Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-02-27
A BILL for the relief of the
People Of Kansas.

[The following is the bill which passed
the House of Representatives on Tuesday
week, declaring the acts of the Bogu,
Legislature of Kansas Territory void and
of ne effect {:
Hhereas, the President Of the United
States transmitted to the House, by mes.
sage, printed pamphlet purpo.'ing to be
the laws of the Territory of Kansas, passed
at Shawnee Mission, in said Territory ;
and phereds unjust and unwarrauted test
oaths are prescribed by said laws as a
qualification for voting or holding office in
said Territory und irhereas the Commit.
tee of Investigation sent by the House of
Representatives 10 nansas report tnat SAID
Legislature was not elected by legal voters
of Kansas, but was forced upon them by
residents, in violation of the organic
act Of the Territory, and having thus
usurped legislative power, it enacted cruel
and oppressive laws: Therefore,
Be 1t enacted, dc, That all rules or
regulations purportiDg TO be laws, or in
the form of law, adopted at Shawnee Mis-
sion, in the Territory of Kansas, by a
body Of men claiming to be the legislative
assembly, are hereby declared invalid aud
of no binding force or effect.
SEC. ,. And be At turtler enacted, That
the Governor Of said Territory shall, as
soon as practicable, by public proclamation
fix the time and places for an election of
members Of the Legislative Assembly,
appoint in each district three competent
persons to superintend the election therein,
under such rules and re .ulations as he
shall direct, and shall prescribe the mode
and manner for the return thereof
SEC. 3. And be 1t further enacted, That
any person Offering TO vote at said election
whose vote shall be challenged shall, in
addition to the qualifications for voting
fixed in the act of Congress organizing the
Territory, prove by his own oath that he
is bona fie settler of said Territory, and
by the oath of at least two legal voters
that he is, and has been for one month
Immediately preceding, an actual resident
of said Territory, and for fifteen days
resident of the election district where he
offers to vote.
SEC. 4. And be 1t further enacted, That
if any person, not being an actual inhabi-
tant or resident of the said Territory, shall
cas-. his vote at any election which may be
held in the said Territory by authority of
law, such person SO offending shall, on
conviction thereof in any criminal court,
be punished by fine, not less than twenty
dollars nor more than one hundred dollars,
and imprisonment, not less than two
months nor more than six months.
That if any person or persons shall come
into any election district of said Territory
in armed and organized bodies for the pur-
pose of participating in, disturbing, con-
trolling, or voting at any election held, or
to be held, under the authority of law
therein, such person or persons SO offend
ing shall, on conviction thereof in any
criminal court, be punished BY fine Of
not less than 500 and not exceeding
$500, and Imprisonment for term not
less than three months and not exceeding
one year.
Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That
if any person being member Of any such
armed and organized body as described in
the preceding section, or connected there
with, and nonresident of the said Ter
ritory, shall vote at any election which
may be held in the said Territory by
authority of law, he shall, on conviction
thereof, be punished by fine of not less
than Sl00 and not exceeding $500, and i'm
prisonment for term Of not less than 6
months and not more than 2 years