The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-09-10

greatful 10 ALMIGHTY Con for the civil,
political, and religious liberty, which liz
has SO long permitted us to ENJOY, and
looking to Hin for a blessing upon our
endeavOrs TO secure aud transmit the
same unimpaircd to succeeding genera
tions--n order to form more perfect
government, establish justice, insure do
mestic tranquility, provide ior the com
mon defence, promote the general wei
fare, and secure the blessings of liberty
To ourselves aud our postcrity, do or,!ain
and establish this constitution Tor the state
OF Illinois.
ARTICLE |.
boundaries.
Section |. The boundaries and iurisd.c-
ton of the state shall be as follows, to wit
Beginning at the mouth of the Wabash rv-
cr; thence up the same, and with the line
OF Indiana, to the north west corner of said
state thence east, with the line of the same
state to the middld of lake Michigan
thence north, along the middle of said lake,
to north lotitudc iurtytwo degrees and thir-
" minutes thence west to the middle OF
the Mississippi river, and thence down,
along the middle of that river, to lis conilu-
cnce with the Ohio river, and thence up
the latter river, along its north. western
that this state shall exercise such iurisdic.
ton upon the Ohio river as she is now emit
tied to, or such as may hereafter be agreed
upon by this state and the state Of Ken
lucky.
ARTICLE II.
Concerning The distribution Of The powcrS Of
government.
Section |. The powers of the govern
.l.t.. N
into three distinct departments, and each OF
them be cOniided To a separate body of ma
gistracy, to wit Those which are lcgisla.
tive, to one those which are executive. to
another; and those which are judicial to
another.
Sec. :. No person or collection OF persons
being one of these departments, shall exer-
else any power properly belonging 10 either
of the others, except as hereinafter express
ly directed or permitted, and all acts in con-
travcntion OF this section shall be void.
ARTICLE III.
OfHe Legislative department.
Section /. The legislative authority Of
this state shall he vested in General As.
sembly which shall consist of a Senate
and House of Representatives, both 10 be
elected by the people.
representatives, shall DE held OF the Tues
day after the first Monday in November
one thousand eight hundred aud forty.
eight and thereafter, elections for mem
bers of the General Assembly Shall be held
once in two years. on the Tuesday next af-
ter the first Monday in November, in eacl
and every county, at such places therein as
may be provided by law.
Sec. 3. No person shall be a representa-.
tive who shall not have attained the age Of
twenty-five years who shall not be citi-
zen OF the United States, and three years an
inhlbitant of this state who shall not have
resided IN the limits Of the county or district
in which he shall be chosen twelve months
next preceding his election, if such county
or district shall have been so long oCtpd
but II not, then within the limits Of the Coun-
" or counties, district or districts, out of
which the same shall have been taken, UNI
less he shall have been abent on the public
business of the United States, or of this
state; and who, moreover, shall not have
paid a state or county tax.
Sec. t. No pcron shall be a senator who
shall not have attained the age OF thirty
years, who shall not be n citizen Of the
United States, five years an uhabitant of
thus state, and one year in the county oi
district in which he shall be chosen immc-
diateiy preceding his election, if such
county or district shall have been so long
erected; but If not, then within the limits
OF the county or counties, district or districts
out OF which the same shall have been ta-
ken, unless he shall have been absent on
the public business of the United States OF
of this state, and shall not, moreover, have
paid state or county tax.
Sec. D. The senators at their first session
herein provided for shall be divided by lot.
as near rs can be, into two classes. The
seats of the first class shall be vacated al
the expiration of the second year. and those
of the second class at the expiration of the
fourth; so that one half thereof, rs near as
possible, may be biennially chosen forever
thereafter.
Sec. 6. The senate shall consist of TWEEN
ty-fve members, aud the house of represent
tativcs shall consist of seventy-Gvc men,
bers, until the population OF this state shall
amount to one million of souls, when livr
members may be added to the house. and
five additional members for every five hun.
dred thousand inhabitants thereafter. unit
the whole number of representatives shall
amount to one hundred after which, tho
number shall neither be increased nor dimi.
nished, to be apportioncd among the sever.
al counties, according TO the number Of
white inhabitants. In all future appoint.
mcntS, where more than one county shall
be thrown into n representative district, all
the representatives TO which said counties
may be entitled, shall be elected, by the eli.
tire district.
Sec. 7. No person elected to the General
Assembly shall receive any civil appoint.
ment within this state, or to the Senate o,
the United States, from the governor, the
governor and senate, or from the genera
assembly, during the term for which he
shall have been elected and all such ap.
pontmeuts, aud all votes given for any such
member for any such office or appointment
shall be void nor shall any member of tn,
General Assembly be interested, either di
rectly on indirectly, in any contract with
the state, or any county thereof, authorized
by any law passed during the time foi
which he shall nave been elected, or during
one year after the expiration thereof.
Sec. .. In the year one thousand cigh,
hundred and iifty-iive, and every tenth