Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-11-23
Illinois Legislature.
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Fellow Citizens of the Senate, and


ate defect in tho act entitled An act
providing for the election of electors OF
President and Vice President of the
United States" BY this act, it is pro-
vided, that the returns of the election OF
electors OF President and Vice President
shall be investigated in the same manner
as the returns of the election of men,
Der of Congress are required to be, by
the act to regulate elections which act
provides that the returns Of the election
Of member of Congress shall be inves-
sigated by the General Assembly: and
as the General Assembly this year would
not have mel until after The time fixed by
law for the assembling Of the electoral
college, it therefore became necessary
20 convene the General Assembly in or
der to legalize and render effective the
vote of Illinois in the election OF Pre-
sident and Vice President Of The United
States.
1t is expected that all the returns will
be received at the Office oil the Secretary
OF State on Friday next; as soon as they
are, they shall be laid before you. I
Whilst regret the necessity OF calling
you to the discharge Of your official du-
ties rather sooner than the appointed
time, feel great satisfaction in the belief
that whilst it will not subject the mem
bers to any personal Inconvenience, it
will promote the public interest, not only
in giving our state her proper voice and
influence in the election of Chief Ma
gistrate of the nation, bot will also be at
tended with this further advantage, of af-
tording an earlier opportunity to the Re-
representatives. of the people to elect Sc
nator TO the Congress OF the United States
in the place Of Ninian Edwards. Notice
of the resignation of Mr. Edwards was
received too late last spring, as con-
ceived, for me to make an appointment
in time for the individual to have reached
Washington before the probable adjourn
ment. IF successor to our late Sena-
tor be now promptly appointed, he will
be able to reach Washington very soon
after the meeting Of Congress.
1t affords me peculiar qualification, on
The convocation of the Legislature, to
congratulate the Representatives of the
peoI lie, on the increased and increasing
devotion OF our citizens to their rights,
and attachment to their free institutions !;
on the continued peace and prosperity of
cur country; on the plentiful harves!
with which the earth has rewarded the
laborer; on ths unusually good health
enjoyed by our citizens for the last
two years and particularly on the truly
propitious and happy decision, by large
majority, of the important question which
has SO greatly agitated the people Of the
state since the adjournment of the Lee
-s,i.i.,.-~,--Ee-.h ynAat and m, anifaia
blessings of kind Providence, it be-
comes us to be grateful: and to show
thar we duly appreciate and are worthy
efthem, let US, in imitation OF Him from
whom they emanate, make due allow
ance for the frailties Of human nature !:
let Us assuage all perturbed passions and
preludices; allay the asperties of party
feeling, and cordially unite to correc,
past errors, and provide for the future the
bes, means OF promoting individual hap
piness and general prosperity.
j..
most iniuriously, and which are yet with
in Legislative correction, are the laws
which have been passed for changing the
long established mode Of enforcing con-
tracts, by substituting new legal provi-
sions, not contemplated by the parties,
by which their contracts have been ma
terially changed, and even infringed. The
constitution expressly prohibits the pas
sage Of any law impairing the validity
OF contracts. But if i, were silent on this
subject, sense of justice would require
an extraordinary and unlocked for, and
even improbable state Of things, to iustl-
fy an interference on the part of the Le-
9islature in contracts between indivi-
duals, to the material injury of one party,
and benefit of the other. Such interfe-
rences have tendency TO destroy pune
tuaIity, to impair confidence, and to in
iure the character Of a community. 1t
Is no less the duty, than the true policy,
Of government strictly to comply with
all its own engagements, and to enforce
punctuaii,y upon its citizens. II should
ever be borne in mind, that character is
capital, and that people DESTROYS of in
creasing their resources and promoting
their prosperity, should preserve their
faith inviolate. Whatever may have been
the causes which produced these mea-
sures, il is not believed the present state
Of things requires their continuance. l
therefore recommend to the considera-