Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1892-01-19
AN ENABLING ACT.
The Full Text of Delegate Joseph's
Bill as Introduced,
Full Provision for the HOLDING vi
Constitutional Convention and the
Setting in Motion of a state Gov
ernment for New Mexico

SD CONGRESS, LIST SESSION. II. II. oil.
House OF REPRESENTATIVES, /
January Z, 1897
Read twice. referred to the committee
on the territories, and ordered to be print
ed.
Mr.. Joseph introduced the following
bill:
A bill to enable the people OF New Mex
ECO to form q constitutional and state gov
eminent, and to be admitted into the
union on an equal footing with the original
states.
Be it enacted by the senate and house
of representatives OF the United States oil
America in congress assembled, That the
inhabitants of all that part OF the area OF
the United States now constituting the
territory of New Mexico, as at present
described, may become the state OF New
Mexico, as hereinafter provided.
Sec. ?. That all persons who shall
have resided within the limits OF said pro-
posed state for sixty days, and are other
wise qualified by the laws OF said territory
to vote for representatives to the legls'
lative assembly thereof, are hereby author
lied to vote for and choose delegates to
form a convention in said territory and
the qualifications for delegates to such
convention shall be such as, by the laws
of said territory, persons are required to
possess to be e. eligible il to the legislative
apportioned among the several counties
within the limits OF the proposed state, in
proportion to the population of each coun-
ty, by the census of $780, exclusive of all
Indians, upon basis OF one delegate for
each 1000 inhabitants in each county,
and one additional delegate for a fraction
OF over 900 inhabitants therein, the same
to be spportioued as follows: Bernaillo
county, nine delegates Chaves county,
one delegate; Coltax county, four dele
gates Dona Ana county, five delegates
Eddy county, one delegate Grant county,
five delegates; Lincoln county, three
delegates; Mora county, five delegates
Rio Arrba county, six delegates; San
Juan county, one delegate; San Miguel
county, twelve delegates, Santa Fe coun-
ty, seven delegates; Sierra county, two
delegates Socorro county, five delegates
Taos county, five delegates, and Valencia
county, five delegates; seventysx dele
gates in all; and the governor of said
territory shall, by proclamation, order an
election Of the delegates aforesaid in said
! territory, to be held on the Tuesday after
the first Monday in November, 1892,
which proclamation shall be issued with
in thirty days after the passage Of
this act; and such election shall be
conducted, the returns made, the result
ascertaned and the certificates to per
sons elected to such convention issued in
the same manner as is prescribed by the
laws of the said territory regulating cleo
tons therein for delegate to congress. All
persons resident in said proposed state,
who are qualified voters Of said territory,
as herein provided, shall be entitled to
vote upon the election OF delegates and
, upon the ratification or rejection of the
constitution, under such rules and regula-
tons as said convention may prescribe,
not in conflict with this act.
Sec. 3. That he delegates to the con-
| ventiou thus elected shall meet at the seat
of government of said territory on the first
Monday of January, 1893, and, after Or
ganization, shall declare, on behalf of the
people of said proposed state, that they
adopt the constitution OF the United
States whereupon the said convention
, shall be, and is hereby, authorized to form
constitution and state government for
said proposed state. The constitution
shall be Republican in form, and make
} no distinction in civil or political rights on
account OF race or color, except as to In
dams not taxed, and not be repugnant to
the constitution of the United States and
the principles of the declaration of indie
pendence. And said convention shall
, provide, by ordinance irrevocable without
, the consent of the United States and the
, people of said state:
First, the perfect liberation OF religious
; sentiment shall be secured, and that no
| inhabtant of said state shall ever be
moested in person or property on account
OF his or her mode Of religious worship.
Second, that the people inhabting said
proposed state do agree and declare that