The Constitution Of Montana And What It Means Today

Abstract

By the act of admission the United states transferred to the state full authority to exercise complete sovereignty in the enforcement of state law over all lands not reserved, though the United States retained their proprietary Interest in all lands not granted or sold. Montana was admitted into the Union upon an equal footing in all respects with the original states. Sovereignty once vested in the state remains there, unless by some act on the part of the state it reverts to the general government.2 The United States specifically reserved from the grant of the land mentioned in this section of the Montana Constitution, and therefore retained its sovereignty over these lands which the State of Montana officially recognised by the adoption of this Article.