In discharge of those duties enjoined on the Governor of this Territory
by an act of the Congress of the United States of America, approved
the 4th of June, 1812, entitled "An act providing for the government
of the Territory of Missouri," I have made the following arrangements,
preparatory to the new organization of Government to be instituted by
the said act, and which will commence its operation on the first Monday
in December next; that is to say;
I have divided the future Territory of Missouri into five counties,
excluding from the civil jurisdiction of each of said counties any
tract or tracts of country which may fall within their respective
general limits, as hereinafter set forth, the Indian title to which may
not have been extinguished.
That portion of territory situated north of the Missouri River, and
usually known by the name of the Forks, as lying between that river
and the river Mississippi, shall compose one county, and be called the
county of St. Charles.
That portion of territory bounded by the Missouri river on the north;
by the Mississippi on the east; on the south by the Platin creek, from
its mouth to its source; thence by a west line to the Missouri river,
or to the western boundary of the Osage purchase; and on the west, by
the said western boundary of the Osage purchase, shall compose one
other county, and be called the county of St. Louis.
That portion of territory bounded by the county of St. Louis on the
north; on the east by the Mississippi; on the south by Apple creek,
from its mouth to its source; thence by a due west line to the western
boundary of the Osage purchase; and on the west, by the said western
boundary of the Osage purchase, shall compose one other county, and be
called the county of St. Genevieve.
That portion of territory bounded on the north by the south limit of
the county of St. Genevieve; east by the Mississippi; west by the
western boundary of the Osage purchase; and south by that line which
formerly separated the commanders of Cape Girardeau and New Madrid, and
known more recently as the boundary between these two districts, shall
compose one other county, and be called the county of Cape Girardeau.
That portion of territory bounded north by the south limit of the
county of Cape Girardeau; east by the Mississippi; south by the 33d
degree of north latitude, (the southern boundary of this Territory as
settled by act of Congress;) west by the western boundary of the Osage
purchase; and from the southern extremity thereof to the 33d degree of
north latitude aforesaid, shall compose one other county, and be called
the county of New Madrid.
And I do hereby make known and declare that elections of
Representatives, to serve in the General Assembly of the future
Territory of Missouri, shall be holden throughout the Territory, on
the second Monday of November next, at the respective seats of justice
of the present districts, which are hereby declared to be the seats of
justice for the several future counties respectively except that the
town of New Madrid shall be the seat of justice of the future county
of New Madrid, which said future county will comprehend the present
districts of New Madrid and Arkansas; to wit: at the town of St.
Charles for the future county of St. Charles, at which time and place
there will be chosen for the said county two Representatives. At the
town of St. Louis for the future county of St. Louis, at which time and
place there will be chosen four Representatives. At the town of St.
Genevieve for the future county of St. Genevieve, at which time and
place there will be chosen for the said county three Representatives.
At the town of Cape Girardeau for the future county of Cape Girardeau,
at which time and place there will be chosen for the said county two
Representatives. And at the town of New Madrid for the future county
of New Madrid, at which time and place there will be chosen for the
said county two Representatives.
And I do, moreover, make known and declare that on the said second
Monday of November next, an election will also be holden, at the
several seats of justice aforesaid, for a Territorial delegate to the
Congress of the United States. And I do enjoin and require that these
elections be holden by the sheriffs of the present districts, or in
their absence, or inability to act, by the coroners respectively; that
the said sheriffs or coroners shall take the polls of those qualified
to vote; that the clerks of the courts of the present districts, or
their deputies, shall respectively write down the names of the voters
in a fair and legible manner, and that the presiding judges of the
courts of the present districts respectively, or in case of absence, or
inability to act, the next in commission shall attend, and be judges
of the qualification of the voters; that the said elections shall be
opened at the respective seats of justice aforesaid, at or before 9
o'clock in the morning of the said second Monday of November, and close
at sunset of that day.
And the sheriffs or coroners respectively, after having caused the
proces-verbal of said polls to be signed by the clerks or their
deputies, who may have respectively committed the same to writing, and
countersigned by the judges respectively who may have attended the
elections, will themselves certify the same, explicitly stating, at
large, the names of the persons elected as Representatives, and the
name of the person having the greatest number of votes as a delegate
to Congress, and make immediate return thereof to the Governor of the
Territory.
And I do, lastly, enjoin and require, that the Representatives of the
several future counties, so as aforesaid to be elected, do convene in
the town of St. Louis on the first Monday in December next, as provided
by the act of Congress aforesaid.
In testimony whereof, I have caused the seal of the Territory of
Louisiana to be hereunto affixed. Given under my hand, at the town
of St. Louis, the first day of October, in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and twelve, and of the independence of the
United States of America the thirty-seventh.