33. Conferment of Chancery Jurisdiction on General Court (April 29, 1816). [Annals, Fourteenth Congress, First Session, 1892.] AN ACT supplemental to the act, entitled "AN ACT regulating and defining the duties of the Judges of the Territory of Illinois," and for vesting in the Courts of the Territory of Indiana a jurisdiction in chancery cases, arising in the said Territory. (Sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 regulate and define the duties of the Judges of the Territory of Illinois.) Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the General Court of the Territory of Indiana be, and it is hereby authorized and empowered to exercise chancery powers as well as a common law jurisdiction, under such regulations as the Legislature of said Territory may prescribe. Approved, April 29, 1816. PART II. THE ORGANIZATION OF A CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT. One of the earliest formal petitions for the admission of Indiana Territory to the Union was presented to Congress during the twelfth session of 1811-1812. The House Committee, to whom this petition was referred, reported favorably on the admission of the Territory as soon as its population should amount to 35,000, to be ascertained by a census taken under the authority of the Territory. In response to this recommendation, the Territorial Legislature on August 29, 1814, authorized the tax listers to take a census of the Territory in the year 1815. This was done accordingly and disclosed the fact that the total population of the Territory was 63,897. Having complied with the only requirement prescribed by Congress and having completely fulfilled all conditions prescribed by the Ordinance of 1787, the Legislative Assembly adopted a memorial on December 11, 1815, asking Congress to be admitted to the Union on an equality with the other States. Both houses acted favorably on this petition and an Enabling Act was passed and approved on April 16, 1816, The election of constitutional delegates was held on May 13 and the Constitutional Convention convened on June 10. On June 11, the convention decided that it was expedient to proceed to the framing and adoption of a constitution and the organization of a state government. On June 27, the convention adopted an Ordinance formally accepting the propositions enumerated in the Enabling Act, and on June 29, the Constitution was completed and the convention adjourned. Meantime, a copy of the Constitution had been forwarded to Congress, a representative, two senators and three presidential electors had been chosen and at the beginning of the fourteenth session, Indiana asked formal admission to the Union. The representative to the lower House encountered no opposition and was sworn into office on December 2, 1816, the day on which Congress convened. The credentials of the senatorselect were referred to a select committee and they were sworn into office on December 12. After a brief but spirited contest the 65 |