Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-17
WASHINGTON VIKINGS.
Democratic Bill for Making
New States.
THE PEOPLE TO HAVE A VOICE.
Dakota to Decide Her Own Destiny.
Forecast of the Weeks Work
in Congress.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HKnALDr

! associated Press DISPATCHES to the HERALD
WASHINGTON, December 15.-In accord
ance with the expressed intention OF the
Democratic caucus on last Thursday
night to support an omnibus bill provid-
ing an enabling act for the admission Of
the Territories of Dakota, Montana,
Washington and New Mexico, and give
the people of Dakota the privilege of de-
termining whether the Territory shall be
admitted as one or two States, Repre-
sentative Springer, Chairman OF the
Committee on Territories, has been en-
gagged in formulating the necessary
amendment bill reported last session to
make it's provisions conform to the pro-
posed changes, and with some change in
the time of holding the election of dele
gates to the Constitutional Convention.
Springer has prepared an amendment
ritories shall be held on the first Tuesday
after the third Monday in May, 1889;
that delegates 80 elected shall meet in
Convention on the following Fourth of
July and prepare constitutions to be SUBJ
mitted to the people for ratification or
rejection on the first Tuesday after the
first Monday in November following.
To determine whether or not the Ter
ritory of Dakota shall be admitted as a
whole or divided, the proposed amend
ment to the omnibus bill provides that
at the election for delegates to the Con-
stitutional Convention in May, every
qualified elector may have written or
printed on his ballots the words "for di-
vision" or "against division" If ma
jority Of the votes cast in that part of
the Territory south of the seventh stand
ard parallel, due west to the west boun-
dary of the Territory, shall be "for di-
vision," the delegates elected shall
assemble at Sioux Falls. If majority
Of the votes cast north of the seventh
parallel shall be for division, then the
delegates SO elected, who may reside
north of said parallel, shall assemble in
convention at Bismarck. Each conven-
tion shall then forpn constitution for it's
State, which constitution shall be SUBJ
mitted to the people for ratification or
rejection. Each State shall be entitled
to one representative in Congress.
The appropriation to meet the expenses
OF holding two Conventions is increased
so as to provide for each Convention the
sum of $40, 900. 1t is provided that should
the people reject the respective constitu.
tions, the Territorial Government of Da-
kota shall continue in existence the same
as if this act had not been passed, or if
the constitution for either North or South
Dakota shall be rejected, then the part OF
the Territory rejecting shall continue un-
der the Territorial Government of Da-
kota. In case the people vote for divis-
ion, provision is made for the appoint
ment Of a commission by the two Con-
ventions to readjust and agree upon the
amount of the Territorial debt to be
assumed by each of the proposed States.
Springer will call a meeting of the
Committee some time next week for the
purpose OF submitting the proposed
amendment to them fer consideration.
lie proposes to report the amendments
to the bill to the House at an early day.
he will also ask the Committee to con-
slider the propristy of proposing an addi-
tional section to the omnibus bill, pro-
viding that whenever an organized
Territory Of the United States shall have
legally ascertained population equal to
the number necessary to entitle it to
representative in Congress, such Terri
tory will be authorized through it's
Legislature to call convention, to consist
OF not less than seventy-five members,
who shall assemble at the seat of gov
ernment of the Territory and form a
constitution for submission to the people.
Ii a majority of the people vote for it, it
is to be transmitted to the President, and
by him laid before Congress, and if the
the constitution SO adopted be Repub-
llcan in form and in accordance with the
Constitution and laws of the TJnitad
States, the Territory shall be admitted
into the Union whenever Congress shall
pass an act therefor.