NEBRASKA. One of the territories of the United States.
The territory was erected by act of congress, ap proved May 30, 1854. It includes all that por tion of the territory of the United States included in the following boundaries : beginning at a point in the Missouri river where the fortieth parallel of north latitude crosses the same; thence west on said parallel to the east boundary of the territory of Utah, on the summit of the Rocky Mountains; thence on said summit northwardly to the forty ninth parallel of north latitude; thence east on said parallel to the west boundary of the territory of Minnesota; thence southwardly on said bound ary to the Missouri river • thence down the main channel of said river to 'the place of beginning, with an exception of the Indian reservations in cluded from the territorial jurisdiction, unless with their consent There is also a provieo that when admitted as a state the said territory or any part of the same shall be received into the Union with or without slavery, as their oonstitution may pre scribe at the time of their admission. In addition
to the above, that part of Utah and Washington territories between the forty-first and forty-third degrees of north latitude and east of the thirty-third meridian of longitude west of Washington is added to the territory of Nebraska by act of congress approved March 2, 1861. U. S. Stat. at Large, 1860-61 (Little & Brown's ed.), 244. The provisione of the organic act, with the exceptions here given, are the same as those of the act establishing the territory of New Mexico, which see. The secre tary holds his office for the term of five years, sub ject to renewal by the president. The house of representatives is to be composed of twenty-six Members; but the nuirber may be increased to thirty-nine.