, 1888-12-16
The Amendment.

NASHINGTON, IeC. Oil accordance
with the expressed intention of the Demo-
cratic caucus of LAST Thursday night to
support the omnibus bill providing for
an enabling act for the admission OF the
territories of Dakota, Montana, Washing
ton and New Mexico and giving the
people of Dakota the privilege of deter
mining whether that territory be admitted
as n or two states, Representative
Springer, chairman OF the committee on
territories, has been engaged formulating
the necessary amendments to the bill re-
ported at the last session to make pro-
visions to conform with the proposed
changes. To meet the change in the time
of holding elections for delegates to the
constitutional convention Springer has
prepared an amendment providing that
elections in the four territories shall be
held on the first Tuesday after the third
Monday in May, 1889; that delegates so
elected shall meet in convention on the
following 4th OF July and prepare consti-
buttons to be submitted to the people for
ratification or rejection on the first Tues
day after the first Monday in November
following to determine whether or not the
territory of DAKOTA shall be admitted as a
whole or divided. The proposed amend
mcnt to the omnibus bill provides that
the election for delegates to the constitu-
tional convention in May each qualified
elector may have written or printed on
his ballot the words "for division or
against division" If the majority of
woes 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 the majority of the votes cast
north of the seventh parallel shall be
against 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 con-
stitution for its state, which constitution
shall be submitted to the people for ratl-
fcation or rejection. Each state shall be
entitled to one representative in congress.
Appropriations to meet the expenses of
holding the two conventions is increased
so as to provide for each convention the
sum $40, 600. 1t is provided that should
the people reject the respective con-
situations the territorial governments of
Dakota shall continue in existence the
sane as if this act had not been passed,
or If the constitution for either North or
South Dakota should be rejected then
that part of the territory rejecting shall
continue under the territorial government
OF Dakota. In case the people vote for
division the provision is made for the APP
pointment of a commission by the "
conventions to readiust and agree upon
the amount or territorial debt to be as
sumed by each of the proposed states.
Springer will call a meeting of the COM
mlttee some time next week for the pur-
pose OF submitting the proposed amend
ment to them for consideration. He
proposes to report the amendments to
the bill to the house at an early day. He
will also ask the committee to consider
the propriety of proposing an additional
section to the omnibus bill providing that
whenever an organized territory of the
United States shall have legally at
tanned a population equal to the number
necessary to entitle it to a representative In
congress such territory will be authorized
through its Legislature to call a constitu-
tional convention to consist of not less
than seventy five members who shall as
semble at the seat of government of the
territory and form "A constitution for sub.
mission to the people. Ifthe 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 constitution 50
adopted be republican in form and i'll &C
cordance with the constitution and laws
of the United States that territory shall
be admitted into the Union whenever
congress shall pass an act therefor.