Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 5.djvu/271



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the third day of July next, all that part of the present Territory of Wisconsin which lies west of the Mississippi river, and west of a line drawn due north from the head waters or sources of the Mississippi to the Territorial line, shall, for the purposes of temporary government, be and constitute a separate Territorial Government by the name of Iowa; and that from and after the said third day of July next, the present Territorial Government of Wisconsin shall extend only to that part of the present Territory of Wisconsin which lies east of the Mississippi river. And after the said third day of July next, all power and authority of the Government of Wisconsin in and over the Territory hereby constituted shall cease: Provided, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed to impair the rights of person or property now appertaining to any Indians within the said territory, so long as such rights shall remain unextinguished by treaty between the United States and such Indians, or to impair the obligations of any treaty now existing between the United States and such Indians, or to impair or anywise to affect the authority of the Government of the United States to make any regulations respecting such Indians, their lands, property, or other rights, by treaty or law, or otherwise, which it would have been competent to the Government to make if this act had never been passed: Provided, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed to inhibit the Government of the United States from dividing the Territory hereby