conducive to the good government of the inhabitants thereof."

This form of government for the Territory of Louisiana continued unchanged until 1812, when a new act, under date of June 4, of that year, was passed for its government. This act changed the name of the territory from that of "Louisiana" to that of "Missouri," as the name as the name "Louisiana" had been appropriated by the Territory of Orleans when it was admitted as a State in the same year. By this act the Territory of Missouri was given a form of government similar in almost all respects to that granted by the Northwest Ordinance to the Northwest Territory as soon as it had a population of five thousand free male inhabitants. Provision was thus made for a governor and a secretary, appointed by the President, and a general assembly consisting of the governor, a legislative council consisting of nine members, appointed by the President for a term of five years. from eighteen members nominated by the lower house of the Territory, and a house of representatives elected by the qualified voters. The important departure from the model of the Northwest Ordinance consisted in the broadening to some extent of the electoral franchise, the right of voting being conferred upon all free white male citizens of the United States who were twenty-one years of age, had resided in the Territory for one year next preceding the election, and were taxpayers. The payment of taxes was thus made a qualification of the electors in lieu of the possession of real-estate, as had been provided in the Northwest Ordinance. Minor changes consisted in the provisions

:

that the general assembly should meet once in each year, that the governor should have the power to convene it in extraordinary session, and that each of the two houses should have the power to choose their speakers and other officers and determine their rules of procedure.

Florida. The acquisition of Florida from Spain in 1819 constituted the next acquisition of new territory by the United States. This territory was acquired by purchase, in accordance with the terms of a treaty executed at Washington, February 22, 1819. On March 3, following, Congress directed the President to take possession of the territory and make provision for its administration. The terms of this act in respect to the organization of a government within the territory were practically identical with those contained in the act authorizing the occupation and administration of the Louisiana Purchase. By them it was provided that all military, civil and judicial powers exercised by the officers of the existing government should be vested in such person and persons and be exercised in such manner as the President of the United States might direct. Florida was administered under the terms of this act for only a short time. By Act of March 30, 1822, it was given a territorial form of government similar to that conferred upon the Territory of Orleans by the Act of March 26, 1804. The most important feature of this latter act, it will be remembered, was that vesting the legislative power in the governor and a legislative council consisting of thirteen of the most fit and discreet persons in the territory appointed

by the President of the United States. A slight departure from the act relative to the Territory of Orleans was made in dropping the provision that such members should be owners of real-estate within the Territory. The government of the Territory of Florida underwent about the same process of gradual modification as took place in respect to the government of the Northwest Territory and Louisiana Purchase, until its final admission into the Union as a State on March 3, 1845.

Oregon. No new addition to the territory of the United States occurred for a period of twenty-seven years. What was known as the "Oregon Country" had at an early date been entered and partly settled by immigrants from the United States and, in consequence, a claim to it had been made by the United States. This claim was disputed by Great Britain, and for twentyeight years, or from 1818 to 1846, the territory was occupied by that power and the United States, neither making any especial provision for its government and administration. In 1846 all disputes relative to the territory were adjusted by a treaty, by which the present boundary between the United States and Canada was fixed. It was, however, not until two years later that Congress made any provision for the government of the part that had been confirmed to it. By act of August 14, 1848, the whole district was erected into a territory with a form of government similar to that of the Territories of Wisconsin and Iowa, which was the most liberal form of government that up to that time. had been granted to any Territory.

Territory Acquired from Mexico.

The final rounding

out of the boundaries of the United States proper was accomplished by the annexation of the large territory constituting the southwestern portion of the present United States, which formerly belonged to Mexico. Texas achieved its independence from Mexico in 1835 and was recognized by the United States in 1837. After a brief existence as an independent republic it was admitted into the Union as a State by Act of December 29, 1845. Texas, thus, never constituted what may be called dependent territory, and its government, therefore, gave rise to no special problems falling within the scope of the present work. In the year following the annexation of Texas, war broke out with Mexico as the direct result of a dispute relative to the true boundary between Texas and that power. Immediately upon the outbreak of hostilities, General Kearney was ordered to take possession of what is now the southwestern part of the United States, the whole of which was then known as New Mexico. This he did, appointed a provisional governor, and then proceeded westward to California for the purpose of conquering that territory as well. Upon arriving there he found that Captain Fremont had already defeated the Mexican forces confronting him and that the Americans had declared themselves independent of Mexico and had elected Fremont as governor. General Kearney refused to recognize the election of Fremont, himself assumed the office of governor in 1847, and declared California a part of the United States. The war between the United States and Mexico came to an end by the

Treaty of Guadaloupe-Hildalgo, signed February 2, 1848, and ratified by the Senate of the United States on March 10, following. By it New Mexico and California were transferred to the United States, Mexico receiving as an indemnity for its loss of territory the sum of eighteen million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, of which three million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars was for the payment of claims of American citizens against Mexico. The territory thus ceded to the United States was slightly added to by the subsequent purchase from Mexico in 1853 of the "Gadsden Purchase."

Too much repetition and tedious detail would result from an attempt to describe the form of government that was given to each of the individual Territories. that have been successively carved out of these various acquisitions. In general, each act providing for the government of a new Territory was based upon prior acts, the modifications introduced being usually only for the purpose of specifying in greater detail the powers of the territorial legislature. One very important innovation in the system of government that has been described, however, should be noted. The act providing for the organization of the Territory of Wisconsin, passed April 20, 1836, for the first time introduced the principle of an elective legislative assembly in respect to both houses. In all cases before this the upper house had been appointed by the President, either directly or from persons nominated by the lower house. The Wisconsin act provided that the legislative assembly should consist of a council of thirteen members with a term of four years, and a house of repre