thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, to the supreme or circuit court established by this constitution, or require that the same may be heard and determined by the circuit judges.

24. The term of office of governor and lieutenant governor shall commence on the first day of January next after their election.

25. The territory described in the article entitled "Upper Peninsula,” shall be attached to and constitute a part of the third circuit for the election of a Regent of the University.

26. The Legislature shall have authority, after the expiration of the term of office of the district judge first elected for the "Upper Peninsula," to abolish said office of district judge and district attorney, or either of them.

27. The Legislature shall, at its session of one thousand eight hundred and fiftyone, apportion the representatives among the several counties and districts, and divide the State into Senate districts, pursuant to the provisions of this constitution.

28. The terms of office of all State and county officers, of the circuit judges, members of the board of education, and members of the Legislature, shall begin on the first day of January next succeeding their election.

29. The State, exclusive of the Upper Peninsula, shall be divided into eight judicial circuits, and the counties of Monroe, Lenawee and Hillsdale shall constitute the first circuit; the counties of Branch, St. Joseph, Cass and Berrien shall constitute the second circuit; the county of Wayne shall constitute the third circuit; the counties of Washtenaw, Jackson and Ingham shall constitute the fourth circuit; the counties of Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Allegan, Eaton and Van Buren shall constitute the fifth circuit; [the] counties of St. Clair, Macomb, Oakland and Sanilac shall constitute the sixth circuit; the counties of Lapeer, Genesee, Saginaw, Shiawassee, Livingston, Tuscola and Midland shall constitute the seventh circuit; and the counties of Barry, Kent, Ottawa, Ionia, Clinton and Montcalm shall constitute the eighth circuit.

RESOLUTION.

30. At the next general election, and at the same time when the votes of the electors shall be taken for the adoption or rejection of this constitution, an additional amendment to section one of article seven, in the words following:

"Every colored male inhabitant possessing the qualifications required by the first section of the second article of the constitution, shall have the rights and privileges of an elector,"

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Shall be separately submitted to the electors of this State for their adoption or rejection, in form following, to wit: A separate ballot may be given by every person having the right to vote for the revised constitution, to be deposited in a separate box. Upon the ballots given for the adoption of the said separate amendment shall be written or printed, or partly written and partly printed, the words "Equal suffrage to colored persons? Yes;" and upon all ballots given against the adoption of the said separate amendment, in like manner, the words Equal suffrage to colored persons? No." And on such ballots shall be written or printed, or partly written and partly printed, the words "Constitution: Suffrage," in such manner that such words shall appear on the outer side of such ballot when folded. If, at said election, a majority of all the votes given for and against the said separate amendment shall contain the words, "Equal suffrage to colored persons? Yes," then there shall be inserted in the first section of the article, between the words "tribe and shall," these words, "and every colored male inhabitant," anything in the constitution to the contrary notwithstanding.

Done in Convention, at the Capitol of the State, this fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty, and of the Independ ence of the United States the seventy-fifth.

MISSOURI was originally included in the territory of Louisiana. It was purchased of the French in 1803, by the United States. In 1804 it was constituted the territory of Louisiana, and in 1812 its name was changed to Missouri. In 1821 it became a State, and was admitted into the union. St. Louis was settled by the French in 1764, and is one of the most flourishing cities in the West.

Area, 64,000 sq. m. 2544 free colored.

Pop. in 1850, 682,043, of whom 87,422 were slaves, and

CONSTITUTION.

We, the people of the State of Missouri, by our delegates in Convention assembled, do ordain and establish the following Constitution:

SEC. 1. We do declare, establish, ratify and confirm the following as the permanent boundaries of the State of Missouri: "Beginning in the middle of the Mississippi river, on the parallel of thirty-six degrees of north latitude; thence west along the said parallel of latitude to the St. Francois river, thence up and following the course of that river, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the parallel of latitude of thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes; thence west along the same, to a point where the said parallel is intersected by a meridian

line passing through the middle of the mouth of the Kansas river, where the same empties into the Missouri river; thence from the point aforesaid, north along the said meridian line to the middle of the main channel of the Missouri river; thence up and following the course of said stream, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the intersection of the parallel of latitude which passes through the rapids of the river Des Moines; thence east from the point of intersection last aforesaid, along the said parallel of latitude, to the middle of the main channel of the main fork of the said river Des Moines; thence down along the middle of the main channel of the said river Des Moines, to the mouth of the same where it empties into the Mississippi river; thence due east to the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river; thence down and following the course of the Mississippi river, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the place of beginning."

2. The General Assembly shall have power to appoint commissioners, to act in conjunction with commissioners from any other State, to adjust the eastern boundary of the State, and to determine what islands in the Mississippi river are within the limits of the State of Missouri.

3. The General Assembly shall have power, with the consent of the United States, to acquire additional territory, and to extend the boundary of this State so as to include such additional territory as may hereafter be acquired by the State.

4. All that territory of the State of Missouri which is bounded on the east by the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river, on the north by the line that separates townships forty-four and forty-five, on the west by a meridian line running through the middle of range six east, and on the south by the line that separates townships forty-three and forty-four north, is hereby ceded to the government of the United States, for the purpose of locating and keeping thereon the seat of government of the United States, in conformity to the sixteenth clause of the eighth section of the first article of the Constitution of the United States. This section shall not take effect until the Congress of the United States shall have assented to the same, and provided for the removal of the seat of government of the United States to the district hereby ceded to the United States.

ARTICLE II.

Of the Distribution of Powers.

The powers of government shall be divided into three distinct departments, each of which shall be confined to a separate magistracy and no person charged with the exercise of powers properly belonging to one of these departments, shall exercise any powers properly belonging to either of the others, except in the instances hereinafter expressly directed or permitted.

ARTICLE III-Of the Legislative Power.

SEC. 1. The legislative power shall be vested in a "General Assembly, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

2. The House of Representatives shall consist of members to be chosen every second year, by the qualified electors of the several counties, apportioned in the following manner, to wit: The ratio of representation shall be ascertained at each apportioning session of the Legislature, by dividing the whole number of permanent free white inhabitants of the State by the number one hundred. Each county having three-fifths of said ratio shall be entitled to one representative; each county having said ratio and a fraction over, equal to two-thirds, shall be entitled to two representatives; each county having twice said ratio, and a fraction over, equal to twothirds, shall be entitled to three representatives; each county having four times said ratio shall be entitled to four representatives; and so on above that number, giving one additional member for each additional ratio. And when any county, entitled to more than two representatives, shall have a town or city therein, with the full amount of said ratio, such town or city shall be entitled to a separate representation from the county provided the residue of the county shall amount to the ratio; and in such case, a town or city shall be divided into as many separate districts as the number of members apportioned to such town or city, containing as near as may be an equal number of permanent free white inhabitants, which division shall be made by the tribunal transacting county business in the county, as soon after each apportionment as is practicable, and shall not be changed until after the succeeding apportionment; each of which districts shall elect one representative: provided, however, that when any county having less than three-fifths of said ratio, shall not be contiguous to any other county with less than three-fifths thereof, such county shall nevertheless be entitled to one representative; and in all other cases of small counties having less than three-fifths, they shall be formed into districts, containing two-thirds of said ratio, and shall be entitled to one member for the same.

3. No person shall be a member of the House of Representatives who shall not have attained the age of twenty-four years, who shall not be a free white male citizen of the United States, who shall not have been an inhabitant of this State two years, and of the county or district which he represents one year next before his election, if such county or district shall have been so long established; but if not, then of the county or counties, district or districts, from which the same shall have been taken, and who shall not moreover have paid a State or county tax, within one year next preceding his election.

4. The General Assembly, at their first session after the adoption of this Constitution, shall cause an enumeration of the permanent

free white inhabitants of this State to be made, and at the first session after the enumeration shall apportion the number of representatives among the several counties as directed by the second section of this article. And every fourth year thereafter they shall cause a like enumeration to be made, and shall apportion the representatives among the several counties according to the same section, except that two-thirds of the ratio shall be required, instead of three-fifths, to entitle a county to one member.

5. The senators shall be chosen by the qualified electors for the term of four years. No person shall be a senator who shall not have attained to the age of thirty years, who shall not be a free white male citizen of the United States, who shall not have been an inhabitant of this State four years next preceding his election, and of the district which he may be chosen to represent one year next before his election, if such district shall have been so long established, but if not, then of the district or districts from which the same shall have been taken, and who shall not moreover have paid a State or county tax within one year next preceding his election.

6. The Senate shall consist of not less than twenty-five nor more than thirty-three members, for the election of whom the State shall be divided into convenient districts, which may be altered from time to time, and new districts established, as public convenience may require; and the senators shall be apportioned among the several districts according to the number of permanent free white inhabitants in each provided, that when a senatorial district shall be composed of two or more counties, the counties of which such district consists, shall not be entirely separated by any county belonging to another district, nor shall said district, so composed of two or more counties, be entitled to more than one senator; and no county shall be divided in forming such a district, except a county whose populalation shall entitle it to two or more senators, in which case said county shall be divided by the tribunal transacting county business as soon after each apportionment as is practicable, into as many districts as it may be entitled to senators, which districts shall not be changed until after the succeeding apportionment, each of which districts shall contain as near as may be an equal number of permanent free white inhabitants, and elect one senator; and any person otherwise qualified, who has lived in such senatorial district one month, shall be entitled to vote in the same, and until he shall acquire the right to vote in such district, he shall be entitled to vote in the district from which he removed.

7. At the first session of the General Assembly, the senators shall be divided by lot, as equally as may be, into two classes. The seats of the first class shall be vacated at the end of the second year, and the seats of the second class at the end of the fourth year, so that one half of the senators shall be chosen every second year.

8. After the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, all general elections shall commence on the first