In 1841, a convention met in the territory of Iowa, and proceeded to frame a constitution for a State government, a copy of which was presented to Congress in the session of 1844 and 1845. An act was passed, on the 3d of March, 1845, for the admission of the States of Iowa and Florida into the Union. In December, 1845, a bill to repeal so much of the act of March 3, 1845, as relates to the boundaries of Iowa, was introduced into the House of Representatives, and referred to the committee on territories, which committee reported to the House on the 27th of March, 1846, an amendatory act.

The people of the territory of Iowa held a second convention in 1846, and refused to agree to the change in the boundaries as previously fixed, and a copy of the constitution, affirming those boundaries, was presented to Congress in December, 1846. And on the 28th day of that month an act for the admission of Iowa into the Union was passed and approved.

The question of altering and amending this constitution was more or less agitated for several years. The people of Iowa were anxious to repeal the restrictions upon banking in this State, and other amendments were desired in relation to the election of judges of the supreme court, &c. Finally, on the 24th of January, 1855, the legislature of Iowa passed "an act for the revision or amendment of the constitution of this State," which provided for the submission to the people of the question of calling a convention to revise the constitution. The call of the convention was adopted, and an election for delegates held in November, 1856. The convention assembled, in Iowa City, on Monday, January 19, 1857, and organized by electing Hon. Francis Springer, of Louisa County, President.

AN ACT

PROVIDING FOR THE REVISION OR AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa, That at the next general election in this State, to be holden on the first Monday of August, A. D. 1856, there shall be a poll opened in each township and election precinct, for the purpose of taking a vote of the people, for or against a convention to revise or amend the present constitunion of this State.

SEC. 2. Voters desiring such a convention shall have written or printed on their ballots, the words, " For a Convention," and those opposed shall have written or printed on their ballots, the words, "Against a Convention."

SEC. 3. The election shall be conducted in the same manner as the general elections of the Stafe, and the poll books shall be returned and canvassed as provided in the Twenty-fifth chapter of the Code, and abstracts shall be forwarded to the Secretary of State, which abstracts shall be canvassed in the manner provided for the canvass of State officers.

SEC. 4. On or before the first day of October, A. D. 1856, the Governor shall is sue his proclamation, declaring the result of said election, and if a majority of the votes cast at said election, shall be in favor of a convention as aforesaid, then an election of delegates to sa id convention shall be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, in said year, and the election shall be conducted in the returns according to the provisions of the Code, regulating general elections.

SEC. 5. The number of delegates shall correspond to the number of Senators in the General Assembly, according to the apportionment at the time of the election of said delegates, and each senatorial district shall constitute a district for the election of delegate.

SEC. 6. Said delegates shall possess the qualification of Senators in the General Assembly, and shall meet in convention at the then Capital of the State, on the third Monday in January, A. D. 1857, for the purpose of revising or amending the constitution of the State.

SEC. 7. Should a vacancy or vacancies at any time occur by death, resignation, or otherwise, the Governor shall issue writs of election to fill the same, in the manner prescribed for filling vacancies of members of the General Assembly.

SEO. 8. Each delegate shall receive three dollars per day from the State Treasury, for each day's attendance in said convention, and three dollars for every twenty miles travel in going to, and returning from said convention; the mileage to be computed by the usually traveled route.

SEC. 9. The convention shall have power to appoint its own officers, and to fix their compensation; and shall also have power to provide for the necessary printing for said convention; it shall also keep a journal of its proceedings, containing all amendments, revisions or alterations agreed upon, which journal shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State, to be kept as other official papers of this State.

SEC. 10. Said revised or amended Constitution, when agreed upon by the Convention, shall be submitted to a vote of the people for their adoption or rejection, and if majority of the legally qualified electors shall approve the same, it shall then become the Constitution and supreme law of the land.

SEO. 11. The convention shall fix the time and prescribe the manner of submitting the question to the people; it shall also provide for the publication of the proposed amendments, a journal of its proceedings, and for the manner of canvassing the votes given for and against said amended constitution; it shall also have full power to make all necessary regulations for the taking effect of said men ded or revised constitution; Provided, That all elections contemplated in this Act, shall be conducted, as nearly as practicable, in the same manner as is provided by law, for the regulation of general elections in this State.

SEC. 12. The Secretary of State is hereby required to furnish a suitable room for the meeting of said delegates, and also to furnish stationery for the use of the Convention, which shall be paid for out of the State Treasury.

APPROVED January 24th, 1855.

I CERTIFY that the foregoing act was published by direction of the Governor in the Iowa Capital Reporter, on the 14th of February, and Iowa Republican on the 21st day of February, 1855.

GEO. W. MCCLEARY, Secretary of State.

ERRATA.

Page 19, second column: Change the name "Patterson" to "Johnston," wherever it occurs. Page 21, 1st column, line 13 from the bottom: change "Jeffrie's" to "Jefferson's."

Page 41, 2d column, line 6 from the bottom: strike out the word "each."

Page 47, 2d column, line 20 from the top: "Bills and Rights," should read "Bill of Rights." Pagy 85, 2d column, line 13 from the bottom, for "Warren," read "Edwards."

Page 93, 1st column, line 29 from the bottom, for "reports" read "remarks."

Page 95, 1st column, lines 17, 21 and 22 from the top, for "Bill of Rights" read "right of suffrage."

Page 97, 1st column, line 23 from the top, insert between the words "shall" and "be" the word "never."

Page 151, 2d column, line 1 from the top, for "State," read "counties."

Page 156, 2d column, line 27 from the bottom, for "Hominy Nation" read "Hairy Nation." Page 177, top of the page, in heading of names of speakers, for "Clarke" read "Hall." Page 191, 1st column, near commencement of the remarks of Mr. Clark, of Alamakee, for "I became, however, in the days when Know Nothingism flourished, a member of that organization, and yet," &c., read, "I have lived in a county where Know Nothingism flourished, but was never a member of that organization, for," &c.

Page 238, 2d column, line 8 from the top, for "here," read "keen."