The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-03-06
-FOUR new STATES.
Both Houses Pass the Omnibus
Territorial Bill.
The Two Dakotas, Montana and
Washington Admitted.

After years of active endeaVor on the part
of its citizens the Territory of Dakota is to
be clothed with Statehood. She comes into
the Union, however, as two States, and with
Montana and Washington, whose admission
was also permitted by Congress, the number
Of American States will be increased to for
ty.two.
The conference report on the Omnibus
Territorial bill mas been agreed to by both
Senate and House, and it only needed the
signature of the President in order to become
a law.
In the House the adoption of the bill was
greeted with applause, but in the Senate the
provisions of the bill gave rise to some
debate.
Mr. Springer of Illinois, presented the re-
port in the House and Mr.. Platt in the Senate.
the bill as agreed to in conference provides
for the admission of the States of North
Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana and
Washington. The attempt TO induce the
Territory of Washington to accept the name
of Tacoma has been fruitless.
The Territory of Dakota is to be divided
on the line of the seventh standard parallel
produced due west to the western boundary
Of the Territory. The delegates elected to the
Constitutional Convention north of this par
allel shall assemble at Bismarck and those
elected south of the parable at Sioux Falls.
The delegates to the Convention in each OF
the proposed new States shall be elected on
the Tuesday after the first Monday in May
next and shall meet on July 4 and declare
that they adopt the Constitution of the
United States. They are authorized thereupon
to form constitutions and State governments.
1t is provided that ut the election for dele
gates to the Convention in South Dakota the
electors shall vote for or against the Sioux
Falls constitution. If majority of the
votes shall be for the constitution the Con-
vention shall resubmit 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 ques-
tion Of locating the temporary seat of gov
ernment, with such changes only as relate to
the name and boundary of the proposed
State, to the reapportonment OF the
judicial and legislative districts and such
amendments as may be necessary Ill order
to comply with the provisions Of this
act; and if majority of the votes cast
on the ratification or rejection of the copsti-
tuition shall be for the constitution, irrespac-
tive of the articles separately submitted. the
State of South Dakota shall be admitted as
State in the Union under said constitution,
as hereinafter provided; hut the archives,
records and books OF the Territory Of Da,
kota shall remain ut Bismarck, the capital or
North Dakota, until an agreement in refer
ence thereto is reached by said States.
But if at tho election Of delegates to the
Constitutional Convention in South Dakota
a majority of all the votes then cast shall be
against the Sioux Falls constitution it shall
be the duty of the Convention to form
submitted to the people. 1t is made
the duty Of the President to ad-
init the four new States by
proclamation If the constitutions formed are
ratified at the election to be held on the first
Tuesday in October. Each of the new States
shall be entitled to ono Representative in
Congress, except South Dakota, which shall
be entitled to two REPRESENTATIVES,.
Section II provides that all lands herein
granted for educational purposes shall be dis
posed of only at public sale and ut price of
not less than $40 per acre, the proceeds to con-
stitute permanent school fund, tho interest
OF which only shall be expended in the sup
port of said schools But said lands
may under such >, regulations as
the legislatures shall prescribe be
leased for periods of not more than
section to any one person or company: and
such land shall not be subject to pre.emption,
homestead entry or any other entry under
the land laws of the United States, whether
surveyed or unsurveyed, but shall be re
served for school purposes only.
All mineral lands are exempted from the
grants made by the act. The two Dakoras
are to he added to Justice Mier's circuit
tthe Eighth and Washington and Montana
to Justice Fields jthe Ninth).
Ii the anxiety Of the pecpie IN those Terri
tories is as great as it has been repfeSented
to bc, there is 10 reason why North and
South Dakota. Montana, and Washing.
ton should not be States within nine
months, and also be represented by Sem
ators and Representatives in the first regular
session of the Fifty-frst Congress, while the
people living north and south of the seventh
standard parallel. which is to be the bound
ary line between the two Dakotas, are to
have O chance to say whether there shall bel
greater difference than is promised between
ha t,rn