MINNESOTA. One of the new states of the United States of America.
2. It was created a territory by act of eongresa, March 3, 1849, and admitted into the Union as a state, May 11, 1858, under a constitution framed and adopted by a convention at St. Paul, on the 29th day of August, 1857, pursuant to an act of congresa of February 26, 1851, and submitted to and ratified hy the people on the 13th of October, 1867.
The Bill of Righte provides that there shall be neither alavery nor involuntary servitude, otherwise than fur the punishment of crime; that there shall be no imprisonment for debt; that a reasonable amount of property shall he exempt from execution ; that all future lenses of agricultural lands for a longer period than twenty-one years, reserving any rent, shall he void ; and that no person shall be rendered incompetent as a witness in consequence of his religious opinions.
3. The Bight of Suff, age is vested in all male per sons over twenty-one yesrs of nge, whu have resided in the United States one year and in the state four montha next preceding any election, and who are either white citizens of the United States, white per sons of foreign birth who have declared their inten tion to become citizens, or persons of Indian blot d who have adnpted the language and habits of civili zation and have been pronounced hy any district court of the state capable of enjoying the rights of citizenship. But all persons convicted of any felony, not restored to civil rights, and all persons insane, or under guaidianship, are excluded. All elections are by ballot. No arrest by civil process is allowed on any day of election. All legal voters are eligible by tbe people to any office, except as hereinafter specified.
4. Amendments to the Conetitution. A majority of both branches of the legislature may submit amendments to the constitution to the people, which, if ratified hy the voters present, shall be part of the constitution. A oonvention may also he called fur the purpose of amending it.
The Legielative Department.
The Senate is composed of a number of senators not exceeding one for every five thousand inhabit en ts, elected for the term of two years by the peo ple. A senator roust have resided one pear in the state and six months next preceding the election in the district from which he ia elected, und must be a qualified elector. One-balf the senate ia elected each year, the districts numbered with odd and even numbers electing alteroate years.
5. The Holm of Repreeentativee is composed of number of representatives not exceeding one for every two thousand inhabitants, elected an nually by the people for the term of one year. The qualifications neceesary are the same as those of the sen atore.
The constitution contains the usual provisions for the organization and continuance of the two houses, regulating the conduct and judging of the qualifications of members, recording and publiah ing proceedings, securing freedom of debate, ex empting membese from arrest on civil process, etc.
All elections by the legislature are to be made viva twee. The legislature cannot authorize a lottery or the sale of lottery-tickets. The legislature is to provide a uniform system of public sehoola. The proceeds of certain lands are secured as a permanent fund, the income of which the legislature is to dis tribute among the townships. The legislature can not create a corporation by apecial act for any but municipal purposes. It may pass a geoeral bank ing law; may not suspend specie payments ; must provide that all banks shall hold state or United States stooka as security for their notes. It may, by vote of two-thirds in both houses, contract a debt for extraordinary expenses, not exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. A tax must be levied each year large enough to pay the ex penses of that year and eover the deficiency of the precedieg year if any exiats. Proviaion must be made at the time of creating any debt for the pay ment of interest and its extinction in ten yeara.