Governor,—tenure of office, general powers, &c.That the executive power shall be vested in a governor, who shall reside in the said territory; he shall hold his office during the term of three years, unless sooner removed by the President of the United States; shall be commander in chief of the militia of the said territory; shall have power to appoint and commission all officers civil and of the militia, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, which shall be established by law; shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed; shall have power to grant pardons for offences against the said territory, and reprieves for those against the United States, until the decision of the President of the United States thereon shall be made known; shall have power on extraordinary occasions to convene the general assembly, and he shall ex officio be superintendent of Indian affairs.
Secretary.
His duty.Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That there shall be a secretary, whose commission shall continue in force for four years, unless sooner revoked by the President of the United States; he shall reside in the said territory; it shall be his duty, under the direction of the governor, to record and preserve all the proceedings and papers of the executive, and all the acts of the general assembly, and to transmit authentic copies of the same every six months to the President of the United States. In case of a vacancy of the office of governor, the government of the said territory shall be executed by the secretary.
Legislative power, &c.Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That the legislative power shall be vested in a general assembly, which shall consist of the governor, a legislative council and a house of representatives. The general assembly shall have power to make laws in all cases, both civil and criminal, for the good government of the people of the said territory, not repugnant to or inconsistent with the constitution and laws of the United States; and shall have power to establish inferior courts, and to prescribe their jurisdiction and duties; to define the powers and duties of justices of the peace and other civil officers in the said territory, and to regulate and fix the fees of office, and to ascertain and provide for payment of the same, and for all other services rendered to the said territory, under the authority thereof.Governor’s assent to bills indispensable. All bills having passed by a majority in the house of representatives, and by a majority in the legislative council, shall be referred to the governor for his assent, but no bill or legislative act whatever shall be of any force without his approbation.
Number of the legislative council.
Mode of choosing members of the legislative council, &c.Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That the legislative council shall consist of nine members to continue in office five years, unless sooner removed by the President of the United States, any five of them shall be a quorum. The members of the legislative council shall be nominated and appointed in the manner following: as soon as representatives shall be elected, they shall be convened by the governor as hereafter prescribed, and when met, shall nominate eighteen persons, residents in the said territory one year preceding their nomination, holding no office of profit under the territory or the United States, the office of justice of the peace excepted, and each possessing in his own right two hundred acres of land therein, and return the names to the President of the United States, nine of whom the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint and commission to serve as aforesaid; and when a vacancy shall happen in the legislative council, by death or removal from office, the house of representatives shall nominate two persons qualified as aforesaid for each vacancy, and return their names to the President of the United States, one of whom he, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint and commission for the residue of the term: and every five years, four months at least before the expiration of the time of service of the members of the legislative council, the house of representatives shall nominate eighteen persons, qualified as aforesaid, and return their names to the President
