Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-12-10
The Kansas Constitution Has
Made Its Appearance.

we nave Deen put IN pOSSeSSlon W Iue Cou-
stitution framed by the late Kansas Con-
vention.
ARTICLE I. Precribes the boundary of
the State.
ART. II. Fixes area of Counties.
ART. III. Defines State Departments.
ART. ". Provides for election of Gov
ernor, Lieut.. Governor, Sherifs, Treasurer
and Surveyors; and defines power of Exc
cutive department. The Governor holds
office two years and has the veto power.
ART. Y. Treats of Legislative depart
ment. Representatives elected for two
years. Senators for four years. Sessions
to be biennial.
Section 25 of this Article provides:-It
shall be the duty of all civil officers of this
State to use due diligence in the securing
and rendition of persons held to service or
labor in this State, either of the States or
Territories of the United States, and the
Legislature shall enact such laws as may
be necessary for the honest and faithful
carrying out of this provision of the Con-
stitution.
ART VI. Of the Judiciary. This pro-
vides for the election of Judges and the Or
ganization of the Judiciary.
ART. VII is headed SLAVERY, and reads
thus: Sec l. The right of property is be-
fore and higher, than any constitutional
sanction, and the right of an owner of q
slave, to such slale and its incree:sssaa, is
the same and as inviolable as the right of
the owner of any property whatever.
Sec. 2. The Legislature shall have no
power to pass laws for the emancipation OF
slaves without the consent of the owners,
or without paying the owners previous to
their emancipation full equivalent in mo-
ney for the slaves so emancipated. They
shall have no power to prevent emigrants
to the State, from bringing with them
such persons as are deemed slaves by the
laws of any one of the United States or
Territories, SO long as any person of the
same age or description shall be continued
in slavery by the laws of this State. Pro
vided, that such person, or slave shall be
the bona fide property of such emigrant,
and, provided also, that laws may bepassed
to prohibit the introduction into this State
of slaves who have committed high crimes
in other States or Territories. They shall
have power to pass laws to permit the
owner of slaves to emancipate them, saving
the rights of creditors, and preventing them
from becoming public charge. They
shall have the power to oblige the owners
of slaves to treat them with humanity, to
provide for them the necessary food and
clothing, to abstain from all injuries to
them, extending to life and limb, and in
case of their neglect or refusal to comply
with the direction of such laws, to have
such slave or slaves sold for the benefit of
their owner or owners.
Sec. 8. In the prosecution of slaves for
crimes If higher grade than petit larceny,
the Legislature shall have no power to de-
prive them of an impartial trial by petit
jury.
Sec. 4. Any person who shall malicious
ly dismember, or deprive slave OF life,
shall suffer snch punishment as would be
inflicted in case the like offence had been
committed on free white person and on
the like proof, except in case of insurrec
ton of such slave.
ART. VIII. Prescribes qualifications of
a votes. Every male citizen of the United
States (the word "white" is not inserted, as
the Dred Scott decision saves that trouble)
of twenty-one years who has resided one
year in the State, and three months in the
city or town where he offers his vote; and
every male citizen of the United States of
twenty-one years of age, actually a resi-
dent of the State at the time of the ad-
option of the nsttution shall be entitled
to vote.
ART. TX. On Finance-Provides for
levying taxes. No State Debt for over
100000 to be contracted.
ART. X. On Revenue.
ART. XI. Public Domain and Internal
Improvements, in which one section reads
thus:
Sec. 2. A liberal system of Internal
Improvements, being essential to the de-
velopment of the resources of the country,
shall be encouraged by the Government of
the State; and it shall be the duty Of the
Legislature, as soon as practicable, to as
certain, by, law, proper objects of improve
ment in relation to roads, canals, and navi
gable streams, and to provide for n suita-
bic application of such funds as may be ap-
propriated for such Improvements.
ART. XII. Corporations. All Cor
porations to be formed under general law,
except special acts passed to create bodies
polite for municipal purposes, and special
acts can be passed when the objects of the
Corporation cannot be attained under
general law.
Sec. 4. The Legislature may incorpo-
rate banks of deposite and exchange, but
such banks shall not issue any bills, notes,
checks, or other paper, as money.
Sec. 5. The Legislature may incorpo-
rate one bank of discount and issue, with
out more than two branches, provided that
the act Incorporating the said bank, and
branches thereof, shall not take effect until
it shall be submitted to the people at the
general election next succeeding the pass
age of the same, and shall have been ap-
proved by a majority of all electors voting
at such election.
ART. XIII. Militia.
ART. XIV. Education. Provides for
Common Schools.
ART. XIV. Miscellaneous. We give one
section.
Sec. 2. Every person chosen or ap-
pointed to any office under this State, be-
fore entering upon its duties, shall take an