The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-12-16
THE OMNIBUS BILL.
Representative Springer's
Amendment Thereto.
UTAH Is NOT MENTIONED NOW
Providing for Constitutional Conven-
lions and ElectOrs-Appropria
to Meet the Expenses.

WASHINGTON, December 15.-In &C
eordsnos with the declaration of inten-
ton of the Democratic caucus last
Thursday night, to support the
omnibus bill. providing for the enroll
ing of the Territories of Dakota, Wash
ington, Montana and New Mexico, and
giving the people of Dakota the priYi
lege Of determining whether the Terri
tory be admitted as one or two States,
Representative Springer, chairman Of
the committee on Territories, has been
engaged formulating the necessary
amendments to the bill reported last
session, to make the provisions con-
fern to the proposed changes, with
some change in the time OF holding the
elections for delegates to the constitu-
tional convention. Springer has pre-
pared an amendment providing that the
elections in the tour Territories shall be
held on the first Tuesday, after the
third Monday in May, 1889; that dele
gates so elected shall meet in conven-
ton on the following Fourth of July,
AND PREPARE THEIR CONSTITUTIONS,
to be submitted to the people for ratif-
cation or justification on the first Tues
day after the first Monday in November
following, to determine whether the
Territory of Dakota shall be admitted
as q whole or divided. The proposed
amendment to the omnibus bill pro-
yides that the election of delegates to
Sky,f hn IN
May, and every qualified elector may
have printed or written on his ballot
the words For division" or Against
cast in that part of the Territory south
of the seventh standard parallel, due
west to the western boundary of the
Territory shall be for division, the dele
gates elected shall assemble at Sioux
Falls; if a 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 convention shall
then form
A CONSTITUTION FOR ITS STATE,
which constitution shall be submitted
to the people for ratification or objec-
ton. Each State shall be enrlrIgo to
one Representative in Congress-. The
appropriation to meet the expenses of
holding the two conventions is increased
SO as to provide the sum of $4,000 for
each convention. It is provided that,
should the people object to the respec-
tive constitutions, the Territorial gov
eminent OF Dakota shall continue III
existence, the same as if this act had
not been passed; or if the constitution
for either North or South Dakota
should be rejected, then the part of the
Territory Directing shall continue IN
der the Territorial government OF Da-
kota. Then, in case the people should
vote for division, provision is made for
the appointment of commission by
the two conventions to readjust and
agree upon the amount of
TERRITORIAL DEBT TO BE ASSUMED
by each of the proposed States. Sprin-
ger will call meeting of the commit
tee some time next week, for, the pur-
pose of submitting the proposed
amendments to them for consideration.
He proposes to report the amendments
and bill to the House at an early day.
He will also appoint a committee to
consider the propriety of an additional
section to the omnibus bill, providing
that whenever an organized Territory
of the United States shall have legally
ascer tanned its population to be equal
to the number necessary to entitle it to
representation in Congress, such Terri
tory will be authorized, through its
legislature, to
CALL CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION,
to consist of not less than seventy-fve
members, who will assemble at the
seat OF government in the Territory
and form a constitution for submits
sion to the people. If majority of
the people vote for it, it is to be trans
mitted to the President, and by him
laid before Congress, and if the con-
stitution SO adopted be repub bic in
form and in accordance with the
Constitution and laws of the United
States, the Territory shall be admitted
into the Union, whenever Congress