The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1858-04-08
MT. Crittenden's bstitufe.


Union under the Lecompton Constitution. Of
fered in The Senate on Tuesday. the 23d inst:
Strike ont all the bill after the enacting
clause and insert the following in lieu there
of:
SEC. 1.-That the State OF Kansas be, and
is hereby. admitted into the Union on an equal
footing with the original States in all respects
whatever; but inasmuch as it is greatly dis
puted whether the Constitution with which
Kansas is now admitted was fairly made, or
expresses the will of the people of Kansas,
this admission Of her into the Union as a State
is here declared 10 be upon the fundamental
condition precedent, namely: That the said
constitutional instrument. shall be first sub
assented to by them, or a majority Of the ve-
ters, at an election to be held for the purposes:
and as soon as such assent shall be given and
duly made known to the President of the u.
States, he shall announce the same bv proca-
nation. and thereafter. and without any fu,-
ther proceedings on the part of Congress, the
admission of the said State Of Kansas into The
Union on an equal footing with the original
States, in all respects whatevar, shall be COM
plete and absclete. At the said election the
voting shall be BY ballot, and by indorsing on
his ballot as each voter rray please, ':for the
Constitution,' or ssagainst the Constitution
Should the said Constitution be rejected at the
said election by majority of votes being cast
han ,pI in hot tha h,L;
tants Of said Territory are hereby authorized
and empowered to form for themselves Com
stitution and State Government bv the name of
the State of Kansas, preparatory to its admis-
sion into the Union, according to the Federal
Constitution, and to that end NAV elect dele.
gates to convention as hereafter empowered
Sec. 2. I'm! be it further enacted. That the
said State of Kansas shall have concurrent
jurisdiction on the Missouri and other rivers
and waters bordering on the said State Of Kan
sas, so far as the same shall form a common
boundary to said State, and any other State
or States now or hereafter TO be formed or
bounded by the same; and said rivers and wa
ters, and all the navgable waters of said State,
as well to the inhabitants Of said State as to
all other citizens of the United States, without
anv tax duty, mpostor toll therefor.
Sec. 3. find be it further enacted. That. for
the purpose of insuring, as far as possible, that
the elections authorized by this act may be
fair and free, the Governor and Secretary of
the Territory of Kansas, and the presiding Of
ficers of the two branches Of it's Legislature
namely, the President Of the Council and
Speaker Of the House of Representatives, are
hereby constituted board Of commissioners
to carry into effect the provisions of this act,
and to use all the means necessary and proper
70 that end. ANY three of them shall consti-
tute board; and the board shall have power
elections hereby authorized or provided for, to
designate and establish precints for voting. or
to adopt those already established; to cause
polls to be opened at such places as If NAV
deem proper in the respective counties and
election precincts of said Territory; to ap-
point, as Judges of election at each Of the sew.
ersl places of voting three discreet and respect.
able persons, anv two of whom shall be COM
petent to act, to require the sherifs of the sew.
eral counties, by themselves or deputies. to
attend tine judges at each of the places of vot.
ing, for the purpose of preserving peace and
: good order, or the said board may, INSTEAD OF
sand sheriffs and their deputies, appoint, al
their discretion and in such instances as they
may choose. other fl persons for the same
purpose, and when the purpose Of the election
| is to elect delegates to a convention to form
constitution, as hereinbefore provided for, tbs
number of delegates shall be sixty. and they
shall be apportionsd by said board among the
several counties Of said Territory, according
to the number of voters; and in making thi:
apportionment, the board may join two OF
more counties together to make an election OF
representative district, where neither of the
said counties has the requisite number of vo"
ters to entitle it to delegate, or join small
er to larger county having surplus popula-
tion, where it may serve to equalize the rep
resentation. The elections hereby authorized
shall continue one day only, ard shall not be
The said beard shall appoint the day of elec-
tion for each Of the elections hereby author
lied, as the same may become necessary. The
said Governor shall. announce, by proclama-
ton, the dav appointed for anv one of said
elections, and the day shall be as early a one
as is consistent with due notice thereof TO the
people of said Territory. subject TO the provis.
ions OF this act. The said board shall have
full power to prescribe the tine, manner, ant
places Of each Of said elections, and to direc
the time and manner of the returns thereof
| which returns shall be made to the saia board
whose duty it shall be to announce the resuI
by proclamation, and to appoint therein a.
early day as practicable for the deegate'
elected (where the election has been for dele
gates) to assemble IN convention at the seat ol
government of said Territory. When SO as
sembled, the convention shall first deter mine
by vote, whether il is the wish of the people
| of the proposed State to be admitted into the
Union at that time; and If so. shall proceed to
form a Constitution, and take all necessary
steps 70. the establishment of State govern
nent in conformity with the Federal Consti.
tuition, subject to the approval and ratification
of tho naonla - propoSoJ Ctafn ~ . h,