Year: 1864

DEC. D. ana 0e JHftaef eRdCteI,
That all persons qualified by law to-
vote for representatives to the Gener-
al Assembly of said Territory shall DO
qualified to be elected and they ars
hereby authorized TO vote for and
choose representatives to form Con-
vention, under such rules and regula-
tions as the Governor Of said Tcrrito-
ry may prescribe, and also to vote up
on the acceptance or rejection of such
constitution as may be formed by said
Convention, under such rules aud reg
ulations as said Convention may pre-
scribe and if any Of said citizens
are enlisted in the army of the United


States, aud are still within said Terri


tory, they shall DC permitted to vote
at their place of rendezvous and If
any arc absent from said Territory,
by reason of their enlistment in the
army Of the United States, they shall
be permitted to vote at their place Of
service, under the rules and regula-
tions in each case TO be prescribed as
aforesaid /; and the aforesaid reprcsen-
tatives to form the aforesaid Conven-
tion shall be apportioned among the
several counties in said Territory in
proportion to the population as near
as may be, and said apportionment
shall be made for said Territory by
the governor, United States district
attorney, and chief justice thereof, or
any two of them. And the governos
of said Territory, shall, by proclama-
tion, on or before the first Monday Of
May next, order an election of the
representatives aforesaid to be held
on the first Monday in June thereafter
throughout the Territory and such
election shall be conducted in the same
manner as is prescribed by the laws
OF said Territory regulating elections
therein for members of the House of
Representatives and the number of
members to said Convention shall bs
the same as now constitute both
branches Of tue Legislature of tho
aforesaid Territory.


Sec. 4. 1Aad Be IL further enacted.
That the members of the Convention
thus elected shall meet at the capital
of said Territory on the first Monday
in July next, and after organization
shall declare, Oh behalf of the people
OF said Territory. that they adopt the
Of the United States
wherenpon the said Convention shall
be and is hereby authorized to form a
constitution and State Government
Prorldsa, That the constitution when
formed shall be republican, and not re-
pugnant to the Constitution of the
United States and the principles of
the Declaration of Independence: Aad
prorided, farther, That said constitu-
tion shall provide. by an article forev-
er irrevocab!e, without the consent Of
the Congress of the United States:


First. That slavery or involuntary
servitude shall be forever prohibited
in said State.


Second. That perfect federation of
religious sentiment shall be secured.
aud no inhabitant of said State s..aM,. s,M,.
ever be molested in person or property
on account of his OF her mode of re-
ligious worship.


Third. That the people inhabiting
said Territory do agree aud declare
that they forever disclaim all right
and title to the unappropriated public
lands lying within said Territory, and
that the same shall be and remain at
the sole and entire disposition of the
United States, and that the lands be-
longing TO citizens of the United
States residing without the said State
shall never be taxed higher than the
land belonging to residents thereof;
and that no taxes shall be imposed by
said State on lands or property there
in belonging to or which may hereaf-
ter be purchased by the United States.


Sec. S. And Be It further enacted.
That in case constitution aud State
Government shall he formed for tho
people Of said Territory Of Nebraska.
in compliance with the provisions Of
this act, that said Convention forming
the same shall provide by ordinance
for submitting said constitution to the
people of said State for their ratifica-
tion Or rejection at an election to b0
held on the second Tuesday of Octo-
ber. one thousand eight hundred aud
sixty-four, at such places and under
such regulations as may be prescribed
therein, at which election the qualified
voters. as hereinbefore provided, shall
vote directly for or against the pro-
posed constitution, and the returns Of
said elections shall be made to the act
ing governor of the Territory. who.
together with the United States dis
trict attorney and chief justice of tho
said Territory, or any two Of them,
shall canvass tho same. and if a ma
jority Of legal votes shall be cast for
said constitution in said proposed
State. the said acting governor shall
certify the same to the President Of
the United States. together with u
copy Of said constitution and ordinan-
ces whereupon it shall be the duty
Of the President of the United States
to issue his proclamation declaring
the State admitted into the Union on
an equal footing with the original
States, without any further action
whatever on the part OF Congress.


Sec. g. And be 1t further enacted.
That until the next general census
shall be taken said State of Nebraska
shall be entitled to one Representative
in the House of representatives Of
the United States. which Representa-
tive, together with the Governor and
State aud other officers provided for
in said constitution, may be elected
on the same day vote il taken for
or against the proposed constitution
and State Government.


Sec. I. Aad Be 1t further enacted.
That sections numbered sixteen and
thirty-six in every township. and when
such sections have been sold or other
wise disposed of by any act OF Con.
gress, other lands equivalent thereto.
in legal subdivisions Of not less than
one quarter section. and as contign-
GUS as may be, shall be and ate hes0-