Page:1889 Territory of Dakota Session Laws.djvu/5

vi in the governor and a legislative assembly. The legislative assembly shall consist of a council and house of representatives. The members of both branches of the legislative assembly shall have the qualification of voters as herein prescribed. They shall be chosen for the term of two years, and the sessions of the respective legislative assemblies shall be biennial. Each legislativeassembly shall fix by law the day of commencement of its regular session. The members of the council and house of representatives shall reside in the district or county for which they are respectively elected.

. 1847. Previous to the first election for members of the legislative assembly of a territory in which congress may hereafter provide a temporary government, the governor shall cause a census of the inhabitants and qualified voters of the several counties and districts of the territory to be taken by such persons and in such mode as he may designate and appoint, and the persons so appointed shall receive a reasonable compensation for their services. And the first election shall be held at such time and places, and be conducted in such manner, both as to the persons who superintend such election and the returns thereof, as the governor may direct, and he shall at the same time declare the number of members of the council and house of representatives to which each of the counties and districts is entitled under the act providing such temporary government for the particular territory. The persons having the highest number of legal votesin each of the districts for members of the council shall be declared by the governor to be duly elected to the council, and the persons having the highest number of legal votes for the house of representatives shall be declared by the governor to be duly elected members of that house; but in case two or more persons voted for have an equal number of votes, and in case a vacancy otherwise occurs in either branch of the legislative assembly, the governor shall order a new election, and the persons thus elected to the legislative assembly shall meet at such place and on such day as the governor appoints.

. 1848. After such first election, however, the time, place and manner of holding elections by the people in any newly created territory, as well as of holding all such elections in territories now organized, shall be prescribed by the laws of each territory.

. 1849. The apportionment of representation which the governor is authorized to make by section 1847, in case of a territory hereafter erected by congress, shall be as nearly equal as practicable among the several districts and counties for such first election of the council and house of representatives, giving to each section of the territory representation in the ratio of its population, except Indians not taxed; and thereafter in such new territory, as well as in all territories now organized, the legislative assemblies respectively may readjust and apportion the representation to the two houses thereof, among the several counties and districts, in such manner, from time