The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-29

1
provements, as the Legislature shall direct
provided the foregoing propositions hereia of
fered are on the condition that said Stase OF
Kansas shall never interfere with the prir,arv
disposal of the lands of the United States. or
with any regulations which Congress NAV find
necessary for secnrii q the title in said soil IN
bona tide purchasers thereof, and that no ia Z
shall be imposed on lands belonging to the
| United States, and Il at in no case shall non.
resident proprietors 10 taxed higher than resi-.
dents. i TII.F
| Sixth. And that s,aid State shall never tax
the lands or propert, of the Unied States in
At the said electio1 the voting shall be BY
ballot, and by endcra-pg on his ballot, as each
voter may please, imposition accepted" or
Proposition rejeet. Should majority of
the votes cast De for proposition accepted"
(, the President OF the 'rsited States, as scoa as
the fact is duly mao known to him, shall an
nounce the same by Sc lamation, and thereaf-
ter, and without any ,Fsher proceedings on the
part of Congress, the admission of the State of
Kansas INTO the Uni. n, upon an equal foosing
with the original State in all respects whste vet
shall be completed an absolute, and said State
| shall be entitled TO r. member in the House
of Representatives in re Congress of the United
| States until the next census be taken BY the
Federal Government But, should majority
OF the votes cast be f = Proposition rejected"
it shall be deemed al held that the people of
Kansas do not desire Omission into the Union
with the said Constitu son, under the conditions
set forth In said prop Jition and in that event
the people of said Tei .si.ory are hereby author
lied and empowered p form for themselves a
Constitution and StateG overnment, by the name
of the State of Kanss according to the FEEDER.
al Constitution, and may elect delegates for
that purpose whenevtss and not before, it il as.
certained, by censu duly and legally taken,
| that the population Or said Territory equals or
exceeds the ratio of representation required for
| a member of the Hose of Representatives of
the Congress of the lifted States and when.
ever thereafter such delegates shall asse able
| in Convention, they, spsll first determine BY a
vote whether it is the wish of the people of the
proposed State to be admitted into the Union
at that time; and, if -, shall proceed to form a
Constitution, and tai all necessary steps for
| the establishment OF State Government, in
| conformity with the eieral Constitution, sub
| ject 10 such hmitatitps and restrictions Is to
| the mode and manne5 of its approval or rati6.
| they may have PRESCRIBED by law, and shaI be
| entitled to admission snso the Union as State
under such CONSTITUTE n, thus fairly and legally
| made, with or withoi Slavery, as said Coasti-
tuition may prescribe
Sec. 2. And be Il. tis Her enacted, That, fog the
| purpose of insuring, q far as possible, thai the
election authorized bts this act may be fair and
free, the Governor, Opted States District; At.
torney, and Secretart of the Territory of Ian
sas, and the presiding officers of the two bra ach-
| es of its Legislature, aamely, the President of
the Council and Speaser of the House of Rep
resentatives, are hereby constituted Board of
Commissioners to carry into effect the pro-
visions of this act, and to use all the m ,ans
| necessary and proper to that end. Any tree
| of them shall constitute board, and the b,,ard
| shall have power and authority to designate and
establish precincts foS voting, or to adopt Il lose
already established 70 cause polls to be optned
at such places as it may deem proper in the
respective counties aud election precinct, of
said Territory to appoint as judges of election
| at each of the several places of voting t. rec
discreet and respectable persons, any tive of
whom shall be compesent to act to require the
| sheriffs of the several counties, by themaev ives
or deputies, to attend the judges at each of
the places of voting, for the purpose preser ing
| peace and good order; or the said board Lay,
instead ef said sheriHs and their deputies, ap.
point at their discretion, and in such instai ces
as they may choose, other fit persons for the
same purpose. The election hereby author zed
shall continue one dsy only, and shall no. be
| continued later than shutdown on that lay.
The said board shall appoint the day for b Did
ing said election, and said Governor shall an
nounce the same by proclamation, and the day
shall be as early one as is consistent nth
due notice thereof to the people of said T,lrri.
| tory, subject to the provisions of this act The
said board shall have full power to prescribe
the time, manner, and place of said election,
and to direct the time and manner of the re-
turns thereof, which returns shall be made to
the said board, whose duty it shall be to an.
nounce the result by proclamation, and the
said Governor shall certify the same to the
| President of the United States without delay.
Sec. 3. And be 1t further enacted, Tha, In
the election hereby authorized, all white r,ale
inhabitants of said Territory over the sg, of
| twenty one years, who possess the qualifcat ons
which were required by the laws of said T, rri.
| tory for legal voter at the last general dec,
| ton for the memberr of the Territorial Leg;sla-
ture, and none others, shall be allowed to vote !;
and this shall be the only qualification required
to entitle the citizens to the right of suffrage in
said election and if any person not 80 quail fed
shall vote or offer to vote, or if any person shall
| vote more than once at said election, or SHALL
make or cause to be made any false, fictitious,
| or fraudulent returns. or shall alter or change
any returns of said election, such person shall,
| upon conviction thereof before any competent
court of jurisdiction, be kept at hard labor fer
not less than six months and not more than
three years.
Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the
| members of the aforesaid Board of Commits
sioners, and all persons appointed by them to
carry into effect the provisions of this act shall,
before entering upon their duties, take an oath
20 perform faithfully the duties of their respect
i've Offices, and on failure thereof, they shall be
liable and subject to the same charges and
penalties as are provided in like cases under
the Territorial laws.
Sec. 8. And be IT further enacted, That the
officers mentioned ia the preceding section
shall receive for their services the same com.
pensation as is given for like services under
the Territorial laws.
Mr.. English addressed the House in explana-
ton of the views of the majority of the com
mittee.
Mr.. Howard would simply ask, as matter
Of courtesy, that he be allowed fSe minutes tc
explain.
Several Voices. 'SOrder, order
Mr.. English. Then l move that the bill be
printed and postponed until tomorrow at one
o'clock.
The Speaker said the motion to postpone was
not debatable motion, except to q limited ex
tent. The merits of the question were not open
for debate under it.
Mr.. Howard. l ,pove to amend, so as to
postpone the bill unsa Monday at one o'clock
Mr.. Montgomery, Vt Pennsylvania. desire
! to ask the gentleman to extend the time until
: Monday three weeks, and then we can have the
, voice of the country upon this question.
Several Voices. That is right"
} MIR. Hill, of Georgia. By the permission oil
the gentleman from Michigan, l move as an
1 anHr nnnff 70 a. r