Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-12-11
Constitution of Kanzas.


The Washington Union, Of Saturday publishes at
length theConstituton as agreed upon by the Constu
tonal Convention of the Territory of Kanzas with
view to the admission Of said Territory into the Union
as State. 1t is too long for columns, and wei
think for the patience of most of readers we there
fore content ourselves with brief synopsis.
A preliminary Ordinance " surrenders behalf OF
the future State all right to tax the lands other pro-
perty of the United States within her borders if certain
conditions shall be accepted and greed to by the United
States Said conditions as follows list -Four sections
in every township to be reserved for school purposes
ID All Salt Springs and valuable mines to be granted
to the State for her and to be managed by her as
she may choose Sd Five per cent of the nett pro-
cees of all lands sold within the State SHALL after de-
Quoting all expenses be paid to said State -4th Two
entire townships shall be reserved for University and
5th Alternate sections of land shall be given Tor the
construction of two rarOads-one traversng the new
State from East to West the other from Orh to South
The first article of the Constitution defines the bounda
res of the State The second pscrbes thatnon OF
the counties now organized the Kansas Missouri
Rivers shall ever be reduced to less than twenty-five
miles square nor shall any other county organized
or hereafter to be organized be reduced to less than live
hundred miles square The third article prescrbes the
distribution of the powers of the future government be-
tween the three departments Legislative, Executive
and judicial The chief executive power of the State
shall be vested in Governor who shall be at least thlr
ty years of age shall have been citizen Of the United
States for twenty years shall have resided III Kansas at
least five years next preceding the day of his election Or
from the formation of this Constitution lie shall be
elected for two years. and shall not be eligible for more
than four out of any six years
The Governor shall have the pardonng and the veto
powers under the accustomed restrictions, and shall re-
ceve compensation for his services to be fixed by law
and which shall not be increased diminished during
the term for which he is elected.
There shall be Secretary of State, Lieut. Cover
nor State Treasurer and Auditor all elected by the
people of the State and holding their officers for two
years. There shall also be in each county Sheriff,
CorOners Treasurer and Surveyor to be elected by the
people OF the county, and hold their Offices for two years
The Legislative power shall be vested in a Senate and
House of Representatives the Senators to be chosen
for four and the Representatives for two years The
sessions to be bena and oneha of the Senators to be
changed at each session. while the other half hold on
The number of Senators shall not be less than thirteen,
nor more than thrtythree of Representatives not less
than thirty nine, more than one,hundred
Sections 20 and % of the article relating to the Leg
isature are as follows, and good omnibus and
for other purposes bills. They as follows:
SEC 20 Every law enacted by the legislature shall
embrace but subject, and that shall be expressed in
its title and any eXtraneOus matter introduced IN bill
that shall pass shall be void and no law shall be amen
ded by its title but in such case the act or section amen
ded shall be re-enacted and published at length.
Sec. % 1t shall be the duty of all civil officers of the
State to use due diligence in the securing and rendition
of persons held to service labor this State either OF
the States or Territories of the United States and the
legislature shall enact such laws may be necessary for
the honest and faithful carrying out of this provision OF
the constitution.
The closing section Of the Legislative Department "
makes the first apportionment of Senators and Repre-
sentatives To this apporonment the Free State men
object unfair. 1t is impossible for to say what
weight this charge may be entitled to, know ne-
ther the counties their their population
1t would be useless for to publish this scheme of dis
tribuon as it could convey information to read
erS.
The Judiciary shall consist of Supreme Court, Cir
cult Courts Chancery Courts, Courts of Probate and
Justices of the Peace and such other inferior Courts
the Legislature may from time to time establish The
Judges of the Supreme Court shall be elected for six
years by the qualified voters of the whole State-the
Judges Of the Circuit and Chancey Courts for four years
by the qualified voters of their Circuits Or Chancery dis
tricts respectively The Attorney General District
Attorneys Clerks, and so forth shall also be elected
That part relating to slavery is as follows: