Delaware State journal and statesman., 1864-04-08
Official.
LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
Passsd at the First Session Of he Thirty Eighth
CoHgre5s.
rprnr,cNo a11

GPUBLIc-No. 81
An AcT to enable the people OF Colorado tl form
constitution and State government, and for
the admission of such State into the Unon on
an equal footing with the original States.
Be IL enacted by The Senate and House of Rep
resentdtiUss Of Ire United Slater Of America in Con
gTsss assembled, That the inhabitants Of that por-
tiOn of the Territory Of Colorado included in the
boundaries hereinafter designated be aud they
are hereby authorized 10 form for themselves,
out Of said Territory, S.aie government, with
tho name aforesaid, whlch sail State, when form
ed, shall be admitted into the Union upon au
equal footing with the original States in all re-
spects whatsoever.
Sec. 2. And Be Il JartLsr eaacfed, Tint the
said State Of Colorado shall consist of all the ter
rtOry included within the following boundaries,
TO wit; Commencing ut II point formed by tie
intersection Of the thirty seventh degree of north
latitu e with the twenty-flth degree of longitude
west from Washington; extending thence due
west along said thirty-sesenih degree Of north
latitude to point formed by its intersection with
the thirty second degree OF longitude west from
Washngtoni thence due north along sad thirty
second degree OF west longitude TO n point form
ed by Its intersection with the forty first degree
Of north latitude; thence due cast along said
forty first degree of north latitude to point
degree Of longitude west from Washington )
thence due south aloug said lwenty-ffth degree
OF west longitude.
Sec. 3 And be Il tarthr enacted That all per-
sous qualified by law TO vote Tor representatives
to the general assembly of said Ter itory at the
date Of the passage Of this aoi shall ba qua life
to be elected, aud they ARE hereby authorized to
vote for and choose representatives to form a con-
venton, under such rules and regulations as the
,Hn.,f VI,r
80 to Voe upon the acceptance or II lection Of ueh
constitution as nay be formed by said conyen.
tion, under such rules and regulations as the
said convention may presoribe and if any Of
said citizens are enlisted ia the army of the
United States and are still within said Territory
they shall lie permitted to vote at their place Of
rendezvous and If any are absent from said
Territory, by reason Of their enlistment in the
army Of the United States, they shall be permit
ted to vote at their place Of service, under the
rules and regulations In each case to be prescrib-
cd as aforesaid and the aforesaid representa-
tives to form the aforesaid contention shall be
apportoDed among the several counties in said
Territory in proportion to the population as near
as may be and said apportionment shall be
made for said Territory by the governor, Uuited
States district attorney, and chief justice there
Of, or any two Of them; and ths Governor of
said Territory shall, by proclamation on or be-
fore the first Monday Of May next, order an
election Of the representatives aforesaid to
be held on the first Monday in June thereafter
throughout the Territory, and such election shall
be conducted in the same manner as is prescrib-
cd by the laws of said Territory regulating cleo.
tions therein for members Of the House of Re-
presentatiVes, and the number Of members to said
convention shall be the same as now constitute
both branches of the Legislature Of the aforesaid
Territory.
Sec. 4. And be IL further enacted, That the
members Of the convention, thus elected, shall
meet at the capital Of said Territory on the first
Monday in July next, aud after organization,
shall DECLARE on behalf Of the people of said Ter
ritory, that they adopt the Constitution Of the
United States. Whereupon the said convention
shall be, and 1t is hereby, authorized TO form
constitution and Stale government for said Ter
ritory Provided, That the constitution, when,
formed, shall be republican, and not repugnant
10 the Constitution of the United Statos and the
principles Of the Declaration of Independence
And provided, further, That said convention shall
provide by an ordinance irrevocable without the
consent Of the United States and the people Of
said State:
First, That there shall he neither slavery nor
involuntary servitude in the said State, other
wise than in the punishment Of crimes, whereof
the party shall have been duly convicted
Second, That perfect federation Of religious
sentiment shall be secured, and no inhabitaht of
said State shall ever be molested in person or
property Gu account Of his or her mode of rel-
gious worship.
Third, That the people inhabiting said Terri
tory do agree and declare that they forever dis
claim all right aud title to the unapproprated
public lands lying within said Territory, and
that the same shall be and remain ut the sole and
entire disposition Of the United States aud that
the lands belonging TO cltizeus of the United
States residing without the said State shall never
be taxed higher tLan the land belonging to resi-
dents thereof; and that no taxes shall be imposed
by said State on lands or property therein be-
longing to, or which may hereafter be pul chased
by, tho United States.
SEQ. 6. and be il further enacted That in case
constitution aud State government shall be
formed for the people Of said Territory Of Colora-
do, in compliance with the provisions OF this act
that said convention forming the same shall pro-
vide by ordinance for submitting SAID constitu
tlOn 10 the people OF said State for their iatiaa
ton or rejection at an election to be held on the
second Tuesday of October, one thousand eight
hundred aud sixty four, at such places and un-
der such regulations as may be prescribed there
in, at which election the lawful voters Of said
new State shall vote directly or or against the
proposed constitution, and the returns of said
election shall be made to thu acting governor Of
the Territory, who, with the United States dis
trict attorney and chief justice Of said Territory,
or any two Of them, shall CANVASS the same, and
if majority of legal votes shall be cast for said
constitution in said proposed State, the said act.
ing governor shall certify the same TO the Presi-
dent of the United States, together with a copy
of said constitution and ordinances whereupon
il shall be the duty of the President of the Unit
ed States to issue his proclamation declaring
the State admitted into the Union on an equal
footing with the original States, without any fur
tLer action whatever on the part Of Congress.
Sec. o. And Be IL further endsied, That until
the next general census shall be taken the said
State OF Colorado shall be entitled to one repre-
sentative in the House Of Representatives of the
United states, which representative, together
with the governor and State and other officers
proyided for in said constitution, may be elected
on the same day vote is taken for or against
the proposed constitution and State government.
Sec. 7. Andbs il further enacted, That sections
numbers sixteen and thirty-siK. in every township
aud where such sections have been sold or other
wise disposed Of by any apt Of Congress, Other
lands equivalent thereto in legal subdivisions oil
not less than one quarter section, and as CONT
guous as may be, shall be and are hereby granted
10 said State for the support of common schools
SEQ. s. And be il further enacted, That provided
the State Of Colorado shall be admitted into thI
Union, in accordance with the foregoing provi-
sions Of this act, that twenty entire sections o.
the unappropriated public lands within sale
State, to be selected and located by direction o
the Legislature thereof, before the first day
of January, ammo Domiui eighteen hundred ant
sixty EIGHT, shall be and they are hereby grant
ed, in legal subdivisions of not less than ON
hundred and sixty acres to said State, for th
purpose Of erecting public buildings at th
capital Of said State. for legislative and judicia
purposes, in such manner as the Legislature shal
prescribe.
Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That twent
other entire sections of land, as aforesaid, to b