CHAPTER L

THE STATE OF COLORADO.

Boundaries.-The State of Colorado includes the territory lying between the thirty-seventh and fortyfirst parallels of north latitude, and the twenty-fifth and thirty-second degrees of longitude west from Washington.

Acquisition. This territory was acquired by the United States in three parcels. The north-eastern portion was a part of the Louisiana purchase from France in 1803. At that time its limits were not exactly defined. By the treaty of 1819 with Spain, the boundary between the United States and the Spanish possessions was described as "following the course of the southern bank of the Arkansas, to its source

from the said source due south or north, as the case may be, till it meets the said parallel of latitude, 42°". This defines the portion of Colorado acquired from France as that part lying north of the Arkansas River and east of that river and the meridian of its source.

When Texas was admitted into the Union in 1845, her territory was described as follows:-"All the land lying east of the Rio Grande and embraced within the limits of the Rio Grande on the west and south and the boundary between the United States and Spain under the Florida treaty of 1819, on the east."

In 1850 Texas sold to the United States all her territory outside her present limits. This included'

that portion of Colorado which is bounded on the north and east by the Arkansas River and on the south-west by the Rio Grande. The north-western boundary of this portion was not defined.

The rest of the State was included in the Mexican cession of 1848.

History of French cession. The part of Colorado acquired from France remained a part of the Territory of Louisiana until 1812. Upon the admission of the State of Louisiana in that year, the remainder of the Louisiana purchase received the name of Missouri Territory. After the admission of the State of Missouri in 1821, what remained of the territory was still for many years known as Missouri. That part of the French cession now included in Colorado became parts of the territories of Kansas and Nebraska upon their organization in 1854.

History of Texan and Mexican cessions.-That part of Colorado west of the "summit of the Rocky Mountains" was included in the territory of Utah, organized in 1850. The rest of the Texan and Mexican cessions became parts of New Mexico and Kansas, organized respectively in 1850 and 1854.*

Territory organized. After the increase of population following the gold excitement of 1858-9, measures were taken resulting in 1861 in the organization of the Territory of Colorado, with the boundaries of the present State.

*Nebraska included that part of Colorado east of the summit of the Rocky Mountains and north of parallel forty.

The boundary of Kansas followed the 37th parallel west to the 103d meridian west from Greenwich; thence north to latitude 38; thence west to the "summit of the Rocky Mountains"; thence north on said summit to parallel 40; thence east,

etc.

The boundary of New Mexico followed the 103d meridian west from Greenwich north to parallel 38; thence west on that parallel to the summit of the Sierra Madre; thence south with the crest of said mountains to the 37th parallel.

Enabling act. The act of Congress enabling Colorado to become a State received the approval of President Grant on March 3, 1875.

Constitutional convention. The convention to form a state constitution met in Denver, December 20,1875, and adopted a constitution March 14, 1876.

Adoption of Constitution by the people.-The Constitution was adopted by the people at an election held July 1, 1876.

Final admission. The proclamation of President Grant, announcing the final admission of Colorado as a state, is dated August 1, 1876.

National officers. As a state, Colorado became entitled to two United States Senators, one Representative in Congress and three Presidential Electors. By the apportionment made after the national census of 1900, Colorado became entitled to three Congressmen.* The Senators are elected by the General Assembly for terms of six years. A Congressman is elected by the voters of each of the two congressional districts; one, called Congressman at Large, is elected by the voters of the entire State. Congressmen serve two years. Presidential Electors, of which there are now four, are elected every fourth year by the voters of the State, to cast the vote of the State for President.

CHAPTER II.

THE CONSTITUTION.

Object of the Constitution.-In their Constitution, the people of Colorado declare the rights of individuals, establish a government and define its powers.

*The first congressional district consists of the counties of Adams, Boulder, Denver, Jefferson, Lake, Larimer, Morgan, Park, Phillips, Sedgwick, Arapahoe, Washington, Weld, Yuma. The rest of the State constitutes the second district.

Force of the Constitution.-The people are the source of political power. In the Constitution of the United States, the people grant certain powers pertaining to the whole nation, to the United States Government and deny certain other powers to the states. With these limitations the power of the people of a state is supreme and absolute and the state constitution is the supreme law. None of its provisions can be contrary to the Constitution of the United States and no law passed by the legislature of a state is valid if it conflicts with the state constitution.

Parts of the Constitution.--The Constitution of Colorado consists of a preamble, nineteen articles and a schedule. Each article treats of a separate topic, as; The Executive Department, Education, Militia, etc. In the schedule provision was made for the transfer from the territorial to the state government.

Departments of government. The Constitution provides for three departments of government; the Legislative, which makes the laws; the Executive, which carries the laws into effect; and the Judicial, which interprets and applies them.

Municipal corporations.-The Constitution provides for the establishment of divisions of the State, to which the control of local and minor affairs of government is given. These divisions are the county, school district, town and city. They receive the general name of municipal corporations. All the inhabitants in any one of these divisions are authorized to act in many respects as an individual. They can buy, hold and sell property, sue and be sued, make contracts, etc. They exercise such powers of government as are conferred upon them in the Constitution or by law.

* A twentieth article was added to the Constitution in 1902.