Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-03-21

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The following is the bill which takes
the place Of all other bills in congress
relative to the admission of Dakota:
In the senate of the United States.
February 90. 1as4.-Mr. Harrison. from
the committee on territories, reported
the following bill; which was read the
first and second times Ivy unanimous
consent and recommitted to the COM
mittee on territories.
A bill to enable the people of that
part Of the territory of Dakota south of
the forty-sixth parakel of north lati-
tude to form a constitution and state
government. and for the admission OF
the state into the Union on an equal
for other purposes.
House Of Representatives oflthe'United
States of America in Congress Assem-
bled. That the inhabitants of that por-
ton of the territory Of Dakota includ-
ed in the boundaries hereinafter desig-
mated are hereby authorized to form
for themselves ont Of said territory a
state government, with the name of the
state of Dakota, which state. when
formed, shall be admitted into the IN
ion upon an equal footing with the or
iginM states in all respects whatsoever.
as hereinafter provided.
Sec. ?. That TIE said state of Dakota
shall consist Of all the territory includ-
ed within the following boundaries. to-
wit: Commencing at Il point on the
west line of the state of Minnesota
where the 46th degree Of north latitude
intersects the same; thence south along
the west boundary lines of the states
of Minnesota and Iowa to the point of
intersection with the north boundary
line OF the state of Nebraska: thence
westerly along the mortherly and)
northern boundary line of the state Of
Nebraska to the 9th meridian of long
itude west from Washington: thence
north along the said 9th meridian OF
Longitude to the 4GthA degree of north
latitude; thence east along the 18th de-
gree of north latitude to the place Of
beginning.
Sec. 3. That all persons residing
within the limits of said proposed state
qualified by the laws of said territory
of Dakota to vote for representatives
to the legislative assembly thereof are
hereby authorized to vote for and
choose delegates to form a convention;
and the qualifications for delegates to
such convention shall be such as by the
laws OF said territory persons are re-
quired to possess to be eligible to the
legislative assembly thereof; and the
aforesaid delegates to form said con
vention shall be apportioned among
the several counties within the limits
Of the proposed state, IN single districts
as near as may be, to be as%certained at
the time of making said apportionment.
by the persons hereinafter authorized
to make the same, from the best infor-
nation obtainable; that said appor-
tionment shall be made by the govern
or, the chief justice, the associate JUS
associate justice for the fourth judicial
| the territory of Dakota, or any two of
them; and the governor shall, by pro-
clamation. order an election Of dele
gates aforesaid to be held on the fourth
day of November, 1884, which prOcla-
nation shall be issued at least sixty
days prior to the time of said election;
and such election shall be conducted.
the returns made. the result ascertain
ed, and the certificate to persons elect
ell to such convention issued in the
same as prescribed by the laws
of the said territory regulating cleo
tons therein for delegate to congress.
The number OF delegates to said con-
y%ention shall be 120; and all persons
resident in said proposed state who are
qualified voters of said territory under
the laws thereof at such time us the
constitution to be framed shall he sub
mitted to the people for ratification Or
rejection shall be entitled to vote upon
the question Of ratification or rejection,
under such rules and regulations as
said convention may prescribe.
Sec. 4. That the delegates to the
convention thus elected shall meet at
the city Of Yankton on the second
Tuesday of December, 1854. and, after
organization, shall declare IN behalf OF
the people of said proposed state that
they adopt the constitution of the Uni
ted States; where upon the said con
yention shall be, and is thereby, author
lied to form a constitution and state
government for said proposed state:
Provided, That the constitution shall be
republican in form, and make no dis
tinction in political rights on account
of race or color, except as to Indians
not taxed, and not be repugnant to the
constitution of the United States and
the principles of the Declaration of In
DEPENDENCIES: 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 perfect
federation of religious sentiment Shall
be secured, and that no inhabitant OF
said state shall ever be molested in per-
son or property on account OF his orher,
mode Of religious worship; secondly,
that the people inhabiting said propos-
ed state do agree and declare that they
forever disclaim all right and title to
the Incorporated public lands lying
within the boundaries thereof, and to
iii lands living within said limits owned