River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-10-01
DAKOTA CONSTITUTIONAL ONVEN-
TION AT SIOUX FALLS.


The chief item of interest to-day was rel
alive to the amount of property person
can hold exempt from legal process. After
several attempts to fix the amount, the fol-
lowing was adopted:
The right of the debtor TO enjoy the com
I forts ard necessaries of life shall be recog-
niZed by wholesome laws, exempting from
forced sale homestead, the value of which
shall be limited aud defined by law, and to
all heads of families ii reasonable amount
of property, the kind and value of which to
be fixed by general laws.
The matter for the State Seal was de
cided upon to he "Under God the People
Rule" The forty-sixth parallel was fixed
upon as the northern boundary of the
State in place Of the Seventh Standard par
allel The rate Of interest on school lands
sold, was fixed at six per cent. instead of
four.
THURSDAY, SEPT. "a.
At the session to-day arrangements were
made for printing the constitution and pro
ceedings of the convention. The woman
suffrage claim was stricken out, and sec
ton inserted giving the legislature latitude
in the premises, and submitting the ques-
ton to the people. The report of the COM
mittee on schedule as adopted, provides for
the election and qualification of state off
cers. election and meeting of the legisla-
ture, election OF representatives and United
States senators. 1t provides further for an
executive committee of seven, to be chosen
by the convention, said committee to have
full power to perform all things necessary
to carry into effect the provisions OF the
| schedule, to issue instructions aud Feguia-
. - - alaptiCyG fill vacancies
their own number, and to provide funds
/ necessary to defray all expenses connected
with the performance of their duties; the
president of the committee to appoint III
each county a county boart or three mem
/ bers to exercise the powers ana duties pre-
scrihed in the schedule. The president Of
the executive is to act with the territorial
secretary and CHIEF justice as canvasslns
board. the first named TO issue certlicates
of election to all state officers. The gov
ernor representatives in congress and
United States senators, together with TWO
other persons selected by the executive
committee, are created a commission III the
event of ratification of the constitution to
present the same to the president and con
gress and request admission to the Union
In accordance with the above, the fol
lowing executive committee was chosen;
First judicial circuit, Mai j. K Hanson
Yaukton; Second circuit, +. Z; Beebe-
Sioux Fails; Third circuit, $. G. Updyka,
/ Watertown; Fourth circuit, John Caiue,
Huron: Fifth circuit, James A. Ward
Pierre; xth circuit, Andrew j. SimmOnds
Rapid City: at large and president of the
committee, Hugh j. Campbell Yankton
The constitution is to be submitted to
the people on the first Tuesday after the
first Monday in November. The hop is
entertained that the United States senate
will admit to their body two members
from Dakota, whether admission is secured
or not, and provisions made for then
election as follows:
Section s. Immediately after the
organization of the legislature and the
qualification under oath of the state
officers, both houses of the legislature
shall meet in joint session in the chamber
of the house of representatives. and shall
then and there proceed to elect two sena
| tOrs of the United States for the state oil
Dakota. Al said election the persons who
shall receive the majority of all the votes
cast by said senators and representatives
shall be elected as such United States sena
tors aud shall be so declared by the presiding
officers of said Joint session. The presiding
officers of the senate and the house shall
issue certificate of each of said senators
/ certifying to his election, which certificate
stall also be signed by the governor anC
attested to 10y the secretary of state.