The daily progressive-miner., 1916-04-08
BILL TO MAKE
 ALASKA ASTATE
INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS BY DELEGATE WICkERSHAM
 MARCH 30, 1916.

ceipt of a copy of the bill introduc ed in the House of Representative March 30, 1916, by Delegate Wick ersham, for the purpose of makini Alaska State, authorizing tn people to form a constitution an, State government. In view of tn fact that the people have taken al interest in the matter, the publi cation of the bill in it's entirety i thought to be timely. The bil 1 follows:
 H. R. I397S.
 In The House of Representatives,
 March 30, 1916.
 A Bill to enable the people of Al
 aska to form a constitution ant
 a State government, and for tht
 admission of such State into tn,
 Union on an equal footing witt
 the original States:
 Bt it enacted by the Senate ant House of Representatives of the United States of America in Con gress assembled,
 Section 1. Authority to Form titution-Indians. That the people of the Territory of Alaska be-. and they are hereby, authorized to form for themselves a constitu- tion and State government, under the name of the State of Alaska. which State, when so formed, shall be admitted into the Union as hereinafter provided: Provided, That nothing contained in the said con- stitution shall be construed to linn 1t or impair the rights of persons or property pertaining to the In- dians of said Territory (so long as such rights shall remain unextin- guished), or to limit or effect the authority of the Government of the United States to make any law or regulation respecting such h. dians, their lands, property, or oth- CT rights. by treaty, agreement. law, or otherwise. which it would have been competent to make if this Act had not been passed.
 Sec. 2 Election-Delegates.-That all persons who are citizens of the United States and otherwise quali- fed by the laws in force in the Territory of Alaska to vote for representatives to the legislature therein are hereby authorized to vote for and choose delegates to the constitutional convention here in provided for; and all persons qualified to vote for said delegates shall be eligible to election and to serve as delegates in said conven- ton; that said convention shall consist of forty-nine delegates. twelve from each of the four judi cial divisions into which Alaska is now divided by Acts of Congress. and one at large; the delegate thus elected at large shall be the presi- dent of the convention.
 Sec. 3. Date of Election.-The election for choosing the said dele gates to the said constitutional convention shall be held on the date of the first election for dele gate to Congress after the passage and approval of this Act; the elec- tion shall be conducted, the re- turns made, the results ascertained. and he certificates of all delegates elected to such convention issued. and all violations of the election laws punished by the same law and in the same manner as is now prescribed by the law in the Terri tory of Alaska in the election of the Delegate to Congress.
 Sec. 4. Date of Meeting-Sixty Days Service-Form of Constitu- tion-Civil Rights.-That the dele gates to the convention thus elect ed shall meet and organize at the seat of government in the town of Juneau, Alaska, on the first Monday in May following their election; but they shall not receive compensation for more than sixty days of service, and, after organi- zation, 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, and is here by authorized to, form a constitu- tion and State ovenment for said proposed State. The constitution shall be republican in form and make no distinction in civil CT political rights on account of sex race, or color, and shall not be repugnant to the Constitution of the United States and the principles of the Declaration of Independence
 Sec. ,. Religious Liberty-Public Domain-Indians-Territorial Debts Public Schools-Civil Rights.-The said convention shall provide 1T