The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1858-05-15

ceedings on the part of Congress, the adj
mission of the State Of Kansas into the
Union on an equal footing with the origi-
nal States, in all respects whatever, shall
be complete and absolute !; and said State
shall be entitled to one member in the
House of Representatives In the Congress
of the United States, until the next census
be taken by the Federal Government.
But SHOULD the majority of the votes be
cast for proposition Rejected, !, it shall be
deemed and held that the people of Kan
sas do not desire admission into the Union
with said Constitution, under the condi-
tons set forth in said proposition; and in
that event the people of said Territory are
hereby authorized and empowered to form
for Themselves a Constitution and State
Government By the name of the State Of
Kansas according to the Federal Consti-
tuition, and may elect delegates for that pur-
pose tchenever, and not before, It is aseer-
tainad, By census duly and legally taken,
that tie population of said Territory equals
the ratio Of representation required for a
member Of the House of Representatives of
the United States; and whenever thereafter
such Delegates shall assemble in conven-
ton, they shall first determine by vote
whetherit is the wish of the people of the
proposed State to be admitted into the
Union at that time, and, if so, shall pro-
coed to form Constitution, and take all
necessary steps for the establishment of a
State Government, in conformity with
the Federal Constitution, subject to such
limitations and restrictions as to the mode
and manner of its approval or ratification
by the people of the proposed State, as
they may have prescribed by law, and
shall be entitled to admission into the
Union as State under such Constitution
thus fairly and legally made, with or with
out Slavery, as said Constitution may pre-
cribe.
SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That for
the purpose of insuring, as far as possible,
that the election authorized by this act
may be fair and free, the Governor, United
States District Attorney, and Secretary of
the Territory of Kansas, and the presiding
officers of the two branches of its Legisla-
ture-the President of the Council and
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
are hereby constituted a Board of Com
missioners to carry into effect the provi-
sions of this act, and to use all the means
necessary and proper to that end. Any
three of them shall constitute Board, and
the Board shall have power and authority
to designate and establish precincts for
voting, or to adopt those already estab-
lished; to cause polls to be opened at such
places as it may deem proper in the re-
spective counties and election precincts of
said Territory to appoint, as judges of
election at each of the several places of
voting, three discreet and respectable per-
SONS, any two of whom shall be competent
to act to require the sherifs of the sew
eral counties, by themselves or deputies,
to attend the judges at each of the places
of voting, for the purpose of preserving
peace and good order !; or the said Board
may, instead of said sheriffs and their
deputies, appoint, at their discretion and
in such instances as they may choose,
other fit persons for the same purpose.
The election hereby authorized shall con-
tinue one day only, and shall not be con-
tinued later that shutdown on that day.
The Board shall appoint the day for hold
ing said election, and said Governor shall
announce the same by proclamation, and
the day shall be as early one as is con-
Sistent with due notice thereofto the peo-
pie of said Territory, subject to the provi-
sion 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 returns
thereof; which returns shall be made to
said Board, whose duty it shall be to an
nounce the result by proclamation, and
said government shall certify the same to
the President of the United States with
out delay.
Sec. 8. And be it further enacted, That
in the election hereby authorized, all white
male inhabitants of said Territory, over
the age of 81 years, who possess the quail
6cations which were required by the laws
of said Territory for legal voter at the
last general election for a member of the
Territorial Legislature, 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
elections, and if any person not so 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 re-
turns of said election, such person shall,
upon conviction thereof before any court
of competent Jurisdiction, be kept at hard
labor not less than six months, and not
more than three years.
SEC. 4. Ind be it further enacted, That
the members of the aforesaid Board of
Commissioners, aud all persons appointed
by them to carry into effect the provisions
of this act, shall, before entering upon
their duties, take an oath to perform faith
fully the duties of their respective offices;
and on failure thereof, they snail be La
BILE and subject to the same charges and
penalties as are provided in like cases un-
der the Territorial laws.
SED. 5. Assd be it further enacted, That
the officers mentioned in the preceding
section shall receive for their services the
same compensation as is given for like
services under the Territorial laws.