ON THE PART AND IN BEHALF OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE. John Dickinson, May 5, 1779, Tho. M'Kean, Feb. 12, 1779 ON THE PART AND IN BEHALF OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND, John Hanson, March 1, 1781, Daniel Carrol, March 1, 1781. ON THE PART AND IN BEHALF OF THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. Richard Henry Lee, John Bannister, Thomas Adams, John Harvie, ON THE PART AND BEHALF OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, John Penn, July 21, 1778, Corns. Harnett, Jno. Williams. ON THE PART AND BEHALF OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. Henry Laurens, Richard Hutson, William Henry Drayton, Thos. Heyward, Jun. John Mathews, ON THE PART AND BEHALF OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA. Jno. Walton, 24th July, 1778. Edw. Telfair, Edw. Langworthy. NOTE-Prior to the Declaration of Independence, and on the 12th day of the preceding month, a committee was appointed by the Continental Congress, "to prepare and digest the form of a confederation to be entered into between these colonies." The report of the committee was made on the 12th of July, and printed copies placed in the hands of members of the congress for their secret examination. For two years the articles were under discussion by the members of the several state legislatures to whom copies were sent by the new government, and on the 9th of July, 1778, the representatives in congress of the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Carolina, signed the form above which had been agreed upon. To those states whose delegates being absent or uncertain of their power, did not sign the form at this time. Congress addressed a request for action with all convenient dispatch. North Carolina ratified the Act on the 21st of July, and Georgia on the 24th of the same month, thus giving the assent of ten states to the instrument. The remaining ratifications were given, by New Jersey, November 26, 1778; by Delaware, May 5, 1779; and by Maryland, March 1, 1781. Congress assembled under the Act of Confederation, March 2, 1781, the day following the ratification of the act by Maryland, WILLIAM M'KINLEY. William McKinley, President, was born at Niles, Trumbull County, Ohio, January 29, 1843; was educated in the public schools, Poland Academy, Allegheny College; before attaining his majority he taught in the public schools; enlisted as a private in the Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry June 11, 1861; promoted to commissary-sergeant April 15, 1862, to second lieutenant September 23, 1862, to first lieutenant February 7, 1863, to captain July 25, 1864; served successively on the staffs of Generals R. B. Hayes, George Crook and Winfield S. Hancock and was brevetted major in the United States Volunteers by President Lincoln for gallantry in battle March 13, 1865; detailed for acting adjutant-general of the First Division, First Army Corps, on the staff of General S. S. Carroll; mustered out of service July 26, 1865; returning to civil life, he studied law in Mahoning County; took a course at the Albany (N. Y.) Law School, and in 1867 was admitted to the bar and settled at Canton, Ohio, which has since been his home; in 1869 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Stark County, and served a term in that office; in 1876 he was elected a member of the National House of Representatives, and for fourteen years represented the congressional district of which his county was a part; as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee he reported the tariff law of 1890, but in November following was defeated for Congress in a gerrymandered district, although reducing the usual adverse majority from 3,000 to 300; in 1891 was elected governor of Ohio by a plurality of 21,511, and 1893 was re-elected by a plurality of 80,995; in 1884 was a delegate-at-large to the Republican national convention and supported James G. Blaine for president; was a member of the committee on resolutions and read the platform to the convention; in 1888 was also a delegate-at-large from Ohio, supporting John Sherman, and as chairman of the committee on resolutions again reported the platform; in 1892 was again a delegate-at-large from Ohio, and supported the nomi nation of Benjamin Harrison, and served as chairman of the convention. At that convention 182 votes were cast for him for president, although he had persistently refused to have his name conisdered. On June 18, 1896, he was nominated for president at St. Louis, receiving 661 out of 905 votes. He was elected president at the ensuing November election by a popular plurality of 600,000 votes, and received 271 electoral votes as against 176 for William J. Bryan, of Nebraska. He was again elected president in 1900. On September 6, 1901, at the PanAmerican Exposition he was shot by an anarchist, and died of his wound September 14. His remains were buried at Canton, Ohio. THE ORDINANCE OF 1787. AN ORDINANCE FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TERRITORY OF THE UNITED STATES NORTH WEST OF THE OHIO RIVER. [Adopted by the Confederate Congress July 13th, 1787. The Constitution of the United States was adopted by the Congress the 28th of September following. The text from which this was printed was found in a volume of territorial laws printed in Cincinnati in the year 1796. By authority W. Maxwell, Jr., and known as "Maxwell's Code, 1796."] B E it ordained by the United States in Congress assembled, That the said territory, for the purpose of temporary government, be one district; subject, however, to be divided into two districts, as future circumstances may, in the opinion of Congress, make it expedient. Be it ordained by the authority aforesaid, that the estates both of resident and non-resident proprietors, in the said territory, dying intestate, shall descend to, and be distributed among their children, and the descendants of a deceased child in equal parts; the descendants of a deceased child or grandchild, to take the share of their deceased parent in equal parts among them; and where there shall be no children or descendants, then in equal parts to the next of kin, in equal degree; and among collaterals, the children of a deceased brother or sister of the intestate shall have in equal parts among them their deceased parents share; and there shall in no case be a distinction between kindred of the whole and half blood; saving in all cases to the widow of the intestate, her third part of the real estate for life, and one-third part of the personal estate; and this law relative to descents and dower, shall remain in full force until altered by the legislature of the district. And until the governor and judges shall adopt laws as hereinafter mentioned, estates in the said territory may be devised or bequeathed by wills in writing, signed and sealed by him or her, in whom the estate may be (being of full age) and attested by three witnesses; and real estates may be conveyed by lease and release or bargain and sale signed, sealed and delivered by the person, being of full age, in whom the estate may be, and attested by two witnesses, provided such wills be duly proved, and such conveyances be acknowledged, or the execution thereof duly proved, and be recorded within one year after proper magistrates, courts, and registers shall be appointed for that purpose; and personal property may be transferred by delivery, saving, however, to the French and Canadian inhabitants, and other settlers of the Kaskaskies, Saint Vincents, and the Ordinance of 1787. neighboring villages, who have heretofore professed themselves citizens of Virginia, their laws and customs now in force among them, relative to the descent and conveyance of property. Be it ordained by the authority aforesaid, that there shall be appointed from time to time, by Congress, a governor, whose commission. shall continue in force for the term of three years, unless sooner revoked by Congress; he shall reside in the district, and have a freehold estate therein, in one thousand acres of land, while in the exercise of his office. There shall be appointed from time to time, by Congress, a secretary, whose commission shall continue in force for four years, unless sooner revoked, he shall reside in the district, and have a freehold estate therein, in five hundred acres of land, while in the exercise of his office; it shall be his duty to keep and preserve the acts and laws passed by the legislature, and the public records of the district, and the proceedings of the governor in his executive department; and transmit authentic copies of such acts and proceedings, every six months, to the Secretary of Congress. There shall also be appointed a court to consist of three judges, any two of whom to form a court, who shall have a commonlaw jurisdiction, and reside in the district, and have each therein a freehold estate in five hundred acres of land, while in the exercise of their offices; and their commissions shall continue in force during good behavior. The governor and judges, or a majority of them, shall adopt and publish in the district such laws of the original States, criminal and civil, as may be necessary, and best suited to the circumstances of the district, and report them to Congress, from time to time, which laws shall be in force in the district until the organization of the general assembly therein, unless disapproved of by Congress; but afterwards the legislature shall have authority to alter them as they shall think fit. The governor, for the time being, shall be commander-in-chief of the militia, appoint and commission all officers in the same, below the rank of general officers; all general officers shall be appointed and commissioned by Congress. Previous to the organization of the general assembly, the governor shall appoint such magistrates and other civil officers, in each county or township, as he shall find necessary for the preservation of the peace and good order in the same. After the general assembly shall be organized, the powers and duties of magistrates and other civil officers shall be regulated and defined by the said assembly; but all magistrates and other civil officers, not herein otherwise directed, shall, during the continuance of this temporary government, be appointed by the governor. For the prevention of crimes and injuries, the laws to be adopted or made shall have force in all parts of the district, and for the execution |