A RESOLUTION

Giving the Assent of the Legislature to an Enlargement of the Limits of the State of Louisiana.

enlargement of

Louisiana.

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Louisiana, in General Assembly convened, That whereas the Senate Approving the and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in the State of Congress assembled, by an act entitled "An Act to enlarge the limits of the State of Louisiana," have provided that in case the Legislature of the State of Louisiana shall consent thereto, all that tract of country comprehended within the following bounds, to wit: Beginning at the junction of the Iberville with the river Mississippi; thence along the middle of the Iberville, the river Amite, and the lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain, to the mouth of the Pearl river; thence up the eastern branch of Pearl river to the thirty-first degree of north latitude; thence along the said degree of latitude to the river Mississippi; thence down the said river to the place of beginning, shall become and form a part of the said State of Louisiana, and be subject to the constitution and laws thereof in the same manner and for all intents and purposes, as if it had been included within the original boundaries of said State.

Be it therefore resolved, and it is hereby resolved, That the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Louisiana, in General Assembly convened, do approve of and consent to the enlargement of the limits of the said State of Louisiana, in manner as provided by the above in part recited act of Congress, hereby declaring that the same shall forever be and remain a part of the State of Louisiana.

TERRITORIAL ORDINANCE

RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS.

Lands exempt from taxation

for five years

United States.

AN ORDINANCE

Relating to the public lands of the United States, and the lands of non-resident proprietors, citizens of said States, within the Territory of Orleans.

Be it ordained by the Representatives of the people of the Territory of Orleans, in Convention assembled, agreeably to an act of Congress entitled, “An Act to enable the people of the Territory of Orleans 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, and for other purposes," That the people inhabiting the said Territory do agree and declare that they do forever disclaim all rights or title to the waste or unappropriated lands lying within the said Territory; and that the same shall be and remain at the sole and entire disposition of the United States.

And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That each and every tract of land, sold by Congress, shall be and remain exempt f om sale by the from any tax laid on under the authority of the State of Louisiana, either for State, county, township, parish, or any other purposes whatever, for the term of five years from and after the respective Non-residents' days of the sales thereof, and that the lands belonging to the citizens of the United States residing without the said State of Louisiana, shall never be taxed higher than the lands belonging to persons residing therein; and that no taxes shall be imposed on lands the property of the United States.

lands not to be

taxed higher

than residents'

lands.

And be it further ordained, by the authority aforesaid, That this ordinance shall never be revoked, without the consent of the United States, in Congress assembled, being first obtained for this purpose

Done in Convention at New Orleans, this

day of December, one thousand eight hundred and eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the thirty-sixth. J. POYDRAS, President.

By order:

EL. FROMENTIN, Secretary.

CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA OF 1812.

WE, the representatives of the people of all that part of the territory or country ceded under the name of Louisiana, by the treaty made at Paris, on the thirtieth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and three, between the United States and France, contained in the following limits, to wit: beginning at the mouth of the river Sabine, thence by a line to be drawn along the middle of said river, including all its islands, to the thirtysecond degree of latitude; thence, due north to the northernmost part of the thirty-third degree of north latitude; thence, along the said parallel of latitude to the river Mississippi; thence, down the said river to the river Iberville; and from thence, along the middle of the said river and lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain to the gulf of Mexico; thence, bounded by the said gulf, to the place of beginning, including all islands within three leagues of the coast, in Convention assembled, by virtue of an act of Congress, entitled, "An Act to enable the people of the Territory of Orleans to form a Constitution and State Government, and for the admission of said State into the Union, on an equal footing with the original States, and for other purposes;" in order to secure to all the citizens thereof, the enjoyment of the right of life, liberty and property, do ordain and establish the following Constitution or form of government, and do mutually agree with each other to form ourselves into a free and independent State, by the name of the State of Louisiana.

ARTICLE I.

CONCERNING THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE POWERS OF GOVERNMENT.

SECTION 1. The powers of the Government of the State of Louisiana shall be divided into three distinct departments, and each of them be confided to a separate body of magistracy, viz: those which are legislative, to one; those which are executive, to another; and those which are judiciary, to another.

SEC. 2. No person or collection of persons, being one of those departments, shall exercise any power properly belonging to either of the others; except in the instances hereinafter expressly directed or permitted.

ARTICLE II.

CONCERNING THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.

SECTION 1. The legislative power of this State shall be vested in two distinct branches, the one to be styled the House of Representatives, the other, the Senate; and both together, the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana.

SEC. 2. The members of the House of Representatives shall continue in service for the term of two years from the day of the commencement of the general election.

SEC. 3. Representatives shall be chosen on the first Monday of July, every two years; and the General Assembly shall convene on the first Monday in January in every year, unless a different day be appointed by law, and their sessions shall be held at the seat of Government.

SEC. 4. No person shall be a Representative who, at the time of his election, is not a free white male citizen of the United States, and hath not attained to the age of twenty-one years, and resided in the State two years next preceding his election, and the last year thereof in the county for which he may be chosen, or in the district for which he is elected, in case the said counties may be divided into separate districts of election, and has not held, for one year, in the said county or district, landed property to the value of five hundred dollars, agreeably to the last list.

SEC. 5. Elections for Representatives for the several counties entitled to representation, shall be held at the places of holding their respective courts, or in the several election precincts into which the Legislature may think proper, from time to time, to divide any or all of those counties.

SEC. 6. Representation shall be equal and uniform in this State, and shall be forever regulated and ascertained by the number of qualified electors therein. In the year one thousand eight hundred and thirteen, and every fourth year thereafter, an enumeration of all the electors shall be made in such manner as shall be directed by law. The number of Representatives shall, in the several years of making these enumerations, be so fixed as not to be less than twentyfive nor more than fifty.

SEC. 7. The House of Representatives shall choose its Speaker and other officers.

SEC. 8. In all elections for Representatives every free white male citizen of the United States, who at the time being hath attained to the age of twenty-one years, and resided in the county in which he offers to vote one year next preceding the election, and who, in the last six months prior to the said election, shall have paid a State tax, shall enjoy the right of an elector: Provided, however, That every free white male citizen of the United States who shall have purchased land from the United States, shall have the right of voting when

ever he shall have the other qualifications of age and residence above prescribed. Electors shall, in all cases, except treason, felony, breach or surety of peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at, going to, or returning from elections.

SEC. 9. The members of the Senate shall be chosen for the term of four years, and when assembled, have the power to choose its officers annually.

SEC. 10. The State shall be divided into fourteen Senatorial Districts, which shall forever remain indivisible, as follows: The parishes of St. Bernard and Plaquemines, including the country above as far as the canal (Des Pêcheurs), on the east of the Mississippi, and on the west as far as Bernoudy's canal, shall form one district. The city of New Orleans, beginning at the Nun's Plantation, above, and extending below as far as the above mentioned canal (Des Pêcheurs), including the inhabitants of the bayou St. John, shall form the second district; the remainder of the county of Orleans shall form the third district. The counties of German Coast, Acadia, Lafourche, Iberville, Pointe Coupée, Concordia, Attakapas, Opelousas, Rapides, Natchitoches and Ouachita, shall each form one district, and each district shall elect a Senator.

SEC. 11. At the session of the General Assembly, after this Constitution takes effect, the Senators shall be divided by lot, as equally as may be, into two classes; the seats of the Senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the second year; of the second class, at the expiration of the fourth year, so that one-half shall be chosen every two years, and a rotation thereby kept up perpetually.

SEC. 12. No person shall be a Senator who, at the time of his election, is not a citizen of the United States, and who hath not attained to the age of twentyseven years, resided in this State four years next preceding his election, and one year in the district in which he may be chosen; and unless he holds within the same a landed property to the value of one thousand dollars, agreeably to the tax list.

SEC. 13. The first election for Senators shall be general throughout the State, and at the same time that the general election for Representatives is held; and thereafter there shall be a biennial election of Senators to fill the places of those whose time of service may have expired.

SEC. 14. Not less than a majority of the members of each house of the General Assembly shall form a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and shall be authorized by law to compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner and under such penalties as may be prescribed thereby.

SEC. 15. Each house of the General Assembly shall judge of the qualifications, elections and returns of its members; but a contested election shall be determined in such manner as shall be directed by law.