extended to the south line of the State, and was named in honor of Colonel Hiero T. Wilson, who lived in Fort Scott from September, 1843. He was the first white person to settle there.

Woodson.-Organized in 1855.

Dun

Buxton

Lafontaine

Neodesha

Newark
Brooks.

Wilson.

County seat, Yates Center.

Governor, after the resigna

Named in honor of Daniel Woodson, who was Secretary of the
Territory, and for some time acting
tion of Governor Shannon, in 1856.
Wyandotte.-Organized in 1855.

County seat, Kansas City

(formerly Wyandotte). Named after the Indian tribe of that name.

ORGANIC ACT.

ORGANIZATION OF KANSAS TERRITORY.

ON 30TH MAY, 1854, CONGRESS PASSED AN ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT TO ORGANIZE THE TERRITORIES OF NEBRASKA AND KANSAS."

THE Organic Act took effect on its approval, 30th May, and on 30th June, 1854, President PIERCE appointed officers for Kansas, as follows: ANDREW H. REEDER, of Pennsylvania, as Governor; DANIEL WOODSON, of Virginia, as Secretary; ANDREW J. ISAACS, of Louisiana, as United States District Attorney; MADISON BROWN, of Maryland, as Chief Justice; and SAUNDERS W. JOHNSTON, of Ohio, and RUSH ELMORE, of Alabama, as Associate Justices. Judge Brown refused the appointment, and SAMUEL D. LECOMPTE, of Maryland, was appointed Chief Justice on 3d October, 1854.

THE first eighteen sections of the Kansas-Nebraska Act relate solely to the Territory of Nebraska. The material portions of the sections of said Act relating to KANSAS TERRITORY, are as follows:

1. (SEC. 19.) All that part of the Territory of the United States, included within the following limits, except such portions thereof as are hereinafter expressly exempted from the operations of this Act, 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 east 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, be, and the same is, hereby created into a temporary government, by the name of the Territory of Kansas; and when admitted as a State or States, the said Territory, or any portion of the same, shall be received into the Union with or without slavery, as their constitution may prescribe at the time of their admission; provided, that nothing in this Act contained shall be construed to inhibit the Government of the United States from dividing said Territory into two or more Territories, in such manner, and at such times, as Congress shall deem convenient and proper, or from attaching any portion of said Territory to any other State or Territory of the United States; provided, further, that nothing in this Act contained shall be construed to impair the rights of person or property now pertaining to the Indians in said Territory, so long as such rights shall remain unextinguished by treaty between the United States and such Indians, or to include any Territory which, by treaty with an Indian tribe is not, without the consent of said tribe, to be included within the Territorial limits or jurisdiction of any State or Territory; but all such Territory shall be excepted out of the boundaries, and constitute no part of the Territory of Kansas, until said tribe shall signify their assent to the President of the United States, to be included within the said Territory of Kansas, or to affect the authority of the Government of the United States to make any regulation respecting such Indians, their lands, property, or other rights, by treaty, law, or otherwise, which it would have been competent to the Government to make if this Act had never passed.

82. [SEC. 20 provides for the appointment of a Territorial Governor, and defines his powers and duties.]

23. [SEC. 21 provides for the appointment of a Secretary of said Territory, and defines his powers and duties.]

84. (SEC. 22.) The legislative power and authority of said Territory shall be vested in the Governor and a legislative assembly. The legislative assembly shall consist of a council and house of representatives. The council shall consist of thirteen members, having the qualifications of voters, as hereinafter prescribed, whose term of service shall continue two years. The house of representatives shall, at its first session, consist of

twenty-six members, possessing the same qualifications as prescribed for members of the council, and whose term of service shall continue one year. The number of representatives may be increased by the legislative assembly, from time to time, in proportion to the increase of qualified voters; provided, that the whole number shall never exceed thirty-nine. * * *

[This section then provides that the Governor shall cause a census to be taken before the first election, and that he shall make an apportionment declaring the number of members of each house to which each county or district shall be entitled, and "the first election shall be held at such time and places," and the first "legislative assembly shall meet at such place and on such day as the Governor shall appoint; but hereafter the time, place and manner of holding and conducting all elections, and the apportioning the representation in the several counties or districts to the council and house of representatives, shall be prescribed by law, as well as the day of the commencement of the regular sessions of the legislative assembly."]

5. [SEC. 23 prescribes the qualifications of persons entitled to vote at the first election, which persons are made eligible to office at such first election.]

? 6. (SEC. 24.) The legislative power of the Territory shall extend to all rightful subjects of legislation consistent with the Constitution of the United States and the provisions of this act; but no law shall be passed interfering with the primary disposal of the soil; no tax shall be imposed upon the property of the United States; nor shall the lands or other property of non-residents be taxed higher than the lands or other property of residents. Every bill which shall have passed the council and house of representatives of the said Territory shall, before it become a law, be presented to the Governor of the Territory; if he approve, he shall sign it; but if not, he shall return it with his objections to the house in which it originated, who shall enter the objections at large on their journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such reconsideration two-thirds of that house shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of that house it shall become a law. But in all such cases the votes of both houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, to be entered on the journal of each house respectively. If any bill shall not be returned by the Governor within three days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the assembly, by adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a law.

87. [SEC. 25 provides for the appointment of township, district and county officers.]

8. [SEC. 26 declares that no member of the legislative assembly shall hold or be appointed to any office which shall have been created, or the salary or emoluments of which shall have been increased, while he was a member, during the term for which he was elected, etc.]

29. (SEC. 27.) The judicial power of said Territory shall be vested in a supreme court, district courts, probate courts, and in justices of the peace.

The supreme court shall consist of a chief justice and two associate justices, any two of whom shall constitute a quorum, and who shall hold a term at the seat of government of said Territory annually; and they shall hold their offices during the period of four years, and until their successors shall be appointed and qualified. The supreme court, or the justices thereof, shall appoint its own clerk, and every clerk shall hold his office at the pleasure of the court for which he shall have been appointed.

The said Territory shall be divided into three judicial districts, and a district court shall be held in each of said districts by one of the justices of the supreme court at such times and places as may be prescribed by law; and the said judges shall, after their appointments, respectively, reside in the districts which shall be assigned them; and each of the said district courts shall have and exercise the same jurisdiction in all cases arising under the Constitution and laws of the United States as is vested in the circuit and district courts of the United States. Each district court, or the judge thereof, shall appoint its clerk, who shall also be the register in chancery, and shall keep his office at the place where the court may be held.

The jurisdiction of the several courts herein provided for, both appellate and original, and that of the probate courts and of justices of the peace, shall be as limited by law, provided, that justices of the peace shall not have jurisdiction of any matter in controversy when the title or boundaries of land may be in dispute, or where the debt or sum claimed shall exceed one hundred dollars; and the said supreme and district courts, respectively, shall possess chancery as well as common-law jurisdiction.

Writs of error, bills of exception and appeal shall be allowed in all cases from the final decisions of said district courts to the supreme court, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law; but in no case removed to the supreme court shall trial by jury be allowed in said court.

Writs of error and appeals from the final decisions of said supreme court shall be allowed, and may be taken to the supreme