The Portland daily press., 1871-03-31
L A w =
UNITE STATES
PASSED AT THE
THIRD SESSION OF THE FOkTf-FlRSF
CONGRESS.
AN ACT TO provide government for the District
OF Columbia.
IGESKRAL NATURE-No. 27.l

created irto g0ge nj by the name o. con-
s snt o. haS 8y Tor municipal pu,p'sesi
and may con,rac and re coniiaaba have a seal, and
be sued Pead anu 1n "a ers Of municipal corporation
NOT inconsistent with the Css,"ns ~, this act.
the Unl.eu t II Tsrler enacted. That the excel
TO- wer and authority ia and over saiu UsifIGt on
I'VE po sha be v~sei in governor, VINO snail De
Oou,sd nv the President, by and with the advice
pg caasent OF the Senate and who shall hold his
al; - Tor iour years. aud until his succe sor shall be
on,,,iut ted and qualified. The governor shall be a
eli zen of aud snail have resided within said District
twelve months beor his appointment. and have the
qualifications Of an elector. lie may graut pardons
and respies for otenses against the laws OF said Dis
trct enacted by the legislative assembly thereof; he
shall commission all officers who sbal oe elected or
appointed to ONCE under the laws OF said DIS
uct enacte SIS aioresaii, and shall lake care that
the laws ts faithfully executed. -
SEC. g. And be IL further enacted That every bill
which hall have passed the council and house OF
delegates shall before it becomes law be presented
to The governor oi the District Of Coiumoia; II ne
approve shall sign it, bat if not, lie shall return
it, with his objections, to the house in when y sna
have originated, who shall enter The objections st
large on their journal and proceed to reconsider it.
Ii, after reconsideration, two-t1rds Oh al me
agree 10 pass The bill it sha be- sent, together with
the objecrioDs, TO the other house, by which 1t sha
thirds Of ali The members appointed elected to
that house, it shall become law; B9t N all such
cases the votes OF both houses shall be determined
by the yeas and nays. and the names OF the per:
sons voting Tor and against the bill shall he entered
DAYS 1Sundays excep.ed alter it Shall have been pre-
ssn,ed to him. the same shall be law in like man
Is II he had signed IL, Unless the legislative as
sembly by their adjournment prevent its return in
which case it shall not be law.
SEQ. And be 1t further enacted That there shail
be appointed by the President, by and with the ad,
vice and consent Of the Senate, secretary OF SAID
ausScstSon Of az elector, and shall hold his office
for years, and until his successor shall be APP
pointed ana qua1eI he sh all record and preserve
all laws and proceedings OF the legislative assembly
hereinate consli uied, and all the acts and pro-
ceeGings o, the governor in his executive DEPART
journals q the legislative G as.embiy Within thirty
days after the end OF each session. and Que copy OF
semi-annually. the first Gays OF January and
July in each year, TO the President OF the United
Of the senate and 10 the Speaker Of The House OF
Representatives tor the use OF Congress- and in case
OF tue death, removal. resignation, disability or
absence, Of tine governor Iom the District, the sec
Rotary shall bes and be is he, eby authorized and re-
quired to execute and perform all the powers and
and duties o, the governor during such vacancy,
disability, or ABSENCE or until another governor
shall be duly appointed and qualified to fill such va
cancy AND in case the offices OF governor and sec
rotary shall both become vacant the powers duties,
and emouments OF the office of governor shall de-
volvc upon the presiding officer tie council, and
case that otto. shall be vacant, upon the presid
inc officer OF the house OF delegates. until the office
q Mnd y y r aasea That ess
tive power and authority said District shall be
vested in a legislative assembly as hereinafter pro
vided The assembly shall consist OF a council and
house OF delegates. Tue council shall consist Of
eleven members. OF whom two shall be residents OF
tie CITY OF Georgetown and two residents oil the
county outside Of The cilies of Was iington and
Georgetown, who shall be appointed by ne Presi-
ent, by and with the ADVICE ard consent ffhe SEN
ate, who snail have I. qualification OF voters as
hereinafter prescribed, five whom shall tie first
period of wo arr, provided that ali subsequent
appointments SHAH be tor he Term OF two years
Tie house OF DE egates shall CONSIST Of twent, two
members, possessing the same quail tcaons as pres
cri ed for the members OF the council, wnose Term
OF service shan continue on. year. An appor ion
ment shall be made as nearly equal as practicable
into eleven districts for the apo mert OF the coun
CAL ann into twenty-five districts tor the eec lou OF
legates, giving 10 each section the Disaict
presentation in the ratio Its popu aion as nearly
as may be. And the members OF the conncil and Of
the house OF deegaes shall reside in and Ue ,nhab
tanls OF the districts from which tn. appointed
or elected. respectively. For The purposes VI the
first election to he held under this ac The governor
aud Judges OF ,he supreme court OF the District
Coluni4 -hali designate the districts tor members
o. the house OF delegates, appoint boari Q regis
traion and Pc sors superinGend the ell cion and
the returns lbereo presc ibe the time. places, and
manner OF conducting such election, and make all
needul rules and gulahons carrying into effect
the PROVISIONS tins otherwise nerein pIo.
widen Provided, That The st election shalt be
held w,,bm sixty days firm the passage Of this acr
In the hrst shd all subseQuen elections the persons
having the highest humber of legal votes Tor the
house OF deieeates respectively. shall be declared by
case two or more PEI sons vo ed tor shall have an
equal NUMBER OF votes for the same ,fice. or IT
vacancy shall .ccur in TIE house of deleg ties, the
governor shall order a new election. AID the PEI
sons tnos appointed and elected to the legislative
oily snail meet at such lime and at such
within the Di tric as tue governor shall appoint;
but thereafter the time, place, and manner hold
ing and conducting all elections by the people, and
the formation OF the districts Tor mem OF the
council and house OF delegates shall prescribed
by law, as vel as the day OF the commencement of
the regular sessions Of the legislative assembly Pro-
Cided, hat no session in one year suall excee
the term OF sixty Oays except the FIST session. which
may continue ne hundred days.
SEC. 9. And be 1t Further enacted That The legis-
lstve assembly, shall have tower to divide that por
ZION OF the district not included in the corporate
CeOrpetOWn mt owl
not exceeding three, and create township officers,
and prescribe the duties thereof; but all township
ofncei shalt be elected by the people OF the town.
SEC. T. I"d 6eM further enacted, That al male
citizens OF The United Slates above the age OF TWEEN
ty-one years. who shall have been actual residents
OF said District for three months prior the passage
OF this act, except such as are non compos menus
and persona convicted OF infamous crimes, rhall be
entitled to vote at raid election, IN the election dis.
tric or precinct in which he shall then resi- e,
shall have SO resided ior thirty days Immediately
preceding said erlion shall be eligible to any
once within the SAID District, and for all sub
elections twelve months prior shall re-
CURED to constitute voter; the legislative as
seebly shall haze no rigut to abridee or hmit tie
SEC. 8. AID Be it further enacted That no person
who has been or hereafter shall be convicted Of brb-
ery perjaiy, or other infamous crime, any per-
son VINO has been or may be collector or holder o,
public moneys who shall not have accounted for and
paid over, upon fual judgment duly iecovsIea ac-
cordiDg to law. all such moneys due from him, shall
be eligible to the legislative assembly any Office
of profit or trust In said District.
SEC. 8. And be It further enacted, That members
Of the legislative assembly, before they enter upon
their official duties, snail take and subscribe the fol-
Tor affrml that 1 will support the Consttu
ton of the United States, and will faithful.
which am about to enter; and that have nor
knowingly or intentionally PAID or contributed any.
tnsg or made any promise in the nature OF bribe
election at which was chosen fill the said Office
and have not accep ed, nor will accept, or rec eve
directly or indirectly, any money other valuable
thing for any vote OF influence that 1 may give OF
withhold on any bull resolution, appropriation, or
refuse take oath herein prescribed shall forfeit
his Office and every person who shall be convicted OF
shall iorIet his Office and be disqualified thereafter
from holding any office OF profit trust in SAID Dis
on conviction shall be punished accordingly.
SEC. 10. And be 1t FURTHER enacted. T6as MAJOR
ity Of the leg, .lsise assembly appointed elected
of delegates shall be the judge OF the election Re-
turns aud QUALIFICATIONS OF lis mbers. Each hou.e
snail de ernline The rules OF its proceedings and shall
choOse its officers. The gov ernor shall call The
council to order ~ the opening each new as en-
house Of delegates to order at the opening o each
new legislative assembly and shall preside over 1t
until temporary presidn- officer shall have been
chosen aini shall have laktL his sea-. No member
shall be expe lei by either house except by vote OF
two.thtus OF al the members .ppon ed elected
nent any person not member who snail be guilty
Of disrespet to the house by disordery
uous behavior IN Its presence but CHI i'm rsun-
meut shall extend teyOnd tweDty-fo hours at a
time Neither house shall, without the consent ot
the other, adjourn more than days. or to any
ober place han that Ia which such house shall he
sitting AT the request OF any member the yeas and
navs shall b. AIKEN upon any question and entered
upon the journal.
SEQ IL. dina be IL further enacted, That bills NAV
originate ia either house, hut may be altered
ded, Or rejscied by the other; and on the final pas
rage Of bills the vote shall be by yeas and nays upon
each oil separately and shall be entered upon the
concurrence OF majority Of the members elected
to each house. 100000
SEC L. AnG be it further enacted That every hin |
shall be read at large three different DAYS in each
house. NJ act shall embrace than one subject.
and that shall De expressed in its title; but If apy
be expfessel in the title, such at shall be void only
as 70 SO much thereof shall be so ex pressed in
the utle and no act OF the legislative assembly shall
lake effect until thirty days alter its passage unless
IN case OF emergency (which emergency shall be ex
presse in the preamble or body the ac the leo
islative assembly shan by vote OF two-tbird, Of an
otherwise direct. " ~ nouSe
SEC. Is. and be it further enacted That no monev
snail be drawn from The easury OF the District ex-
cept IN pursuance OF an preparation made Nv law
and UIl making appropriations Tor the nav or sal
contain any provisions any other subject
SEC H. And be it further enacted, That each leg
isa i've assembly shall pro vide all The approprla-
tons necessary tor the or1irary and contingent ex
penses OF the government OF the District uutI the
expiration of The fret fiscal quarier after The ad
Journment the next regular ssiOn. the aggregate
amount OF which shall not be increased without
vote Of birds OF the members elected appoint
ed TO each house herein provided nor The
amount OF revenue authorized by law be raised In
sucn ume, and all appropriate ms, general special
svlmrng mooey to DO paid OUT o. the District