Topeka Constitution

CONSTITUTION OF KANSAS—1855^[1]

preamble

We, the people of the Territory of Kansas, by our delegates in convention assembled, at Topeka, on the 23d day of October, A. D. 1855, and of the independence of the United States the eightieth year, having the right of admission into the Union as one of the United States of America, consistent with the Federal Constitution, and by virtue of the treaty of cession by France to the United States of the province of Louisiana, in order to secure to ourselves and our posterity the enjoyment of all the rights of life, liberty, and property, and the free pursuits of happiness, do mutually agree with each other to form ourselves into a free and independent State, by the name and style of the State of Kansas, bounded as follows, to wit: Beginning at a point on the western boundary of the State of Missouri where the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude crosses the same; thence west on said parallel to the eastern boundary of New Mexico; thence north on said boundary to latitude thirty-eight; thence following said boundary westward to the eastern boundary of the Territory of Utah, on the summit of the Rocky Mountains; thence northward on said summit to the fortieth parallel of latitude; thence east on said parallel to the western boundary of the State of Missouri; thence south with the western boundary of said State to the place of beginning; and do ordain and establish the following constitution and bill of rights for the government thereof:

Article I
bill of rights

Section 1. All men are by nature free and independent, and have certain inalienable rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and seeking and obtaining happiness and safety.

Sec. 2. All political power is inherent in the people. Government is instituted for their equal protection and benefit; and they have the right to alter, reform, or abolish the same whenever they may deem it necessary; and no special privileges or immunities shall ever be granted that may not be altered, revoked, or repealed by the general assembly.

Sec. 3. The people have the right to assemble together, in a peaceable manner, to consult for their common good, to instruct their representatives, and to petition the general assembly for the redress of grievances.

Sec. 4. The people have the right to bear arms for their defence and security; but standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty and shall not be kept up; and the military shall be kept in strict subordination to the civil power.

Sec. 5. The right of trial by jury shall be inviolate.

Sec. 6. There shall be no slavery in this State, nor involuntary servitude, unless for the punishment of crime.

Sec. 7. All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience. No person shall be compelled to attend, erect, or support any place of worship, or maintain any form of worship against his consent; and no preference shall be given by law to any religious society, nor shall any interference with the rights of conscience be permitted. No religious test shall be required as a qualification for office, nor shall any person be incompetent to be a witness on account of his religious belief; but nothing herein shall be construed to dispense with oaths and affirmations. Religion, morality, and knowledge, however, being essential to good government, it shall be the duty of the general assembly to pass suitable laws to protect every religious denomination in the peaceable enjoyment or its own mode of public worship, and to encourage schools and the means of instruction.

Sec. 8. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless, in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety requires it.

Sec. 9. All persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, unless for capital offences, where the proof is evident or the presumption great. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Sec. 10. Except in cases of impeachment, and cases arising in the Army and Navy, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger, and in cases of petit larceny and other inferior offences, no person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime unless on presentment or indictment of a grand jury. In any trial in any court, the party accused shall be allowed to appear and defend in person and with counsel, to demand the nature and cause of the accusation against him, and to have a copy thereof; to meet the witnesses face to face, and to have compulsory process to procure the attendance of witnesses in his behalf, and a speedy public trial, by an impartial jury of the county or district in which the offence is alleged to have been committed; nor shall any person be compelled, in any criminal case, to be a witness against himself, or be twice put in jeopardy for the same offence.

Sec. 11. Every citizen may freely speak, write, and publish his sentiments on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of the right; and no law shall be passed to restrain or abridge the liberty of speech, or of the press. In all criminal prosecutions or indictments for libel, the truth may be given in evidence to the jury, and if it shall appear to the jury that the matter charged as libellous is true and was published with good motives and for justifiable ends, the party shall be acquitted.

Sec. 12. No person shall be transported out of the State for any offence committed within the same; and no conviction shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture of estate.

Sec. 13. No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, except in a manner prescribed by law.

Sec. 14. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and possessions against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated; and no warrant shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons and things to be seized.

Sec. 15. No person shall be imprisoned for debt in any civil action, or mesne or final process, unless in case of fraud.

Sec. 16. All courts shall be open; and every person, for an injury done him in his land, goods, person, or reputation, shall have remedy by due course of law, and justice administered without denial or delay.

Sec. 17. No hereditary emoluments, honors, or privileges shall ever be granted or conferred by this State.

Sec. 18. No power of suspending laws shall ever be exercised except by the general assembly.

Sec. 19. The payment of a tax shall not be a qualification for exercising the right of suffrage.

Sec. 20. Private property shall ever be held inviolate, but subservient to the public welfare. When taken in time of war, or other public exigency imperatively requiring its immediate seizure, or for the purpose of making or repairing roads, which shall be open to the public use, without toll or other charge therefor, a compensation shall be made to the owner in money; and in all other cases where private property shall be taken for public use, a compensation therefor shall first be made in money, or first secured by a deposit of money, and such compensation shall be assessed by a jury, without deduction for benefits to any property of the owner.

Sec. 21. No indenture of any negro, or mulatto, made and executed out of the bounds of the State shall be valid within the State.

Sec. 22. This enumeration of rights shall not be construed to impair or deny others retained by the people; and all powers not herein delegated shall remain with the people.

Article II
elective franchise

Section 1. In all elections by the people, the vote shall be by ballot, and in all elections in the general assembly the vote shall be viva voce.

Sec. 2. Every white male person, and every civilized male Indian who has adopted the habits of the white man, of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, who shall be at the time of offering to vote a citizen of the United States; who shall have resided and had his habitation, domicile, home, and place of permanent abode in the State of Kansas for six months next preceding the election at which he offers to vote; who, at such time, and for thirty days immediately preceding said time, shall have had his actual habitation, domicile, home, and place of permanent abode in the county in which he offers to vote, and who shall have resided in the precinct or election-district for at least ten days immediately preceding the election, shall be deemed a qualified elector at all elections under this constitution, except in elections by general ticket in the State or district prescribed by law, in which case the elector must have the aforesaid qualifications, but a residence in said district for ten days will entitle him to vote: Provided, That no soldier, seaman, or marine, of the regular Army or Navy of the United States, shall be considered a resident of the State in consequence of being stationed within the same.

Sec. 3. The general assembly shall, at its first session, provide for the registration of all qualified electors in each county, and thereafter, from time to time, of all who may become qualified electors.

Sec. 4. The legislature shall have power to exclude from every office of honor, trust, or profit within the State, and from the right of suffrage, all persons convicted of any infamous crime.

Sec. 5. No person shall be deemed capable of holding or being elected to any post of honor, profit, trust, or emolument, civil or military, or exercise the right of suffrage under the government of this State, who shall hereafter fight a duel, send or accept a challenge to fight a duel, or who shall be a second to either party, or who shall in any manner aid or assist in such duel, or who shall be knowingly the bearer of such challenge or acceptance, whether the same occur or be committed in or out of the State.

Sec. 6. No person who may hereafter be collector or holder of public moneys shall be eligible to any office of trust or profit in the State until he shall have accounted for and paid into the proper public treasury all sums for which he may be accountable.

Sec. 7. No State officer or member of the general assembly of this State shall receive a fee, be engaged as counsel, agent, or attorney in any case or claim against the State.

Sec. 8. No senator or representative shall, during the term of office for which he shall have been elected, be appointed to any civil office of profit in this State which shall have been created or the emoluments of which shall have been increased during such term, except such offices as may be filled by election by the people.

Sec. 9. All officers, civil and military, in this State, before they enter upon the duties of their respective offices, shall take the following oath or affirmation: “I, —— ——, do swear [or affirm] that I will support the Constitution of the United States and of the State of Kansas; that I am duly qualified according to the Constitution to exercise the office to which I have been elected, [or appointed,] and will, to the best of my abilities, discharge the duties thereof faithfully and impartially, according to law.”

Sec. 10. Every person shall be disqualified from holding any office of honor or profit in this State who shall have been convicted of having given or offered any bribe to procure his election, or who shall have made use of any undue influence from power, tumult, or other improper practices.

Sec. 11. All civil officers of the State shall reside within the State, and all district and county officers within their respective districts and counties, and shall have their offices at such places therein as may be required by law.

Sec. 12. Returns of elections for members of Congress, the general assembly, and all other officers not otherwise provided for shall be made to the secretary of state, in such manner as may be prescribed by law.

Sec. 13. Electors shall in all cases be privileged from arrest during their attendance on elections, and in going to and returning therefrom, except in case of felony, treason, and breach of the peace.

Article III
distribution of powers

Section 1. The powers of the government shall be divided into three separate departments, the legislative, the executive, including the administrative, and the judicial; and no person charged with official duties under one of these departments shall exercise any of the functions of another, except as in this constitution expressly provided.

Article IV
legislative

Section 1. The legislative power of this State shall be vested in the general assembly, which shall consist of a senate and house of representatives.

Sec. 2. The senators and representatives shall be chosen annually, by the qualified electors of the respective counties or district for which they are chosen, on the first Monday of August, for one year, and their term of office shall commence on the first day of January next thereafter.

Sec. 3. There shall be elected at the first election twenty senators and sixty representatives, and the number afterwards shall be regulated by law.

Sec. 4. No person shall be eligible to the office of senator or representative who shall not possess the qualifications of an elector.

Sec. 5. No person holding office under the authority of the United States, or any lucrative office under the authority of this State, shall be eligible to, or have a seat in, the general assembly; but this provision shall not extend to township officers, justices of the peace, notaries public, postmasters, or officers of the militia.

Sec. 6. Each house, except as otherwise provided in this constitution, shall choose its own officers, determine its own rule of proceeding, punish its members for disorderly conduct, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member, but not the second time for the same cause; and shall judge of the qualification, election, and return of its own members, and shall have all other powers necessary for its safety and the undisturbed transaction of business.

Sec. 7. Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings and publish the same. The yeas and nays on any question shall, at the request of two members, be entered on the journal.

Sec. 8. Any member of either house shall have the right to protest against any act or resolution thereof; and such protest and reason therefor shall, without alteration, commitment, or delay, be entered on the journal.

Sec. 9. All vacancies which may occur in either house shall, for the unexpired term, be filled by election as shall be prescribed by law.

Sec. 10. Senators and representatives shall in all cases, except treason, felony, or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during the session of the general assembly, and in going to and returning from the same; and for words spoken in debate they shall not be questioned in any other place.

Sec. 11. A majority of all the members elected to each house shall be necessary to pass every bill or joint resolution, and all bills and joint resolutions so passed shall be signed by the presiding officers of the respective houses, and presented to the governor for his approval.

Sec. 12. The doors of each house and of committees of the whole shall be kept open. Neither house shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than two days, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be sitting, except for personal safety.

Sec. 13. Every bill shall be read by sections on three several days in each house, unless in case of emergency. Two-thirds of the house where such bill is pending may, if deemed expedient, suspend the rule on a call of the yeas and nays; but the reading of a bill by sections, on its final passage, shall in no case be dispensed with; and the vote on the passage of every bill or joint resolution shall be taken by yeas and nays.

Sec. 14. Every act shall contain but one subject, which shall be clearly expressed in its title. Bills may originate in either house, but may be altered, amended, or rejected by the other.

Sec. 15. In all cases when a general law can be made applicable, special laws shall not be enacted.

Sec. 16. No act shall ever be revived or amended by mere reference to its title; but the act revived or the section amended shall be set forth and published at full length.

Sec. 17. No act shall take effect until the same shall have been published and circulated in the counties of the State, by authority, except in case of emergency, which emergency shall be declared in the preamble or the body of the law.

Sec. 18. The election and appointment of all officers, and the filling of all vacancies not otherwise provided for by this constitution or the Constitution of the United States, shall be made in such manner as shall be prescribed by law; but no appointing power shall be exercised by the general assembly, except as provided in this constitution, and in the election of the United States Senator, and in these cases the vote shall be taken viva voce.

Sec. 19. The general assembly shall not have power to enact laws annulling the contract of marriage in any case where, by law, the courts of this State may have power to decree a divorce.

Sec. 20. The general assembly shall not have power to pass retroactive laws, or laws impairing the obligation of contracts; but may, by general laws, authorize courts to carry into effect, upon such terms as shall be just and equitable, the manifest intention of parties and officers, by curing omissions, defects, and errors in instruments and proceedings, arising out of a want of conformity with the laws of this State.

Sec. 21. The style of the laws of this State shall be, “Be it enacted by the general assembly of the State of Kansas.”

Sec. 22. The house of representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment. All impeachments shall be tried by the senate, and, when sitting for the purpose, the senators shall be upon oath or affirmation to do justice according to law and evidence. No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of all the senators present.

Sec. 23. The governor and all other civil officers under the laws of this State shall be liable to impeachment for any misdemeanor in office, but judgment in such cases shall not extend further than to removal from office, and disqualification to hold any office of honor, profit, or trust under this State. The party, whether convicted or acquitted, shall, nevertheless, be liable to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment according to law.

Sec. 24. Within one year after the ratification of this constitution, and within every subsequent two years thereafter, for the term of ten years, an enumeration of all the white inhabitants of this State shall be made in such manner as shall be directed by law.

Sec. 25. All regular sessions of the general assembly shall be held at the capital of the State, and shall commence on the first Tuesday of January, annually.

Sec. 26. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the house of representatives, subject, however, to amendment or rejection as in other cases.

Sec. 27. The members of the general assembly shall receive for their services the sum of four dollars per day for each and every day they are actually in attendance at any regular or special session, and four dollars for every twenty miles they shall travel in going to and returning from the place of meeting, by the most usually traveled route; and no session of the general assembly, except the first under this constitution, shall extend beyond the term of sixty days, nor any special session more than forty days.

Article V
executive

Section 1. The executive department shall consist of a governor, a lieutenant-governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, and attorney-general, who shall be chosen by the electors of the State at the same time and place of voting for the members of the general assembly.

Sec. 2. The governor, lieutenant-governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney-general, and State printer shall hold their office for two years. Their terms of office shall commence on the first Tuesday of January next after their election, and continue until their successors are elected and qualified, neither of which officers shall be eligible for reëlection more than two out of three consecutive terms; nor shall any person be eligible for the office of governor who shall not have attained the age of thirty years.

Sec. 3. The returns of every election for the officers named in the foregoing section shall be sealed up and transmitted to the seat of government by the returning-officers, directed to the secretary of state, who shall lay the same before the general assembly at their first meeting thereafter, when they shall open, publish, and declare the result thereof, in the presence of a majority of the members of both houses. The person having the highest number of votes shall be declared duly elected, and a certificate thereof given to such person, signed by the presiding officers of both bodies; but if any two or more shall be highest and equal in votes for the same office, one of them shall be chosen by the joint vote of both houses.

Sec. 4. The supreme executive power shall be vested in a governor.

Sec. 5. He may require information in writing from the officers in the executive department, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices, and shall see that the laws are faithfully executed.

Sec. 6. He shall communicate, at every session, by message, to the general assembly, the condition of the affairs of the State, and recommend such measures as he shall deem expedient for their action.

Sec. 7. He may, on extraordinary occasions, convene the general assembly by proclamation and shall state to both houses, when assembled, the purposes for which they were convened.

Sec. 8. In case of disagreement between the two houses in respect to the time of adjournment, he shall have power to adjourn the general assembly to such time as he may think proper, but not beyond the regular meetings thereof.

Sec. 9. He shall be commander-in-chief of the military in the State, except when they shall be called into the service of the United States.

Sec. 10. The pardoning power shall be vested in the governor under such regulations and restrictions as may be prescribed by law

Sec. 11. There shall be a seal of the State, the device of which shall be fixed upon by the governor and other State officers, be kept by the governor and used by him officially, and shall be called “The Great Seal of the State of Kansas.”

Sec. 12. All grants and commissions shall be used in the name and by the authority of the State of Kansas, sealed with the great seal, signed by the governor, and countersigned by the secretary of state.

Sec. 13. No member of either house of Congress, or other person holding office under the authority of this State or of the United States, shall execute the office of governor except as herein provided.

Sec. 14. In the case of death, impeachment, resignation, removal, or other disability of the governor, the lieutenant-governor shall exercise the duties of the office of governor until another governor shall be duly qualified; but in such case another governor shall be chosen at the next annual election for members of the general assembly, unless such death, resignation, impeachment, removal, or other disability shall occur within three calendar months immediately preceding such next annual election, in which case a governor shall be chosen at the second succeeding annual election for members of the general assembly; and in case of the death, impeachment, resignation, removal, or other disability of the lieutenant-governor, the president of the senate pro tempore shall exercise the office of governor until a governor snail be duly qualified as aforesaid.

Sec. 15. The lieutenant-governor shall be president of the senate, but shall vote only when the senate is equally divided, and shall be entitled to the same pay as the speaker of the house of representatives, and in case of his death, impeachment, resignation, removal from office, or when he shall exercise the office of governor, the senate shall choose a president pro tempore.

Sec. 16. Should the office of secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, or attorney-general become vacant, for any of the causes specified in the fourteenth and fifteenth sections, the governor shall fill the vacancy or vacancies until the disability is removed or a successor is elected and qualified. Every such vacancy shall be filled by election, at the first general election that occurs more than thirty days after such vacancy shall have occurred, and the person chosen shall hold the office for the full term fixed in the second section of this article.

Sec. 17. The officers mentioned in this article shall, at stated times, receive for their services compensation to be fixed by law, which shall neither be increased or diminished during the period for which they shall have been elected.

Sec. 18. The officers of the executive department and of the public State institutions shall, at least ten days preceding each regular session of the general assembly, severally report to the governor, who shall transmit the same to the general assembly.

Sec. 19. Every bill which shall have passed both houses shall be presented to the governor. If he approve, he shall sign the same, but if he shall not approve, he shall return it with his objections to the house in which it snail have originated, who shall enter the objections at large upon the journal, and proceed to reconsider the same. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds of that house shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent with the objections to the other house, by which, likewise, it shall be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of that house it shall be a law. But in such case, the votes of both houses shall be determined, by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for or against the bill shall be entered upon the journals of each house respectively. If any bill shall not be returned by the governor within five days (Sunday excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, it shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the general assembly, by their adjournment, prevented its return, in which case it shall also be a law, unless sent back within two days after the next meeting.

Sec. 20. Contested elections for governor, lieutenant-governor, judges of the supreme court, and all other State officers, shall be determined by the general assembly, in such manner as may be prescribed by law.

Sec. 21. The general assembly shall have power to provide by law for the election of a surveyor-general, State geologist, and superintendent of common schools, whose duties shall be prescribed by law.

Article VI
judicial

Section 1. The judicial power of the State shall be vested in a supreme court, courts of common pleas, justices of the peace, and in such other courts inferior to the supreme court as the general assembly may establish.

Sec. 2. The supreme court shall consist of three judges, a majority of whom shall form a quorum. It shall have such original and appellate jurisdiction as may be provided by law. It shall hold at least one term each year, at the seat of government, and such other terms as may be provided by law. The judges of the supreme court shall be elected by the electors of the State at large.

Sec. 3. The State shall be divided by the first general assembly under this constitution into three common-pleas districts of compact territory, bounded by county lines, and as nearly equal in population as practicable; and a judge for each district shall be chosen by the electors thereof, and their term of office shall be for three years.

Sec. 4. The courts of common pleas shall consist of one judge each, who shall reside within the district for which he is chosen during his continuance in office.

Sec. 5. The jurisdiction of the court of common pleas, and of the judges thereof, shall be fixed by law.

Sec. 6. A competent number of justices of the peace shall be elected by the electors in each township of the several counties. The term of office shall be three years, and their powers and duties shall be fixed by law.

Sec. 7. All judges, other than those provided for in the constitution, shall be elected by the electors of the judicial district for which they may be created, but not for a longer term of office than three years.

Sec. 8. The judges of the supreme court shall, immediately after the first election under this constitution, be classified by lot, so that one shall hold for the term of one year, one for the term of two years, and one for the term of three years, and at all subsequent elections the term of each of said judges shall be for three years.

Sec. 9. In case the office of any judge shall become vacant before the expiration of the term for which he was elected, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the governor until a successor shall be elected and qualified; and such successor shall be elected for the residue of the unexpired term at the first annual election that occurs more than thirty days after such vacancy shall have happened.

Sec. 10. The judges of the supreme court and of the courts of common pleas shall, at stated times, receive such compensation as may be provided by law, which shall not be increased or diminished during their term of office, but they shall receive no fees or perquisites, nor hold any other office of profit and trust under the State, other than a judicial office.

Sec. 11. The general assembly may increase or diminish the number of the judges of the supreme court, the number of the districts of the courts of common pleas, the number of judges in any district, or establish other courts whenever two-thirds of the members elected to each house shall concur therein, but no such change, addition, or diminution shall vacate the office of any judge.

Sec. 12. There shall be elected in each county, by the electors thereof, one clerk of the court of common pleas, who shall hold his office for the term of three years, and until his successor shall be elected and qualified.

Sec. 13. The general assembly shall provide, by law, for the speedy publication of the decisions of the supreme court made under this constitution.

Sec. 14. The supreme court shall, upon the decision of every case, give an opinion, in writing, of each question arising in the record in such case, and the decision of the court thereon.

Sec. 15. There shall be elected by the voters of the State a clerk and a reporter for the supreme court, who shall hold their offices for three years, and whose duties shall be prescribed by law.

Sec. 16. Judges may be removed from office by concurrent resolution of both houses of the general assembly, if two-thirds of the members elected to each house concur therein; but no such removal shall be made except upon complaint, the substance of which shall be entered upon the journal, nor until the party charged shall have had notice thereof, and an opportunity to be heard.

Sec. 17. The several judges of the supreme court, of the court of common pleas, and of such other courts as may be created by law, shall respectively have and exercise such power and jurisdiction, at chambers or otherwise, as may be provided by law.

Sec. 18. The style of all process shall be, “The State of Kansas.” All prosecutions shall be carried on in the name and by the authority of the State of Kansas; and all indictments shall conclude, “against the peace and dignity of the State of Kansas.”

Article VII
education

Sec. 1. The principal of all funds arising from the sale or other disposition of lands or other property granted or intrusted to this State for educational and religious purposes, shall forever be preserved inviolate and undiminished; and the income arising therefrom shall be faithfully applied to the specific objects of the original grants or appropriations.

Sec. 2. The general assembly shall make such provision, by taxation or otherwise, as, with the income arising from the school trust-fund, will secure a thorough and efficient system of common schools throughout the State; but no religious or other sect or sects shall ever have any exclusive right to or control of any part of the school-funds of this State.

Sec. 3. The general assembly may take measures for the establishment of a university, with such branches as the public convenience may hereafter demand, for the promotion of literature, the arts, science, medical and agricultural instruction.

Sec. 4. Provision may be made by law for the support of normal schools, with suitable libraries and scientific apparatus.

Article VIII
public institutions

Sec. 1. It shall be the duty of the general assembly, at as early a date as possible, to provide State asylums for the benefit, treatment, and instruction of the blind, deaf and dumb, and insane.

Sec. 2. The general assembly shall make provision for the establishment of an asylum for idiots, to be regulated by law.

Sec. 3. The respective counties of the State shall provide, in some suitable manner, for those inhabitants who, by reason of age, infirmity, or other misfortune, may have claims upon the sympathy and aid of society, under provisions to be made by the laws of the general assembly.

Sec. 4. The general assembly shall make provision for the establishment of houses of refuge for the correction, reform, and instruction of juvenile offenders.

Sec. 5. It shall be the duty of the general assembly to make provision, as soon as possible, for a State general hospital.

Article IX
public debt and public works

Sec. 1. No money shall be paid out of the treasury except in pursuance of an appropriation by law.

Sec. 2. The credit of the State shall never be given or loaned in aid of any individual, association, or corporation.

Sec. 3. For the purpose of defraying extraordinary expenditures, the State may contract public debts; but such debts shall never in the aggregate exceed one hundred thousand dollars, unless authorized by a direct vote of the people at a general election. Every such debt shall be authorized by law, and every such law shall provide for the payment of the annual interest of such debt, and the principal within ten years from the passage of such law; and such appropriation shall not be repealed until the principal and interest shall have been wholly paid.

Sec. 4. The legislature may also borrow money to repel invasion, suppress insurrection, or defend the State in time of war; but the money thus raised shall be applied exclusively to the object for which the loan was authorized, or repayment of the debts thereby created.

Sec. 5. No scrip, certificate, or other evidence of State debt whatever shall be, except for such debts as are authorized by the third and fourth sections of this article.

Article X
militia

Sec. 1. The militia shall consist of all able-bodied white male persons between the ages of eighteen and forty years, except such as may be exempt by the laws of the United States, or of this State, and shall be organized, officered, armed, equipped, and trained in such manner as may be provided by law.

Sec. 2. The governor shall appoint the adjutant, quartermaster, and commissary-general.

Sec. 3. All militia officers shall be commissioned by the governor, and shall hold their offices not longer than three years.

Sec. 4. The general assembly shall determine the method of dividing the militia into divisions, brigades, regiments, battalions, and companies, and fix the rank of all officers.

Sec. 5. The militia may be divided into classes, in such manner as shall be prescribed by law.

Sec. 6. No person conscientiously opposed to bearing arms shall be compelled to do militia duty, but such person shall pay an equivalent for such exemption, the amount to be prescribed by law.

Sec. 7. The first general assembly shall offer inducements for the formation, uniforming, and drilling independent volunteer companies in the different cities and counties of this State.

Article XI
finance and taxation

Section 1. The general assembly shall provide by law for a uniform and equal rate of assessment and taxation, and taxes shall be levied upon all such property, real and personal, as the general assembly may from time to time prescribe; but all property appropriated and used exclusively for municipal, literary, educational, scientific, or charitable purposes, and personal property to an amount not exceeding one hundred dollars for each head of a family, and all property appropriated and used exclusively for religious purposes, to an amount not exceeding two hundred thousand dollars, may by general laws be exempted from taxation.

Sec. 2. The general assembly shall provide by law for an annual tax sufficient to defray the estimated ordinary expenses of the State for each year.

Sec. 3. Every law imposing a tax shall state distinctly the object of the same to which it shall be applied.

Sec. 4. On the passage in either house of the general assembly of any law which imposes, continues, or renews a tax, or makes, continues, or renews an appropriation of public or trust money, or releases, discharges, or commutes a claim or demand of the State, the question shall be taken by yeas and nays, which shall be duly entered on the journal, and three-fifths of all the members elected to such house shall in all such cases be required to constitute a quorum.

Article XII
county and township officers

Section 1. The general assembly shall provide by law for the election of county, city, town, and township officers.

Sec. 2. All officers whose election or appointment is not provided for by this constitution shall be elected by the people, or appointed as the general assembly may by law direct.

Sec. 3. Provision shall be made by law for the removal for misconduct, or malversation in office, of all officers whose powers and duties are not local or legislative, and who shall be elected at general elections, and also for supplying vacancies created by such removal.

Sec. 4. The legislature may declare the cases in which any office shall be deemed vacant, where no provision is made for that purpose in this constitution.

Article XIII
corporations

Section 1. The general assembly shall not create corporations by special act except for municipal purposes.

Sec. 2. Corporations may be formed under general laws, but such laws may at any time be altered or repealed.

Article XIV
jurisprudence

Section 1. The general assembly, at its first session, shall constitute three commissioners, whose duty it shall be to revise, reform, simplify, and abridge the rules of practice, pleadings, forms, and proceedings of the courts of record of this State, and to provide, so far as practicable and expedient, that justice shall be administered by intelligent and uniform proceedings without any distinction between law and equity.

Sec. 2. The proceedings of the commissioners shall be reported to the general assembly, and be subject to the action of that body.

Article XV
miscellaneous

Section 1. The first general assembly shall locate the permanent seat of government.

Sec. 2. Lotteries and the sale of lottery-tickets, for any purpose whatever, shall forever be prohibited in the State.

Sec. 3. No person shall be elected or appointed to any office in this State unless they possess the qualifications of an elector.

Sec. 4. There may be established in the secretary of state’s office a bureau of statistics and agriculture, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law, and provision shall be made by the general assembly for the organization and encouragement of State and county agricultural associations.

Sec. 5. The first general assembly shall provide by law for securing to the wife the separate property acquired by her before or after coverture, and the equal right with the husband to the custody of the children during their minority; and in case of death, insanity, intemperance, or gross impropriety of the husband, their exclusive custody.

Article XVI
amendments to the constitution

Section 1. All propositions for amendments to the constitution shall be made by the general assembly.

Sec. 2. A concurrence of two-thirds of the members elected to each house shall be necessary, after which such proposed amendments shall be entered upon the journals with the yeas and nays, and the secretary of state shall cause the same to be published in at least one newspaper in each county in the State where a newspaper is published, for at least six months preceding the next election for senators and representatives, when such proposed amendments shall be again referred to the legislature elected next succeeding said publication. If passed by the second legislature, by a majority of two-thirds of the members elected to each house, such amendments shall be republished, as aforesaid, for at least six months prior to the next general election, at which election such proposed amendments shall be submitted to the people for their approval or rejection, and if the majority of the electors voting at such election shall adopt such amendments the same shall become a part of the constitution.

Sec. 3. When more than one amendment is submitted at the same time, they shall be so submitted as to enable the electors to vote upon each amendment separately.

Sec. 4. No convention for the formation of a new constitution shall be called, and no amendment to the constitution shall be by the general assembly made, before the year 1805, nor more than once in five years thereafter.

Article XVII
banks and currency

Section 1. No banks shall be established otherwise than under a general banking-law.

Sec. 2. If the general assembly shall enact a general banking-law, such law shall provide for the registry and countersigning by the auditor of state of all paper-credit designed to be circulated as money, with ample collateral security, readily convertible into specie, for the redemption of the same in gold or silver as shall be required, which collateral security shall be under the control of the proper officer or officers of state. Such law shall restrict the aggregate amount of all paper-credit to be circulated as money, and the aggregate amount to be put in circulation in any one year, and no note issued under the provision of this section shall be of a less denomination than ten dollars.

Sec. 3. The stockholders in every bank or banking company shall be individually liable, to an amount over and above their stock equal to their respective shares of stock, for all debts and liabilities of said bank or banking company.

Sec. 4. All bills or notes issued as money shall be at all times redeemable in gold or silver; and no law shall be passed sanctioning, directly or indirectly, the suspension, by any bank or banking company, of specie payments.

Sec. 5. Holders of bank-notes shall be entitled, in case of insolvency, to preference of specie payment over all other creditors.

Sec. 6. No bank shall receive, directly or indirectly, a greater rate of interest than shall be allowed by law to individuals loaning money.

Sec. 7. Every bank or banking company shall be required to cease all banking operations within twenty years from the time of its organization, and promptly thereafter to close its business.

Sec. 8. The State shall not be a stockholder in any bank or banking institution.

Sec. 9. All banks shall be required to keep officers and proper offices for the issue and redemption of their paper, at some accessible and convenient point within the State.

Sec. 10. The said banking-law shall contain a provision reserving the power to alter, amend, or repeal said law.

Sec. 11. At the time of submitting this constitution to the electors for their approval or disapproval, the articles numbered, in relation to a general banking-law, shall be submitted as a distinct proposition, in the following form: General banking-law—yes or no; and if a majority of the votes cast shall be in favor of said article, then the same shall form a part of this constitution; otherwise it shall be void and form no part thereof.

Schedule

In order that no inconvenience may arise from the organization and establishment of a State government, and that the wishes of the people may be fully accomplished, it is declared—

First. That no existing rights, suits, prosecutions, claims, and contracts shall be affected by a change in the form of government.

Second. That this constitution shall be submitted to the people of Kansas for ratification on the 15th day of December next.

Third. That each qualified elector shall express his assent or dissent to the constitution by voting a written or printed ticket, labelled “Constitution,” or “No constitution,” which election shall be held by the same judges and conducted under the same regulations and restrictions as is hereinafter provided for the election of members of the general assembly, and the judges therein named shall, within ten days after said election, seal up and transmit to the chairman of the executive committee of Kansas Territory the result of said election, who shall forthwith make proclamation of the same; and in case the constitution be ratified by the people, the chairman of the executive committee shall cause publication to be made by proclamation that an election will be held on the third Tuesday of January, A. D. 1856, for governor, lieutenant-governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, judges of the supreme court, State printer, attorney-general, reporter of the supreme court, clerk of the supreme court, and members of the general assembly, which said election shall be held by the same judges, under the same restrictions and conducted in the same manner as is hereinafter provided for the election of members of the general assembly; and the judges herein named are hereby required, within ten days after said election, to seal up and transmit duplicate copies of the returns of said election to the chairman of the executive committee, one of which shall be laid before the general assembly at its first meeting.

Fourth. At the same time and place the qualified voters shall, under the same regulations and restrictions, elect a member of Congress, to represent the State of Kansas in the Thirty-fourth Congress of the United States; the returns of said election to be made to the chairman of the executive committee, who shall deposit the same in the office of the secretary of state, as soon as he shall enter upon the discharge of the duties of his office.

Fifth. The general assembly shall meet on the fourth day of March, A. D. 1856, at the city of Topeka, at 12 m., at which time and place the governor, lieutenant-governor, secretary of state, judge of the supreme court, treasurer, auditor, State printer, reporter and clerk of the supreme court, and attorney-general, shall appear, take the oath of office, and enter upon the discharge of the duties of their respective offices under this constitution, and shall continue in office in the same manner and during the same period they would have done had they been elected on the first Monday of August, A. D: 1856.

Sixth. Until otherwise provided by law, the State shall be divided into election-districts; and the senators and representatives shall be apportioned among the several districts as follows:

First district.—Commencing in the Kansas River at the mouth of Cedar Creek; thence up said river to the first tributary above the town of Lawrence; thence up said tributary to its source; thence by a direct line to the west side of Johnson’s house; thence by a due-south line to the Santa Fé road, and along the middle of said road to a point due south of the source of Cedar Creek; thence due north to the source of Cedar Creek, and down the same to the place of beginning.

Second district.—Commencing at the mouth of Big Spring Branch, on the south bank of the Kansas River; thence up said branch to its furthest source; thence by a southerly line, crossing the Wakarusa River on the east side of the house of Charles Matney, to the middle of the Sante Fé road; thence along the middle of said road to the line of the first district; thence by the same, along the west side of the house of ——— Johnson, to the head of the first tributary of the Kansas above the town of Lawrence; and thence by the same tributary to the Kansas River, and up the south bank of said river to the mouth of Big Spring Branch, the place of beginning.

Third district.—Commencing at the mouth of Big Spring Branch, on the south side of the Kansas River; thence up the same to its furthest source; thence by a southerly line to the north bank of the Wakarusa River, on the east side of the house of Charles Matney; thence up said river and its main branch to the line of the Pottawatomie reservation; and thence by the southern and western line of said reservation to the Kansas River, and down the said river to the place of beginning.

Fourth district.—Commencing at the Missouri State line, in the middle of the Santa Fé road; thence along the middle of said road to Rock Creek, near the 65th mile of said road; thence south to the line of the Shawnee reservation ceded by the treaty of 1854; thence due east, along the south line of said reservation and the north lines of the existing reservations of the Sacs and Foxes, the existing reservations of the Chippewas and Ottawas, and the reservations of the Piankeshaws, Weas, Peorias, and Kaskaskias, to the Missouri State line; thence up the Missouri State line to the place of beginning.

Fifth district.—Commencing at the Missouri State line at the southern boundary of the fourth district; thence west along the same to the northwest corner of the Sac and Fox reservation; thence due south along the west line thereof, and due south to the south branch of the Neosho River, about seventy miles above the Catholic Osage mission; thence down said river to the north line of the reserve for the New York Indians, and east along said line to the headwaters of Little Osage River, or the nearest point thereto; and thence down said river to the Missouri State line, and up said line to the place of beginning.

Sixth district.—Commencing on the Missouri State line in Little Osage River; thence up the same to the line of the reserve for the New York Indians, or the nearest point thereto; thence to and by the north line of said reserve to the Neosho River, and up said river and the south branch thereof to the head; and thence by a due-south line to the southern line of the Territory; thence by the southern and eastern lines of said Territory to the place of beginning.

Seventh district.—Commencing at the east side of the house of Charles Matney on the Wakarusa River; thence due south to the middle of the Santa Fé road; thence westwardly, along the middle of said road, to Rock Creek, near the 65th mile of said road; thence due south to the north line of the Sac and Fox reservation; thence along the north and west line thereof, and due south, to the Neosho River; thence up said river to a point due south of the mouth of Elm Creek; thence due north to the mouth of Elm Creek, and up said creek to the Santa Fé road; and thence by a direct line in a northerly direction to the southwest corner of the Pottawatomie reservation; thence along the southern line of said reservation to the headwaters of the Wakarusa River, or the point nearest thereto; thence to and down the said river to the place of beginning.

Eighth district.—Commencing at the mouth of Elm Creek, one of the branches of Osage River; thence up the same to the Santa Fé road; thence by a direct northerly line to the southwest corner of the Pottawatomie reservation; thence up the western line thereof to Kansas River; thence up said river and the Smoky Hill Fork, beyond the most westerly settlements; thence due south to the line of the Territory; thence by the same to the line of the sixth district; thence due road; thence up said road to the north line of the Territory; thence down said river to the line of the seventh district; thence due north to the place of beginning.

Ninth district.—Commencing at Smoky Hill Fork, beyond the most westerly settlements; thence down the same and the Kansas River to the mouth of Wild Cat Creek; thence up said creek to the headwaters thereof; thence due north to the Independence emigrant road; thence up said road to the north line of the Territory; thence west, along the same, beyond the most westerly settlements; and thence due south to the place of beginning.

Tenth district.—Commencing at the mouth of Vermillion River; thence up the same beyond the house of Josiah D. Adams; thence due north to the Independence emigrant road; thence up the middle of said road to the line of the ninth district; thence by the same to the head of Wild Cat Creek, and down said creek to the Kansas River; thence down said river to the place of beginning.

Eleventh district.—Commencing in the Vermillion River, opposite the north side of the house of Josiah D. Adams; thence up said river to the head of the main branch; thence due north to the military road from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Kearney; thence along the middle of said road to the crossing of the Vermillion Branch of the Blue; thence due north to the northern line of the Territory; thence west, along said line, to the Independence emigrant road; thence down said road to a point due west to the north end of the house of Josiah D. Adams, and due east to the place of beginning.

Twelfth district.—Commencing at the mouth of Soldier Creek, in the Kansas River; thence up said creek to the head of the main branch; thence due north to the military road from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Kearney; thence along the middle of said road to the line of the eleventh district; thence due south to the head of Vermillion River, down Vermillion River to the mouth, and down Kansas River to the place of beginning.

Thirteenth district.—Commencing in the Kansas River, at a point three miles above the mouth of Stranger Creek; thence in a northwardly direction by a line corresponding to and three miles west of the several courses of said creek to the line of the Kickapoo reservation; thence by the southern and western line of said reservation to the military road from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Kearney; thence along the middle of said road to the line of the twelfth district; thence due south to the head of Soldier Creek, down Soldier Creek to the mouth, and down Kansas River to the place of beginning.

Fourteenth district.—Commencing at the mouth of Independence Creek; thence up said creek to the head of the main branch, and thence due west to the line of the late Kickapoo reservation; thence north along said line and the line of the late Sac and Fox reservation to the north line of the Territory; thence along said line eastwardly to the Missouri River, and down said river to the place of beginning.

Fifteenth district.—Commencing at the mouth of Salt Creek on the Missouri River; thence up said creek to the military road, and along the middle of said road to the lower crossing of Stranger Creek; thence up said creek to the line of the late Kickapoo reservation, and thence along the southern and western line thereof to the line of the fourteenth district; thence by the same, and down Independence Creek to the mouth thereof, and thence down the Missouri River to the place of beginning.

Sixteenth district.—Commencing at the mouth of Salt Creek; thence up said creek to the military road; thence along the middle of said road to the lower crossing of Stranger Creek; thence up said creek to the line of the late Kickapoo reservation, and thence along the same to the line of the thirteenth district, and thence by the same, along a line corresponding to the source of Stranger Creek, and keeping three miles west thereof, to the Kansas River; thence down the Kansas River to the Missouri, and up the Missouri River to the place of beginning.

Seventeenth district.—Commencing at the mouth of the Kansas River; thence up the south bank thereof to the mouth of Cedar Creek; thence up Cedar Creek to its source; and thence due south to the Santa Fé road, along the middle of said road to the Missouri State line, and along said line to the place of beginning.

Eighteenth district.—Commencing in the military road at the crossing of the Vermillion branch of Blue River; thence due north to the line of the Territory; thence east, along said line, to the fourteenth district; thence due south along said line to the aforesaid military road, and along the middle of said road to the place of beginning.

Senatorial and representative district.—1st. The first election-district shall be entitled to three senators and eight representatives.

2d. The second election-district shall be entitled to one senator and three representatives.

3d. The third election-district shall be entitled to one senator and three representatives.

4th. The fourth and seventeenth election-districts shall constitute the fourth senatorial and representative district, and be entitled to one senator and two representatives.

5th. The fifth election-district shall be entitled to three senators and nine representatives.

6th. The sixth, seventh, and eighth election-districts shall constitute the sixth senatorial and representative district, and be entitled to two senators and five representatives.

7th. The ninth and tenth election-districts shall constitute the seventh senatorial district, and be entitled to one senator and four representatives.

8th. The eleventh and twelfth election-districts shall constitute the eighth senatorial and representative district, and be entitled to one senator and three representatives.

9th. The thirteenth election-district shall constitute the ninth senatorial and representative district, and be entitled to one senator and two representatives.

10th. The fourteenth and eighteenth election-districts shall constitute the tenth senatorial and representative district, and be entitled to two senators and seven representatives.

11th. The fifteenth election-district shall constitute the eleventh senatorial and representative district, and be entitled to one senator and five representatives.

12th. The sixteenth election-district shall constitute the twelfth senatorial and representative district, and be entitled to three senators and nine representatives.

Sec. 3. Until otherwise provided by law, the election in the several districts shall be held at the following places, and the following-named persons are hereby appointed as judges of the elections:

places of voting

Sec. 4. First senatorial district.—Lawrence precinct, at the Free State Hotel; A. D. Searle, Lyman Allen, Henry Bronson, judges.

Franklin precinct, at the store of Mr. Purdam; James McGee, Horace L. Enos, I. Purdam, judges.

Blanton precinct, at the house of J. B. Abbott; John Stewart, R. Vaughn, P. T. Hupp, judges.

Palmyra precinct, at the house of H. Barricklow; H. Barricklow, Louis Green, A. Pierson, judges.

Second senatorial district.—Bloomington precinct, at the house of H. Burson; Samuel Smith, Daniel Vancil, J. M. Dunn, judges.

Third senatorial district.—Washington precinct, at the house of W. R. Frost; W. Riley, Caleb Antram, Eli Allen, judges.

Tecumseh precinct, at the house of J. Taylor; Charles Jordan, John Morris, Francis Grassmuck, judges.

Topeka precinct, at the law-office of E. C. K. Garvey; Dr. F. L. Crain, Milton C. Dickey, J. F. Cummings, judges.

Brownsville precinct, at the house of G. W. Brown; G. W. Brown, Mr. Simmerwell, Dr. Bowen, judges.

Fourth senatorial distinct.—Prairie City precinct, at the house of Samuel Mewhenny; W. Moore, Samuel Workman, Amos Hanna, judges.

Mission precinct, at the Baptist mission building; G. L. Osborn, S. M. Cornautzer, Lewis Dougnerty, judges.

Wakarusa precinct, at the store of Paschal Fish; L. H. Bascom, Ellis Bond, A. G. Green, judges.

Fifth senatorial district.— Osawatomie precinct, at the house of Samuel Geer; William Chestnut, B. Woodbury, William Sailing, judges.

Stanton precinct, at the house of Mr. Staniford; J. Woollard, Mr. Morse, W. G. Nichols, judges.

Pottawatomie precinct, at the meeting-house; F. Brown, J. Grant, S. B. Morse, judges.

Hampden precinct, at the house of W. A. Ela; W. A. Ela, Chauncey Morse, George Law, judges.

Sugar Creek precinct, at the house of Silas Young; Silas Young, James Y. Dudley, William Dyer, judges.

Little Sugar Creek precinct, at the house of Isaac D. Stockton; I. D. Stockton, Thomas Sears, James Osborn, judges.

Little Osage precinct, at Miller’s store; Thomas Osborn, Mr. Miller, Mr. Fawbus, judges.

Osage precinct, at the house of Thomas Polks; Mr. Wycoff, Mr. ——, Mr. ——, judges.

Sixth senatorial district.— Scott’s Town precinct, at the house of Mr. Vandevre; T. Crabtree, Isaac Chatham, F. S. Froscel, judges.

Titus precinct, at the house of J. B. Titus, on the Santa Fé road; J. B. Titus, John Drew, W. Lord, judges.

Council Grove precinct, at the mission house; J. Goodell, G. H. Rees, B. Wright, judges.

Waubonsa precinct, at the house of John H. Nesbit, in Waubonsa; E. R. McCurdy, J. M. Bisby, D. B. Hiatt, judges.

Mill Creek precinct, at the house of J. E. Hoenick; J. E. Hoenick, ——, ——, judges.

Ashland precinct, at the house of —— ——; Mr. Adams, ——, ——, judges.

Clark Creek precinct, at some suitable place near the junction of Clark and Humboldt Creeks; William McCready, Mr. Berry, Mr. Mitchell, judges.

Seventh senatorial district.—Pawnee precinct, at Loder & Shaw’s store, in Pawnee; S. P. Higgins, W. M. McClure, L. Knapp, judges.

Big Blue precinct, at the house of S. B. Dyer, in Juniata; J. Stewart, S. D. Houston, J. T. Goodenow, judges.

Rock Creek precinct, at the house of Mr. Haitt; James Darnell, Charles Jenkins, Henry Remmell, judges.

Eighth senatorial district.—Black Vermillion precinct, at some suitable house in said precinct on the Vermillion Branch of the Blue River; John Shmidt, Mr. Hollingburg, Mr. Alvey, judges.

St. Mary’s precinct, at the house of B. F. Bertrand; Dr. Palmer, C. Garrett, C. Dean, judges.

Silver Lake precinct, at some suitable house at Indianola; E. Kennedy, J. W. Hopkins, John G. Thompson, judges.

Ninth senatorial district.—Daton precinct, at the store of Bainter & Hoover; Lewis Hoover, Nathan Adams, G. B. Hall, judges.

Grasshopper Falls precinct, at the house of the mill company; S. H. Dunn, John W. Clark, J. B. Ross, judges.

Whitfield precinct, at the house of J. B. Chapman; Thomas Jenners, Vincent D. Cohee, James A. Gray, judges.

Tenth senatorial district.—California precinct, at the house of W. W. Moore; W. W. Moore, W. Jackson, judges.

Iowa Point precinct, at the house of Mr. McCall; Mr. Hanley, Mr. Pader, judges.

Voters on Independence and Deer Creeks will vote at Doniphan.

St. Jo. Bottom precinct, at the house of B. Harden; George Bryant, H. Smallwood, A. A. Jamison, judges.

Burr Oak precinct, at the house of Mr. Wilson; Mr. Brock, Mr. Wilson, Thomas McCulloch, judges.

Palermo precinct, at the house of R. Martin; John White, R. Ladd, N. White, judges.

Doniphan precinct, at Collins’ Mill; David Lee, D. W. Fields, J. McNamee, judges.

Wolf River precinct, at the house of Mr. Searl; Mr. Searl, Mr. Ulse, Mr. Richardson, judges.

Eleventh senatorial district.—Kickapoo precinct, at some suitable house in Kickapoo City; Dr. McCormas, Mr. Zimmerman, Mr. Boyd, judges.

Port William precinct, at the house of Dr. Hathaway; Dr. Hathaway, Mr. Oliphant, Mr. Potter, judges.

Mount Pleasant precinct, at the house of M. A. Potter; Mr. Ridgway, B. Elliott, M. A. Potter, judges.

Oceana precinct, at the store of Crosby & Co.; Archibald Elliott, A. Landrum, S. J. H. Snyder, judges.

Atchinson precinct, at the house of Mr. Bay; R. Mecubbins, Mr. Bay, Henry Williams, judges.

Twelfth senatorial district.—Leavenworth precinct, at the office of Gardiner & Dodge; Adam Fisher, Thomas H. Doyle, Hide Hook, judges.

Easton precinct, at the house of T. A. Maynard; T. A. Maynard, G. J. Clark, Wm. Pennock, judges.

Wyandot precinct, at the council-house in Wyandot City; Abelard Guthrie, G. J. Clark, Ebenezer Lane, judges.

The executive committee of Kansas Territory is authorized to appoint additional precincts and judges therefor.

instructions to judges

Sec. 7. The three judges will provide for each poll ballot-boxes for depositing the ballots cast by electors; shall appoint two clerks, all of whom shall be sworn or affirmed to discharge the duties of their respective offices impartially and with fidelity; and the judges and clerks shall have power to administer the oath or affirmation to each other; and the said judges shall open said election at 9 o’clock a. m., at the place designated in each precinct, and close the same at 6 o’clock p. m. In case any of the officers appointed fail to attend, the officer or officers in attendance shall supply their places, and in the event of all of them failing to attend, the qualified voters shall supply their places, and the said judges shall make out duplicate returns of said election, seal up and transmit the same within ten days to the chairman of the executive committee, one copy of which is to be laid before the general assembly. If, at the time of holding said election, it shall be inconvenient, from any cause whatever, that would disturb or prevent the voters of any election-precinct in the Territory from the free and peaceable exercise of the elective franchise, the officers are hereby authorized to adjourn said election into any other precinct in the Territory, and to any other day they may see proper, of the necessity of which they shall be the exclusive judges, at which time and place the qualified voters may cast their votes.

Sec. 8. Until otherwise provided by law, the chairman of the executive committee of Kansas Territory shall announce by proclamation the result of the election, and the names of persons elected to office.

Sec. 9. No person shall be entitled to a seat in the first general assembly at its organization except the members whose names are contained in the proclamation of the chairman of the executive committee, but after the general assembly is organized, seats may be contested in the usual way.

Sec. 10. Certificates of indebtedness may be issued by the territorial executive committee for all necessary expenses accruing in the formation of the State government, not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars: Provided, No certificate shall be issued except for legitimate expenses. All claims shall be made in writing, and shall be numbered and kept on file in the secretary’s office, and all certificates of indebtedness shall be signed by the president and secretary, and countersigned by the treasurer, and numbered to correspond with the number of the claim or bill for which it was issued. The certificate shall bear 10 per cent, interest per annum.

Sec. 11. The first general assembly shall provide by law for the redemption of the certificates of indebtedness issued under the provisions of the foregoing section.

Sec. 12. Until the great seal of the State of Kansas is agreed upon and procured, as provided for in the eleventh section of the fifth article of this constitution, the governor shall use his own private seal as the seal of state.

Sec. 13. At the election for the ratification of this constitution, and the first election for State officers, a representation in the Congress of the United States, and members of the general assembly of this State, an actual residence in the Territory of thirty days immediately preceding said election shall be sufficient as a qualification for the elector, and an actual residence of ninety days for the candidates: Provided, Said electors and candidates possess all the other qualifications required by the provisions of this constitution.

Sec. 14. The first legislature shall provide by law for the enforcement of the provisions of the sixth section of the bill of rights on or before the 4th day of July, 1857, as to all persons in the Territory before the adoption of this constitution, and as to all others the provisions of said section shall operate from and after the ratification of this constitution by the people.

J. H. Lane, President.

Sam. C. Smith, Secretary.

Chas. A. Foster, Assistant Secretary.

1. This constitution was adopted at a convention which met at Topeka October 23, 1855, and completed its labors November 2, 1855. It was claimed that it was submitted to the people of Kansas and ratified December 15, 1855, receiving 1,731 votes against 46.