Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 3.djvu/470



. And be it further enacted, That the members of the convention, thus duly elected, be, and they are hereby, authorized to meet at the seat of government of the said territory, on the first Monday of the month of August next, which convention, when met, shall first determine, by a majority of the whole number elected, whether it be, or be not, expedient at that time to form a constitution and state government for the people within the said territory, and, if it be expedient, the convention shall be and hereby is authorized to form a constitution and state government; of, if it be deemed more expedient, the said convention shall provide by ordinance for electing representatives to form a constitution or frame of government; which said representatives shall be chosen in such manner, and in such proportion, and shall meet at such time and place, as shall be prescribed by the said ordinance, and shall then form for the people of said territory a constitution and state government: Provided, That the same, whenever formed, shall be republican, and not repugnant to the ordinance of the thirteenth of July, seventeen hundred and eighty-seven, between the original states and the people and states of the territory north-west of the river Ohio; excepting so much of said articles as relate to the boundaries of the states therein to be formed: And provided also, That it shall appear, from the enumeration directed to be made by the legislature of the said territory, that there are, within the proposed state, not less than forty thousand inhabitants.

. And be it further enacted, That until the next general census shall be taken, the said state shall be entitled to one representative in the House of Representatives of the United States.

. And be it further enacted, That the following propositions be and the same are hereby, offered to the convention of the said territory of Illinois, when formed, for their free acceptance or rejection, which if accepted by the convention, shall be obligatory upon the United States and the said state.

First. That section numbered sixteen, in every township, and, when such section has been sold or otherwise disposed of, other lands equivalent thereto, and as contiguous as may be, shall be granted to the state, for the use of the inhabitants of such township, for the use of schools.

Second. That all salt springs within such state, and the land reserved for the use of the same, shall be granted to the said state, for the use of the said state, and the same to be used under such terms, and conditions, and regulations, as the legislature of the said state shall direct: Provided, The legislature shall never sell nor lease the same for a longer period than ten years, at any one time.

Third. That five per cent. of the net proceeds of the lands lying within such state, and which shall be sold by Congress, from and after the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and nineteen, after deducting all expenses incident to the same, shall be reserved for the purposes following, viz: two-fifths to be disbursed, under the direction of Congress, in making roads leading to the state; the residue to be appropriated, by the legislature of the state, for the encouragement of learning, of which one-sixth part shall be exclusively bestowed on a college or university.

Fourth. That thirty-six sections, or one entire township, which shall be designated by the President of the United States, together with the one heretofore reserved for that purpose, shall be reserved for the use of a seminary of learning, and vested in the legislature of the said state, to be appropriated solely for the use of such seminary by the said legislature. Provided always, That the four foregoing propositions, herein offered, are on the conditions that the convention of the said state shall provide, by an ordinance irrevocable without the consent of the United States, that every and each tract of land sold by the United States, from and after