pact, between the original states and the people and states in the said territory, and forever remain unalterable, unless by common consent, to wit: ARTICLE 1. No person, demeaning himself in a peaceable and orderly manner, shall ever be molested on account of his mode of worship or religious sentiments, in the said territory. ARTICLE 2. The inhabitants of the said territory shall always be entitled to the benefits of the writ of habeas corpus, and of the trial by jury; of a proportionate representation of the people in the legislature, and of judicial proceedings according to the course of the common law. All persons shall be bailable, unless for capital offences, where the proof shall be evident, or the presumption great. All fines shall be moderate; and no cruel or unusual punishments shall be inflicted. No man shall be deprived of his liberty or property, but by the judgment of his peers, or the law of the land, and should the public exigencies make it necessary, for the common preservation, to take any person's property, or to demand his particular services, full compensation shall be made for the same. And, in the just preservation of rights and property, it is understood and declared, that no law ought ever to be made, or have force in the said territory; that shall, in any manner whatever, interfere with, or affect, private contracts or engagements, bona fide, and without fraud, previously formed.. ARTICLE 3. Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged. The utmost good faith shall always be observed towards the Indians; their lands and property shall never be taken from them without their consent; and in their property, rights, and liberty, they never shall be invaded or disturbed, unless in just and lawful wars authorized by congress; but laws founded in justice and humanity shall, from time to time, be made, for preventing wrongs being done to them, and for preserving peace and friendship with them. ARTICLE 4. The said territory, and the states which may be formed there in, shall forever remain a part of this confederacy of the United States of America, subject to the articles of confederation, and to such alterations therein as shall be constitutionally made; and to all the acts and ordinances of the United States in congress assembled, conformable thereto. The inhabitants and settlers in the said territory shall be subject to pay a part of the federal debts, contracted or to be contracted, and a proportional part of the expenses of government, to be apportioned on them by congress, according to the same common rule and measure by which apportionments thereof shall be made on the other states; and the taxes for paying their proportion, shall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the district or districts, or new states, as in the original states, within the time agreed upon by the United States in congress assembled. The legislatures of those districts, or new states, shall never interfere with the primary disposal of the soil by the United States in congress assembled, nor with any regulations congress may find necessary, for securing the title in such soil, to the bona fide purchasers. No tax shall be imposed on lands the property of the United States; and in no case shall non-resident proprietors be taxed higher than residents. The navigable waters leading into the Mississippi and St. Lawrence, and the carrying places between the same, shall be common highways, and forever free, as well to the inhabitants of the said territory, as to the citizens of the United States, and those of any other states that may be admitted into the confederacy, without any tax, impost, or duty therefor. ARTICLE 5. There shall be formed in the said territory, not less than three, nor more than five states; and the boundaries of the states, as soon as Virginia shall alter her act of cession, and consent to the same, shall become fixed and established as follows, to wit: the western state in the said territory, shall be bounded by the Mississippi, the Ohio, and Wabash rivers; a direct line drawn from the Wabash and Post Vincents, due north, to the territorial line between the United States and Canada; and by the said territorial line to the lake of the Woods and Mississippi. The middle states shall be bounded by the said direct line, the Wabash, from Post Vincents to the Ohio, by the Ohio, by a direct line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami to the said territo rial line, and by the said territorial line. The eastern state shall be bounded by the last mentioned direct line, the Ohio, Pennsyl vania, and the said territorial line: provided however, and it is further understood and declared, that the boundaries of these three states shall be subject so far to be altered, that, if congress shall hereafter find it expedient, they shall have authority to form one or two states in that part of the said territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or ex treme of lake Michigan. And whenever any of the said states shall have sixty thousand free inhabitants therein, such state shall be admitted, by its delegates, into the congress of the United States, on an equal footing with the original states, in all respects whatever; and shall be at liberty to form a permanent constitution and state government: provided the constitution and government, 80 to be formed, shall be republican, and in conformity to the principles contained in these articles; and, so far as it can be con sistent with the general interest of the confederacy, such adınission shall be allowed at an earlier period, and when there may be a less number of tree inhabitants in the state than sixty thousand. ARTICLE 6. Tiere si all be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the sai territory, otherwise than in the puzish ment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted; provided always, that any person escaping into the same, from whom labor or service is lawfully claimed in any one of the original states, such fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed, and conveyed to the person claiming his or her labor or service as aforesaid. . Be it ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the resolutions of the 23d of April, 1784, relative to the subject of this ordinance, be, and the same are hereby repealed and declared null and void. Done, &c. Act of Virginia, of 30th December 1788. Whereas the United States, in congress assembled did, on the seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, state certain reasons, showing that a division of the territory which hath been ceded to the said United States, by this commonwealth, into states, in conformity to the terins of cession, should the same be adhered to, would be attended with many inconveniences, and did recommend a revision of the act of cession, so far as to empower congress to make such a division of the said territory into distinct and republican states, not more than five nor less than three in number, as the situation of that country and future circumstances might require: and the said United States in congress assembled have, in an ordinance for the government of the territory northwest of the river Ohio, passed on the thirteenth of July, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, declared the following as one of the articles of compact between the original states and the people and states in the said ferritory, viz. [Here the 5th article of compact, of the ordinance of congress, of 13th July, 1787, is recited verbatim. See ante, page 37.] And it is expedient that this commonwealth do assent to the proposed alteration, so as to ratify and confirm the said article of compact between the original states and the people and states in the said territory: 2 Be it, therefore, enacted, by the general assembly, That the aforerecited article of compact, between the original states and the people and states in the territory, northwest of Ohio river, be, and the same is hereby ratified and confirmed, any thing to the contrary, in the deed of cession of the sand territory by this commonwealth to the United States, notwithstanding. AN ACT to enable the people of the Illinois Territory to form a Constitution and State Government, and for the admission of such state into the Union on an equal footing with the original states. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in congress assembled, That the inhabitants of the territory of Illinois be, and they are hereby authorised to form for themselves a constitution and state government, and to assume such name as they shall deem proper; and the said state, when formed, shall be admitted into the Union, upon the same footing with the original states, in all respects whatever. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said state shall consist of all the territory included within the following boundaries, to-wit Beginning at the mouth of the Wabash river, thence up the same, and with the line of Indiana, to the northwest corner of said state; thence east with the line of the same state, to the middle of Lake Michigan; thence north, along the middle of said lake, to north latitude forty-two degrees thirty minutes; thence west to the middle of the Mississippi river; thence down along the middle of that river, to its confluence with the Ohio river; and thence up the latter river, along its northwestern shore, to the beginning: Provided, That the convention hereinafter provided for, when formed, shall ratify the boundaries aforesaid; otherwise they shall be and remain, as now prescribed, by the ordinance for the government of the territory northwest of the river Ohio: Provided, also, That the said state shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the state of Indiana, on the Wabash river, so far as said river shall form a common boundary to both; and also concurrent jurisdiction on the Mississippi river, with any state or states, to be formed west thereof, so far as said river shall form a common boundary to both. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That all white male citizens of the United States, who shall have arrived at the age of twenty one years, and have resided in said territory six months previous to the day of election, and all persons having in other respects the legal qualifications to vote for representatives in the general assembly of said territory, be, and they are hereby authorised to choose representatives to form a convention, who shall be apportioned amongst the several counties as follows: From the county of Bond, two representatives: From the county of Madison, three representatives: From the county of St. Clair, three representatives? And the election for the representatives aforesaid shall be holden on the first Monday of July next, and the two following days, throughout the several counties in the said territory, and shall be conducted in the same manner, and under the same regulations as prescribed by the laws of the said territory regula ting elections therein, for members of the house of representatives. Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the members of the convention, thus duly elected, be, and they are hereby authorised to meet at the seat of government of the said territory, on the first Monday of the month of August next, which convention, when net, 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 is hereby authorised to form a constitution and state government; or, 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 the thirteenth July, seventeen hundred and eighty-seven, between the original states and the people and states of the territory northwest of the river Obio; 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. Sec. 5. 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 |