Year: 1869

read twice, referred to the Committee on
Territories and ordered to be printed.
A BILL to enable the people of Montana to


form a Constitution and State Government,
and for the admission of said State into the
Union on an equal footing with the origl-


nal States


Be IL enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives Of the United States
of america IN Congress assembled. That
the inhabitants of that portion OF Mon
tana included in the boundaries herein>
after designated be, and they are hereby
authorized to form for themselves out OF
said Territory, a State Government with
the name aforesaid, which State, when
formed. shall be admitted into the I'm
ion upon an equal footing with the orig
inal States in all respects whatsoever.


.(Sec. 2, establishes the boundaries as
they now exist, with the exception of an
error extending the southern boundary
out to the vicinity of Mt. Hood. in Ore
gon.-ED)


SEC. 8. And be 1 further enacted,
That all persons qualified by law to vote
for representatives to the general assem-
bly, of said Territory at the date of the
passage of this act shall be qualified to
be elected and they are hereby author
lied to vote for and choose representa-
tives to form a convention under such
rules and regulations as the Governor
of said Territory may prescribe; and
also to vote upon the acceptance or re-
lection of such constitution as may be
formed by said convention, under such
rules and regulations as said convention
may prescribe; and the aforesaid rep
resentatives to form the aforesaid con-
vention shall be apportioned among the
several counties in said Territory in pro-
portion to the population. as near as
may be and said apportionment shall
be made for said Territory by the Gov
ernor, United States district attorney
and Chief Justice thereof, or any two of
them and the Governor of said Terri~
tory shall by proclamation. 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 elec~
tions therein for members of the house
of representatives aud the number of
mem Ders to said convention shall be the
same as now constitute both branches
of the Legislature of the aforesaid Ter
ritory.


SEC. 4. And be IL further enacted,
That the members of the convention
thus elected shall meet at the capital of
said Territory on the first Monday of
July next, and after organization, shall
declare on behalf of the people of said
Territory that they adopt the Constitu-
tion of the United States whereupon
the said convention shall be, and is here
/ L. Il e. fr~rr
and State government for said Terri
tory: PROVIDED, That the constitution
shall be republican in form and make
no distinction in civil or political rights
on account of race color, and not
be repugnant to the Constitution of the
United States and the principles of the
Declaration of Independence: ARd pro-
Uided further, That said convention
shall provide by an ordinance, irrevo-
cable without the consent of the Uni>
ted States and the people of said State:
First. That there shall be neither
slavery nor involuntary servituds in
the said State, otherwise than in the
punishment of crimes, whereof the
party shall have been duly convicted
Second. That perfect toleration of
religious sentiment shall be secured,
and no inhabitant of said State shall
1
on account of his or her mode of re-
\ ligious worship.


Third. That the people 1nhabiting
said Territory do agree and declare that
they forever disclaim all right and title
to the unappropriated public lands ly-
ing 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 belong
ing 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
the State on lands or property therein
belonging to, or which may hereafter
be purchased by, the United States.


SEC. .. And DC a further enacted,
That in case q constitution and State
government shall be formed by the peo-
pie of said Territory of Montana, in com
pliance with the provisions OF this act:
that said convention forming the same
shall provide by ordinance for submit
tug said constitution to the people of
said State for their ratification or reiec-
ton, at an election TO be held on the
hrst Tuesday OF September, one thous.
and eight hundred and sixtysnine, at
such places and under such regulations
as may be prescribed therein, at which
election the lawful voters of said new
State shall vote directly for or against
the proposed constitution; and the re.
turns of said elections shall be made to
the acting Governor of the Territory.
who, with the United States district
attorney and chief Justice of said Ter
ritory, or any two of them, shall cam
vass the same; and If a majority 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 a copy of said constitution and