Of
flee for five 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 Territory, and SHALL be com
mander-in-chief of the militia tilereof. He
may grant pardons and respites for often
ces against the laws of the United States
until the decision of the President can he
made known thereon: he shall coinlnissio.
all officers who shall BE appointed to Office
under the laws of tie said Territory, and
shall take care that the laws lie faithfully
executed.
SEC. 21. and be ii farther enacted, That
there shall be a secretary of the Territory
who shall reside therein, and hold his OF
flee 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
hereinafter constituted, and the acts and
proceedings OF the governor in his execu-
tive department; he shall transmit one
copy of the laws and journals of the leg
islative assembly within thirty days after
the end of each session, and one copy oil
the executive proceedings and official cor
respondence semi-annually. on the first day
of anuary and July in each year, TO the Pres.
ident of the United States, and two copies
of the laws to the President of the Senate
and to the Speaker ofthe House Of Rep.
iresentatives, TO be deposited in the Libra.
ries of Congress; and in case OF the death
removal, resignation, or absence OF the gov
ernor from the Territory, the secretary shai
be, and he is hereby authorized and re-
Ieuired to execute and perform all the pow.
ers and duties of the governor during s;icE
vacancy or absence, or until another gov
ernor shall be duly appointed and qIalliiee
to fill such vacancy.
. the Legislative power and authority OF sal,
Territory shall be vested III the goyerno
and Legislative assembly. The legisiativ.
assembly shall CONSIST OF council and hous
! of representatives The council shall con
sist of thirteen members. having the quail
, ifications OF voters, as hereinafter pre-
!, scribed, whose term of service shall contin
ue two years. The house of representa-
tiyes shall, at It's first session, consist c
twenty-six members, possessing the sam
, qualifications as prescribed FOR members {
t the council and whose term OF service s.la
4 continue one year. Tie number of repre-
h sentatives may be increased by the IegIsia
: tive assembly, from time to time, In propol
ton to the increase of qualified voters: Pro
,,tded, That the whole number snail neye
I exceed thirty An apporticnment sha
be made, as nearly equal as practicable
0 among the several counties or districts /.
the election Of the council and represent.
tiyes, giving each section of the Territol
representation in the ratio of Its quaLfe