The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-07-24
AFFAIRS OF KANSAS.
MOP srs % The Iavsssisasing an.
nistoe.
CONTINUED

HOP srt % the lavsssigaslng Cem.
mistse.
Continusd.l
The members receiving their certificates a,
the Governor ~ members OF the General
Assembly OF the Territory, met at Pawnee.
the place appointed by tho Governor, on the
I'd Of July, A. u. 1855. Their proceeding,
are stated in three printed books, herewith
submitted, entitled respectively, ssThe Stat
ntes OF the Territory OF Kansas - "The
journal of the Council of the Territory 81
Kansas" and "The Journal Of the Hnrsa
of REPRESENTATIVES Of the Territory Of Kan
sas''
Your committee do not regard their enact
mcnts rs valid laws. A Legislature thus
imposed upon people caneot affect their
political rights. Such IN attempt to do 80. il
successful, is virtually an overthrow Of the
organic law, and reduces the people OF the
Territory TO the condition of vassals to 4
neighboring State. To avoid the evils Of an.
archy, no armed or organized resistance to
them should be made, but the citisens should
appeal to the bnllot-box at public elections.
to the Federal Judiciary, and to Congress
FOR relief. Such, from the proof, would have
been the course Of the people but for the ma
ture Of these enactments and the manner in
which they are enforced. Their character
and their execution have been 90 intimate
connected with one branch Of this investica-
tion-that relating to violent and tumultu.
Gus proceedings in the Territory"-thst We
arc compelled to examine them.
The flaws" in the statute books are gen.
eral and special the latter are strictly Of
local character, relating to bridges. roads.
and the like. The great body of the general
laws nre exact transcripts from the Missouri
Code. To make them ia some cases conform
to the organic act, separate acts were passed
defining the meaning of words. Thus. the
word State" is to be understood as mean.
ing s. Territory" the word s. County Court,
shall Ire construed to mean the Board OF
Commissioners transacting county business,
or the Probate Court, according to the intent
thereof. The words s.Circuit Court, to
mean '.District Court"
The material differences in the Missouri;
and KANSAS statutes are upon the following
subjects: The qualifications of voters and OF
Of the Legislative Assembly the
official oath Of all officers, attorncys, and yo-
ters the mode OF selecting officers and their
1u lihcations the slave code: and the Quail
cations Of jurors.
Upon these subjects the provisions of the
Missouri Code are such ~ are usual in many
of the States. But bv the +" Kansas Stat
ltes.' every officer In the Ii rritory, execu i've
and judicial, was to be appointed by the
or by some officer appointed by.
{. These appointms to we're no, merely to
meet temporary axiXency, but were to hold
over two regular elections and until after
H. general election in October, 1857. A.
which the members Of the new Council wera
20 be elected. The new Legislature ia re-
CURED to meet tho 6rst Monday in january.
1905. Thus, by the terms Of these " Laws.,'
he people have no control whatever over
either the Legislature. the Executive, or the
Judicial departments Of the Territorial Cor
until time before which, by the
na'Aral progress Of population, the Terri
iorial Government will be superseded by .
State Government.
No session of the Legislature il to be held
Turing 1856, but the members Of the House
are to be elected in October Of that year.
4 candidate to be eligible at this election
must swear to support the Fugitive Slave
Law, and each Judge OF Election, and each
voter, if challenged, must take the same
oath. The same oath is required Of eyery
officer elected or appointed in the Territory.
and OF every attorney admitted to practice
in the courts.
A portion Of the militia is required to
muster on the day of election. ssEycry free
white male citizen Of the United States. and
every free male Indian who il made citizen
by trenty or otherwise, and over tho age OF
q years, and who shall be M int abitant Of
the Territory and Of the county aud district
in which he offers to vote, and shall have Maid
a Territorial tax, shall be qualified elector
for oil elective Offices" Two classes of pcr
sons were thus excluded who BY the organic
act were allowed to vote, Wig: those who
would not swear to the oath required. and
those Of foreign birth who had declared on
oath their intention to become citizens
Any man OF proper age who was in the Ter
ritory on the day Of election, and who had
paid one dollar as tax to the Sheriff. who
was required to DO at the polls to receive il.
could ote as IN 'sinhabitant," although he
had breakfasted in Missouri and intended 10
return there for supper. There can be no
debut but that this unususl and unconstitu-
tional provision was inserted to prevent n
. full and fair expression Of the popular will
in the election of members of the House. or
to control it by non-rcsidents.
All Jurors are required to be selected by
the Sheriff, and ''no person who is conscien-
tiousls opposed to the holding Of Slaves, Or
who does not admit the right to hold slaves
in the Territory, shall De a Juror in any
cause affecting the right to hold slaves OF
relating to slave property.
The Slave Code, and every provision re-
lating TO slaves, arc Of . character intolernnt
and unusual even for that class Of leeisia.
ton. The character and conduct Of the men
appointed to hold o16ce in the Territory con-
tribuiei very much to produce the events
which followed. Thus, Sam'l l. Jones was
appointed Sheriff Of the county or Douglas.
which included within it the LIST and % eloc.
hon districts. lie had made himself pecul-
inrly obnoxious TO the settlers nv his con.
duet on the 30sh Of March in the "a district.
aud BY his burning the cabins Of JOS. Oakley
and Sam'l Smith.
An election for Delegates 10 Canoreaa Ia