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Territory. On December 6, a similar petition of “the democratic republicans" of Wayne county, signed by their chairman, Robert Abbot, was also presented. Both of these petitions were referred to a select committee who presented a bill on December 14 which passed the Senate on December 24 and the House on January 7.

[Annals, Eighth Congress, Second Session, 1659.]

AN ACT to divide the Indiana Territory into two separate governments. Be it enacted, etc., That, from and after the thirtieth day of June next, all that part of the Indiana Territory which lies north of a line drawn east from the southerly bend, or extreme, of Lake Michigan, until it shall intersect Lake Erie, and east of a line drawn from the said southerly bend through the middle of said lake to its northern extremity, and thence due north to the northern boundary of the United States, shall, for the purpose of temporary government, constitute a separate Territory, and be called Michigan.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That there shall be established within the said Territory, a government in all respects similar to that provided by the ordinance of Congress, passed on the thirteenth day of July, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, for the government of the territory Northwest of the river Ohio; and by an act passed on the seventh day of August, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine, entitled, "An act to provide for the government of the territory Northwest of the river Ohio;" and the inhabitants thereof shall be entitled to and enjoy all and singular, the rights, privileges, and advantages granted and secured to the people of the territory of the United States Northwest of the river Ohio by the said ordinance.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the officers of the said Territory, who, by virtue of this act shall be appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall respectively exercise the same powers, perform the same duties, and receive for their services the same compensations as by the ordinance aforesaid, and the laws of the United States, have been provided and established for similar officers in the Indiana Territory; and the duties and emoluments of Superintendent of Indian Affairs shall be united with those of Governor.

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed so as in any manner to affect the government now in force in the Indiana Territory, further than

to prohibit the exercise thereof within the said Territory of Michigan, from and after the aforesaid thirtieth day of June next.

Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That all suits, process, and proceedings, which, on the thirtieth day of June next, shall be pending in the court of any county which shall be included within the said territory of Michigan, and also, all suits, process, and proceedings, which, on the said thirtieth day of June next, shall be pending in the General Court of the Indiana Territory in consequence of any writ of removal, or order for trial at bar, and which had been removed from any of the counties included within the limits of the Territory of Michigan aforesaid, shall, in all things concerning the same, be proceeded on, and judgments and decrees rendered thereon, in the same manner as if the said Indiana Territory had remained undivided.

Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That Detroit shall be the seat of government of the said Territory until Congress shall otherwise direct.

20.

Approved, January 11, 1805.

Additional Compensation of Territorial Judges (March 3, 1807).

[Annals, Ninth Congress, Second Session, 1272.]

AN ACT allowing an additional compensation to the Judges of the Mississippi, Indiana, Michigan, and Louisiana Territories.

Be it enacted, etc., That each of the Judges of the Mississippi, Indiana, Michigan, and Louisiana Territories, appointed under the authority of the United States, be entitled to the annual sum of twelve hundred dollars, in lieu of his present compensation, to commence on the first day of January last.

21.

Approved, March 3, 1807.

Additional Compensation of Territorial Secretaries (December 5, 1807).

[Annals, Tenth Congress, First Session, 2813.]

AN ACT allowing an additional compensation to the secretaries of the Mississippi, Indiana, Louisiana, and Michigan Territories.

Be it enacted, etc., That each of the Secretaries of the Mississippi, Indiana, Louisiana, and Michigan Territories, appointed under the authority of the United States, be entitled to the

annual sum of one thousand dollars, in lieu of his present compensation, to commence on the first day of January next.

22.

Approved, December 5, 1807.

Extension of Suffrage Ownership of Town Lots (February 26, 1808).

According to the terms of the Ordinance of 1787, the qualifications for suffrage, aside from being a free white male twenty-one years of age or upward, were: (1) The ownership of 50 acres of land in the district, citizenship in one of the States and residence in the district; or (2) The ownership. of fifty acres of land in the district and two years' residence in the district. On February 26, 1808, the right of suffrage, in response to numerous petitions, was slightly extended. Aside from being a free white male of the age of twenty-one years or upwards, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the Territory for a period of one year, the qualifications were as follows: (1) The ownership of fifty acres of land; (2) The acquisition of fifty acres of land at any time by purchase of the United States; or (3) The ownership of a town lot of the value of $100.

[Annals, Tenth Congress, First Session, 2834.]

AN ACT extending the right of suffrage in the Indiana Territory.

Be it enacted, etc., That every free white male person in the Indiana Territory, above the age of twenty-one years, having been a citizen of the United States, and resident in the said Territory, one year next preceding an election of Representatives, and who has a legal or equitable title to a tract of land of the quantity of fifty acres, or who may become the purchaser from the United States of a tract of land of the quantity of fifty acres, or who holds in his own right a town lot of the value of one hundred dollars, shall be entitled to vote for Representatives to the General Assembly of the said Territory.

Approved, February 26, 1808.

23. Adverse Report of House Committee on Creation of Illinois Territory (April 11, 1808).

The actual division of Indiana Territory into two separate territories and the creation of the Territory of Illinois was preceded by a campaign carried on by the presentation of numerous petitions in Congress. On December 18, 1805, a petition of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of Indiana Territory was presented in the House asking that no division of the Territory be made. On December 19 a similar petition of the Territorial House of Representatives was presented. On January 17, 1806, a petition of the inhabitants of Randolph and St. Clair counties, suggesting the expediency of a division of the Territory, was introduced. All

of these petitions were referred to a select committee, who on February 14 made an unfavorable report, on the grounds that since the Territory had recently entered into the second grade government, the whole expense of the government would fall on the people of one section. On March 26, two petitions of sundry inhabitants of Randolph and St. Clair counties were presented to the House asking that the Territory be divided into two separate governments. During the second session of the 9th Congress, on February 20, 1807, two petitions were presented in the House, one of sundry inhabitants of the Territory in favor of a division, and one from the inhabitants of Randolph county in opposition. Both petitions were referred to a select committee. On April 6, 1808, two petitions of the inhabitants of Randolph and St. Clair counties and a petition of the inhabitants of the Illinois country were presented in the House asking for a division of the Territory, and were referred to a select committee, who submitted an unfavorable report on April 11, 1808, in which the House concurred.

[Annals, Tenth Congress, First Session, 2067.]

Mr. Lyon, from the committee to whom were referred the petitions of the people of the counties of Randolph and St. Clair, in the Indiana Territory, made the following report:

That the petitioners state many hardships, inconveniences, and privations, as well as the discouragement of emigration into their country, under which they labor in consequence of a connexion, which they call unnatural, between the two very distant settlements, whose country, by the compact between the United States and the State of Virginia, is ordained to constitute two separate and distinct States.

Among the disadvantages, they state that the inhabitants of their two large and populous counties are subject to be called from one hundred and thirty to one hundred and fifty miles through a wilderness (which, for want of wood and living water, must long remain dreary and difficult to pass through), to attend as suitors, witnesses, &c., as the general court, which is held at Vincennes, has cognizance of every matter in controversy, exceeding the value of fifty dollars.

They state, also, that the country which is to constitute the Eastern State, having three-fifths of the representation in the Territorial Legislature, with all the officers for the administration of the Territorial Government, appointed by the President of the United States, they who live in the country which is to constitute the Western State, are oppressed with taxes, the avails thereof are expended in the country which is to form the Eastern State, and at the discretion of those over whom they can have no control. They pray for a dissolution of this connexion, and the

establishment of a new Territorial Government, consisting of the country which, by the compact, is designated for the Western State, as it is marked out on the map of the United States.

The committee, however, considering the press of important business which must occupy the attention of the National Legislature during the short time proposed for the continuance of the session, the unpromising aspect of our fiscal concerns, and particularly the impolicy of increasing the number of Territorial Governments without its being manifestly necessary, are of opinion that it is inexpedient, at this time, to grant the prayer of the petitioners.

24.

Favorable House Report on Creation of Illinois Territory (December 31, 1808).

At the second session of the tenth Congress the question of dividing Indiana Territory was taken up with greater success. On November 15, 1808, certain resolutions of the House of Representatives of Indiana Territory adopted on October 11, 1808, were presented in the Senate enumerating the discontents prevailing among the people west of the Wabash river in consequence of their connection with the people east of that river and requesting a separation as the only means of restoring harmony and terminating these discontents. On December 2, the Speaker presented to the House sundry proceedings of the grand jury of St. Clair county at the October term of 1808, stating certain grievances to which the inhabitants of the county were subjected from the connection subsisting with the county lying eastward of the Wabash river. On December 13, a committee of the House was appointed to inquire into the expediency of dividing the Territory. On December 16, a petition of the inhabitants of Knox county was presented in the House opposing the division of the Territory. On December 21, the proceedings of the grand jury of Randolph county, held in November, 1808, was presented in the House, stating the hardships and inconveniences to which the grand jurors and other inhabitants of the county were subjected. On December 31 the House Committee submitted the following report.

[Annals, Tenth Congress, Second Session, 971.]

Mr. Thomas from the committee appointed on the thirteenth instant, to inquire into the expediency of dividing the Indiana. Territory, made a report thereon; which was read, and committed to a Committee of the Whole on Monday next. The report is as follows:

That, by the fifth article of the Ordinance of Congress for the government of the Territory of the United States Northwest of the river Ohio, it is stipulated that 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

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