Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-10-11
MIR. BIRKBECK'S PAMPHLET

IN .Ahheol to he Peohie Of Illinois, on
the Question Of a Contention.
BY MORRIS BIRKBECK.
FELLOW CITIZENS,
The trainers OF our social compact,
proG.ing by the experience of all nations,
TO secure from light and capricious
changes those institutions Of Govern
ment, which, on account of their supe-
rior importance, are coupled with first
principles and embodied in the cons,tu-
ton, did most wisely ordain that the So
lemn measure of a convention should
not be proposed to the people by any
authority short of majority Of two
thirds of the general assembly. We are
invited 10 vote on this subject, at the
next election, by very different sort of
majority from that intended by the con-
stituton, and framed after new fashion,
which i, will be right for US TO examine
before we give il our continuance. The
history of the business appears to be
shortly, this
Certain members OF that body, anxious
20 introduce a forbidden system amongs,
us, formed themselves into unto or
caucus soon after The commencement Of
the session, and offered to other mem
bers their votes in favor Of any PROPOSE
ton which those members had an in
terest in carrying, in consideration Of
their pledglng themselves 10 support the
measure OF con, enlion. BY the ac-
cesslon Of these, their first victin,s, the
caucus became in fact the legislature,
as, by comprising a majority Of both
houses, it was capable OF carrying every
question, that one excepied.-O Diners OF
your Representatives who had not, as get,
bartered away their independence, soon
discovered that they were completely al
the mercy of the junto and, in order to
recover the means OF serving their con-
siiuents on those points of local interest,
which, when combined, form the gene
raj veal, suffered themselves, one by
one, to be bought over, until the faction
had acquired nearly two-ihirds OF the
whole number of votes, the strength re-
qgisite for carrying their favorile mca-
sure-without the accomplishment OF
which, they declared, they would not
quit Vandaia.
They repeatedly tried their strength
by preparatory resolutions, and at length,
on the filth of February, brought for
ward the main question, bur II was de-
cided against them by majority OF two.
They were not, however, to be SO BAT
Red ;-ghey carried vote Of rc-conside-
ration, and the resolution was laid upon
the table.
On the eleventh of February, having
gained over the deficient votes by means
which il might seem invidious to detail,
the resolution was again brought for
ward, and again lost through the deiec-
ton OF a member, who on the former
occasion, had voted for it.-NotWith-
standing this second decision, they per-
severed in their purpose.
One of the party, although in the con-
stitutional minority on the last division,
again moved a reconsideration of the
question. The speaker declared the
motion to be out of order, because the
mover was in the minority. They at
tempted to over-rule the decision of the
speaker, by an appeal to the house, but
the chair was supported by majority of
three.
Here, it might be supposed, the ques-
ton was finally decided, aud would have
been allowed to rest but it proved
otherwise. On the succeeding day the
vote confirming the sheaker's decision
mas Reversed, and the motion for recon
sideration, made by one OF the minority,
carried land to extinguish the vote OF
the defaulter, ard create favorable one
in the room of it, as no such vote could
be found in the house, they had recourse
to a proceeding the most unjust, and i'm
pudenlly tyrannical, that ever, as l be-
lieve, disgraced the legislation of a free
country BY an arbitrary resolution, in
direct viola ion OF law, they expelled one
Of your representatives, who had been
established in his seat by the decision of
the house, and introduced in his room,
man favorable to their views, who had
been declared, by the same decision, not
to be representative.-Having accom-
plished this, they brought forward the
main question the third time, and car
riedit by the vote of this man, whom they
created member for the express pur-
pose, at the close of the session.
Now, fellow citizens ask you how
YOU feel under this sort Of legislation
and the reply seem TO hear, from one
end Of the state to the other, is this