The governor and judges, or a majority of them, fhall adopt and publish in the district, fuch laws of the original states, criminal and civil, as may be neceffary, and beft fuited to the circumstances of the district, and report them to Congress from time to time; which laws fhall be in force in the district until the organization of the general affembly therein, unless difapproved of by Congress; but afterwards the legislature shall have authority to alter them as they fhall think fit.

The governor for the time being, fhall be commander in chief of the militia, appoint and commiffion all officers in the fame, below the rank of general officers; all general officers fhall be appointed and commiffioned by Congrefs.

Previous to the organization of the general affembly, the governor fhall appoint fuch magiftrates and other civil officers, in each county or township, as he fhall find neceffary for the prefervation of the peace and good order in the fame: After the general affembly fhall be organized, the powers and duties of magiftrates and other civil officers fhall be regulated and defined by the said affembly; but all magiftrates and other civil officers not herein otherwife directed, fhall, during the continuance of this temporary government, be appointed by the governor.

For the prevention of crimes and injuries, the laws to be adopted or made shall have force in all parts of the district, and for the execution of process, criminal and civil, the governor fhall make proper divifions thereof: and he shall proceed from time to time, as circumstances may require, to lay out the parts of the district in which the Indian titles hall have been extinguished, into counties and townships, fubject however, to fuch alterations as may thereafter be made by the legislature. - So foon as there fhall be five thousand free male inhabitants, of full age, in the district, upon giving proof thereof to the governor, they fhall receive authority, with time and place, to elect representatives from their VOL. II.

B 4

counties or townfhips, to reprefent them in the genetal affembly; provided that for every five hundred free male inhabitants, there shall be one reprefentative, and fo on progreffively with the number of free male inhabitants fhall the right of representation increase, until the number of reprefentatives fhall amount to twentyfive; after which the number and proportion of reprefentatives fhall be regulated by the legiflature: Provided that no perfon be eligible or qualified to act as a reprefentative, unless he fhall have been a citizen of one of the United States three years, and be a refident in the diftrict, or unless he fhall have refided in the district three years; and in either cafe, fhall likewife hold in his own right, in fee fimple, two hundred acres of land within the fame: Provided alfo, that a freehold in fifty acres of land in the district, having been a citizen of one of the ftates, and being refident in the district, or the like freehold, and two years refidence in the district fhall be neceffary to qualify a man as an elector of a representative.

The reprefentatives thus elected, fhall ferve for the term of two years; and in cafe of the death of a reprefentative, or removal from office, the governor shall iffue a writ to the county or township, for which he was a member, to elect another in his ftead, to ferve for the refidue of the term.

The general affembly, or legiflature, fhall confift of the governor, legiflative council, and a house of reprefentatives. The legislative council fhall confift of five inembers, to continue in office five years, unless fooner removed by Congrefs; any three of whom to be a quorum: And the members of the council fhall be nominated and appointed in the following manner, to wit: As foon as reprefentatives fhall be elected, the governor fhall appoint a time and place for them to meet together, and when met, they fhall nominate ten persons, refidents in the diftrict, and each poffeffed of a freehold in five hundred acres of land, and return their names

to Congress; five of whom Congrefs fhall appoint and commillion to ferve as aforefaid; and whenever a vacancy fhall happen in the council, by death or removal from office, the houfe of reprefentatives fhall nominate two perfons, qualified as aforefaid for each vacancy, and return their names to Congrefs; one of whom, Congrefs fhall appoint and commiffion for the residue of the term. And every five years, four months at leaft before the expiration of the time of fervice of the members of council, the faid houfe fhall nominate ten perfons, qualified as aforefaid, and return their names to Congrefs; five of whom Congrefs fhall appoint and commiffion to ferve as members of the council five years, unlefs fooner removed. And the governor, legiflative council, and house of representatives, fhall have authority to make laws, in all cafes, for the good government of the district, not repugnant to the principles and articles in this ordinance established and declared. And all bills having paffed by a majority in the house, and by a majority in the council, fhall be referred to the governor for his affent; but no bill or legiflative act whatever, shall be of any force without his affent. The governor fhall have power to convene, prorogue and diffolve the general affembly, when in his opinion it fhall be expedient.

The governor, judges, legiflative council, fecretary and fuch other officers as Congrefs fhall appoint in the district, fhall take an oath or affirmation of fidelity, and of office; the governor before the prefident of Congrefs, and all other officers before the governor. As foon as a legislature fhall be formed in the diftrict, the council and houfe affembled, in one room, fhall have authority, by joint ballot, to elect a delegate to Congrefs, who fhall have a feat in Congrefs, with a right of debating, but not of voting during this temporary go

vernment.

And for extending the fundamental principles of civil and religious liberty, which form the bafis whereon.

these republics, their laws and conftitutions are erected; to fix and establish those principles as the bafis of all laws, conftitutions and governments, which forever hereafter fhall be formed in the faid territory: to provide alfo for the establishment of ftates, and permanent government therein, and for their admiffion to a share in the federal councils, on an equal, footing with the original states, at as early periods, as may be confiftent with the general interest:

It is hereby ordained and declared, by the authority aforefaid, That the following articles fhall be confidered as articles of compact between the original states, and the people and states in the faid territory, and forever remain unalterable, unless by common confent, to wit: ARTICLE I.

No perfon demeaning himself in a peaceable and orderly manner, fhall ever be molested on account of his mode of worship or religious fentiments, in the faid territory.

ARTICLE II.

The inhabitants of the faid territory, fhall always be entitled to the benefits of the writ of habeas corpus, and of the trial by jury; of a proportionate reprefentation of the people in the legislature, and of judicial proceedings according to the course of the common law. All perfons fhall be bailable, unless for capital offences, where the proof fhall be evident, or the prefumption great. All fines fhall be moderate; and no cruel or unufual punishments fhall 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 fhould the public exigencies make it neceffary, for the common prefervation, to take any perfon's property, or to demand his particular fervices, full compenfation fhall be made for the fame. And in the juft prefervation of rights and property, it is underftood and declared, that no law ought ever to be made, or have force in the faid territory, that fhall in any manner whatever

interfere with, or affect private contracts or engagements, bona fide,; and without fraud previously formed. ARTICLE III.

Religion, morality, and knowledge, being neceffary to good government and the happiness of mankind, fchools, and the means of education, fhall forever be encouraged. The utmost good faith fhall always be obferved towards the Indians; their lands and property fhall never be taken from them without their confent; and in their property, rights and liberty, they never fhall be invaded or disturbed, unless in juft and lawful wars authorized by Congrefs; but laws founded in juftice and humanity, fhall from time to time be made, for preventing wrongs being done to them, and for preferving peace and friendship with them.

ARTICLE IV.

The faid territory, and the states which may be formed therein, fhall forever remain a part of this confederacy of the United States of America, fubject to the articles of confederation, and to fuch alterations therein, as fhall be conftitutionally made; and to all the acts and ordinances of the United States in Congrefs affembled, conformable thereto. The inhabitants and fettlers, in the faid territory, fhall be fubject to pay a part of the federal debts, contracted or to be contracted, and a proportional part of the expenfes of government, to be apportioned on them by Congrefs, according to the fame common rule and meafure, by which apportionments thereof fhall be made on the other ftates; and the taxes for paying their proportion, fhall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legiflatures of the district or diftricts or new ftates, as in the original states, within the time agreed upon by the United States in Congrefs affembled. The legislatures of thofe diftricts or new ftates, fhall never interfere with the primary difpofal of the foil by the United States in Congrefs affembled, nor with any regulations Congress may find neceffary for fecuring the title in