Year: 1864

AN ACT TO enable the people Of Nr-


vada to form q constitution and


State government, and for the adj


mission of such State into the I'm


ion on an equal footing with the


original States.


BE 1t enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives. IF the United States Of
america an Congress assembled, That
the inhabitants of that portion Of tho
Territory of Nevada included in the
boundaries hereinafter designated be
and they are hereby authorized t0
form for themselves, out of said Terri
tory, a State government, with the
name aforesaid, which said State.
when formed, shall be admitted into
the Union upon an equal footing with
the original States in all respects
wha tsocver. .Hn -.... H."


Sec. 2. And be IL further enacted,
That the said State of Nevada SHAH
consist of all the territory included
within the following boundaries, to-
wit: Commencing at a point formed
by the intersection Of the thirty-eightlr
degree of longitude west from Wash
ington with the thirty-seventh degree
of north latitude thence due west
along said thrty-seventh degree of
north latitude to the eastern boundary
line of the State of California thence
in "A northwesterly direction along tho
said eastern boundary line of the
State of California to the forty-;hird
degree of longitude west from WASH
ington thence north along said forty
third degree of west longitude and
said eastern boundary line of the
State of California TO the forty-secand
degree Of north latitude /; thence iuc
cast along the said forty-second de-
gree of north latitude TO point form
ed by its intersection with the aiorc-
said thirty-eighth degree of longitude
west from Washington thence duo
south down said thfrty-eighth degree
Of west longitude TO the place of lie.
ginning.


Sec. 8. And Je ii further enacted,
That all persons qualified by law to-
vote for representatives to the gencr-
al assembly Of said Territory at the
date of the passage of this act shall
be qualified TO be elected, and they
are authorized 10 vote for and choose
representatives, TO form a convention,
nnder such rules and regulations as
The governor of said Territory may
prescribe and also TO vote upon the
acceptance or rejection OF such con-
stitution as may be formed by said
convention, under such rules and reg
ulations as the said convention may
prescribe and if any Of said citizens
are enlisted in the army Of the United
States, and are still within said Terri
tory. they shall be permitted to vote
at their place Of rendezvous and LifI
any are absent from said Territory,
by reason of their enlistment in the
army Of the United States, they shalt
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 represen-
tatives to form the aforesaid conven-
tion shall be apportioued among the
several counties in said Territory in
proportion to the population as near
as may be and said apportionmcnt
shall be made for said Territory by
the governor, United States district
attorney, and chief justice thereof, or
any two of them and the governor
of said Territory shall, by proclama-
tion on or before the first Monday Of
May next, order an election of the
representatives as aforesaid to be held
on the first Monday in June thereaf-
ter throughout the Territory, and such
election shall be conducted in the same
manner as is prescribed 10y the laws
of said Territory regulating elections
therein for members Of the House Of
Representatives, and the number of
members to said convention shall be
the same as now constitute both
branches Of the Legislature of the
aforesaid Territory.


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
in July next, and after organization,
shall declare, OH behalf of tho people
of said Territory, that they adopt the
Constitution of the United States.
Whereupon the said convention shall
be, and it is hereby, authorized to form
a constitution and State government
for said Territory: Prorided, That
the constitution, when formed, shalt
be republican, and not repuSnant TO
d ,.e
and the principles of the Declara ton
of Independence 1Rd prorided, fnrth-
er, That said convention shall provide.
by an ordinance irrevocable without
the consent of the United States and
the people Of said State;


First That there shall be neither
slavery nor involuntary servitudc in
the said State, otherwise than in the
punishment of crimes, whereof tho
party shall have been duly convicted.


Second That perfect federation of
religious sentiment shall be secured,
and no inhabitant of said State shall
ever be molested in person or proper
ty on account of his or her mode Of
religious worship.


Third. That the people inhabiting
said Territory do agree and 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 aud 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