Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 May 1858 — English’s Kansas bill.kvai Kill. [ARTICLE]

English’s Kansas bill.kvai Kill.

The report read as follows: Whereas, The people of Kansas did, by a Convention of Delegates assembled at Lecompton on the 7th day of NoVetnbef, 1857/ for that purpose, form for themselves a constitution and State Government, which Cort' stitution is republican; and Whereas, At the same time .»nd place, said convention did adopt an ordinance which asserts .that Kansas, when admitted as a State, will have an undoubted right to tax the land* within her limits, belonging to the United States, and proposed to relinquish said asserted right, if certain conditions set forth in said ordinance be accepted and agreed by the Congress of the United States; and Whereas, Said constitution and ordinance have been presented to Congress by order of said convention, and the admission of said Territory into the Union as a State thereon requested; and

Whereas, Said ordinance is not acceptable tp Congress, and it is desirable to ascertain whether the people of Kansas concur in the changes in said ordinance hereinafter stated, and desire admission into the Union a» a State as herein proposed; therefore Be it enacted, dj-c., That the State of Kansas be and is hereby admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States in all respects whatever, but upon this fundamental condition precedent, namely: That lhe question of admission with the following proposition in lieu of the ordinance framed at Lecompton, shall be submitted U> the neople of Kansas, and assented to by them, or the majority of the voters voting at the election to be held for that purpose, namely: That the following propositions be and the same are hereby offered to said people of Kansas for their free acception, &c. And be it further enacted, That the following propositions be and the same are hereby offered to the said people of Kansas for their free acceptance or rejection, which, if accepted. shall be obligatory upon the United* States and upon the said State of Kansas, to-wit:

First, That sections numbered sixteen and inJjvery township of public land* in spfd State, and where either of said sections or anW part thereof has been sold or otherwise disposed of, other lands equivalent thereto, ahd as contiguous as may be, shall be granted to said State for the use of schools. Second, That seventy-two section# of land shall be set apart and reserved for the use and support of a-State University, to be selected by the Governor of said State, subject to the approval of the Commissioner of the General Land Office, and to be appropriated and applied in such a manner as the Legislature of the said State nuu,' prescribe for the purpose afo: esaid, but for no other purpose.

Third, That ten entire sections of land, to be selected by the Governor of;said Statb, in legal subdivisions, shall be grafted to said State for thq purpose of completing the public buildings or .for the erection of others at the seat of Government under the direction of the Legislature thereof. Fourth, That all the salt springs, not exceeding twelve in number, with six sections of land adjoining or as contiguous' ns maybe to each, shall be granted to said State f< r its use, the same to be selected fiy the Governor thereof, one year after the admission of said State, and when so selected, to be used or disposed of on such terms, conditions and regulations as the Legislature shall direct; Provided, That no salt spring or land, the right whereof is now vested in any individual or individuals, or which may bo hereafter confirmed cr adjudged to any ’indbT vidual or individuals, shall by this article be granted to said State.

Fifth, That five per centum of the proceeds of the sales of all public lands lying within the said State, which shall be sold byCongress after the admission of the said State into the Union, after deducting all the expenses incident to the same, shall be paid to the said State for the purpose of making public roads and internal improvements, as the Legislature may direct: Provided, That the foregoing propositions herein offered to the State ot Kansas* shall never interfere with the primary disposal of the land of the. United States, or with any r gulalions Congress may find necessary lor securing title in said soil to bona fide purchasers thereof, and that no tax shall be imposed on land belonging to the United States, and that in no case shall non-resident proprietors be taxed higher than resident. Sixth, And that said State shall never tax the binds and property of the United States. Sec. 1. That the State of Kansas be and is hereby admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, with the constitution framed at Lecompton, andthis admission of her into the Union is here declared to be upon this fundamental condition precedent, namely: That the said constitutional instrument shall be first submitted to a vote of the people of Kansas and assented to by them or a majority of the voters, at an election to be held for tnat purpose. At the said election the voting shall be by ballot and by indorsing cn his ballot, as each voter may please, “For proposition of Congress and admission,” or, “Against proposition of Congress and admission.” The President of the United States, as soon as the fact is duly known to him, shall announce the same by proclamation, and thereafter and without any further proceedings on the prijt of Congress, the admission of the State of Kansas into the

Union on an equal fooling with the original States, in all respects whatever, shall be complete and absolute; and said State shall be entitled to one member in the House of Representatives in the Congress of the United States, until the next census shall be taken by the Federal Government. But should a majority of the votes be cast for “proposition rejected,” it shall be deemed and held that the people do not desire admission into the Union with said Constitu-

tion, under the conditions set forth in said proposition; and in that event the people of said Territory are hereby authorized and empowered to form for themselves a constitution and State Government by the name ot the State of Kansas, according to the Federal Constitution, and may elect delegates for that purpose whenever and not before it is ascertained! by a census duly and legally taken, thnt the population of said Territory equal* the ratio of representation required for a member of the House of Representatives of the United States; and whenever thereafter such delegates shall assemble’in cenvention, they shall first determine

whether it is tlie wish of the people of the proposed State to be admitted at that time, «np if so, shall proceed to form a constitution and take all necessary steps for the establishment of a State Government, in. conformity with the Federal Constitution, subject to such limitations and restrictions as to the mode and manner of its approval or ratification by Jhe people of the proposed , State, as they may have prescribed by law, wnd shall be entitled to admission into the Vnion as a State under such constitution, thus fairly and legally made, with or without slavery, as said constitution may prescribe. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That for the purpose of insuring, as far as possible, that the elections authorized by this act may be fair and free, the Governor. United States District Attorney and Secretary of the Territory of Kansas, and the presiding s officers <of the two branches of its Legislature,

namely: the President of the Council and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, -ire hereby constituted a Board of Commissioners to carry into effect the provisions of this det, and to use all means' and proper to that end. Any three of them shall constitute a board; and the board shall hive power and authority to designate and establish precincts for voting or to adopt those already established; to cause polls to be opened at such places as it may deem proper in the respective counties and precincts of said Territory; to appoint, as judges of election at each of the several places of voting, three discreet and respectable persons, any two of whom shall be competent to act; to require the sheriffs of the several counties, by themselves or deputies, to attend the judges at each of the places of voting, for the purpose of preserving peace and good order, or the said board ma/, instead of said sheriffs anil their deputies,.appoint, at their discretion and in such instances as they may choose, other fit persons for the same purpose. The election hereby authorized shall continue for one day only, and shall not be continued later than sundown on that day. The board s tall appoint the day for holding said election, and said Governor shall announce the same by proclamation, and the day shall be as early a one as consistent with due notice thereof to the people of said Territory, subject to the decision of this act. The said, board shall have full power to prescribe the time, manner and place of said election, and to direct the time and manner of the returns thereof, which returns shall be made to said board, whose duty it shall be to announce the result by proclamation and said Governor shall certify the same to the President of the United States without delav.-

Sec/3. And be it further enacted,. That in the election hereby authorized all whtt-e----male inhabitants of said Territory, over the age of twenty-one years,.who possess the qualifications which were required by the laws of said Territory for a legal voter at the last general election for members of the Territorial Legislature, and none others, shall be allowed to vote; and -this shall be the only qualification required to entitle citizens to the right of suffrage in said elections, and if any person not so qualified shall •vote, or offer to vote, or if any person shall vote more than once at said election, or shall make,,or cause to be made, any .false, fictitious or fraudulent returns, or shall alter or change any returns of said election, such person shall, upon conviction thereof before any court of competent jurisdiction, be kept nt hard labor not less than six months and not more than three years. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the members of the aforesaid Board of Commissioners und all persons appointed by them to carry into effect the provisions of this act,

shall, before entering upon their duties, take an oath to perform faithfully the "duties of their respective offices; andon failure there‘af they shall he liable and subject to the same charges and penalties as are provided in like cases under the Territorial laws. ■ Sec. 5. And be it f urther enacted, That the officers mentioned in the preceding section shall receive for their services the same compensation as is given for like services under the Territorial laws.

O^7” A trial of speed for fifty dollars a side, between a horse and a locomotive came off at St. Thomas, Canada West, last week. The distance was 80 rods, and the horse came in as winner by half a length..

O^7”A Washington-letter writer says that he is informed-by the War Department that there art twelve hundred applicant?® for a single Lieutenancy in the army, now vacant.