Morris tribune., 1889-02-27
VICTORY! STATEHOOD!
DakOta's L0ng struggle for
Justice at Last Is sue.
CesSful.
North and South Dakota Will Both
Be Represented in the Next
Congress.
Terms Of the Omnibus Bill by Which
Four New States Enter the
Union.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-The confer
ence agreement on the territorial bill
came up for action in the senate and
was approved without division. 1t has
already been approved by the house and
now only depends on the presidents
signature to become a law.
The bill as agreed to provides for the
admission of the states of North Dakota,
South Dakota, Montana and Washing
ton. The territory of Dakota is to be
divided ON the seventh standard parallel
produced due west to the west boundary
of territory. The delegates elected to
the constitutional convention north of
this parallel shall assemble at Bismarck,
and those south of the parallel at Sioux
Falls. The delegates to the convention
in each Of the proposed new states shall
be elected on the Tuesday after the first
Mond ay in May next, and shall meet on
the 4th of July and adopt the cOnstitu-
ton of the United States. They are au-
thorized thereupon to form constitutions
and state governments. 1t is provided
that at the election for delegates to the
convention in South Dakota the electors
shall vote for or against the Sioux Falls
constitution. If a majority of the votes
shall be for the constitution, the conven-
ton shall return to the people of South
Dakota for ratification or rejection the
constitution framed at Sioux Falls, and
also the articles and propositions sepa-
rately submitted, including the question
of locating the temporary seat of govern
ment, with such changes only as relate
to the name and boundary OF the pro-
posed state, to the reappOrtlOnment OF
the judicial and legislative districts, and
such amendments as may be necessary
in order to comply with the provisions
of this act: and if a majority of the
votes cast on the ratification or reJec-
ton of the constitution shall be for the
constitution, irrespective of the articles
separately submitted, the state of South
Dakota shall be admitted as state in
the Union under said constitution as
hereinafter provided; but the archives,
records and books Of the territory of
Dakota shall remain at Bismarck, the
capital of North Dakota, until an agree
ment in reference thereto is reached by
said states. But if at the election for
delegates to the constitutional conven-
ton in South Dakota a majority of all
the votes cast shall be against the Sioux
Falls constitution it shall be the duty of
the convention to form constitution as
if that question had not been submitted
to the people. 1t is made the duty of
the president to admit the four new
states by proclamation, if the constitu-
tions formed are ratified at the elections
to be held on the first Tuesday in Oc-
tober. Each of the new states shall be
entitled to one representative in con-
gress, except South Dakota, which shall
be entitled to two representatives.
Section II provides that all lands
herein granted for educational purposes
shall be disposed of only at public sale,
and at price not less than $40 per acre,
the proceeds to constitute permanent
school fund, the interest of which only
shall be expended in the support of said
| schools. But said lands may under such
regulations as the legislature shall pre-
scribe be leased for periods of not more
than five years, in quantities not ex-
ceeding one section to any one person
or company: and such lands shall not be
| subject to preemption, homestead entry
or any other entry under the land laws
of the United States, whether surveyed
or unsurveyed, but shall be reserved for
school purposes only.
All mineral lands are exempted from
the grants made by the act. The two
Dakotas are to be added to Justice Mil
lers circuit the Eighth) and Washing
ton and Montana to Justice Fields (the
| Ninthl