The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-06-25

ell to a larger one. The People have a
rlght In petition to he organized into new
counties, when they do not iriure ano,h-
tr. This principle perhaps might have
been proper when the Stale VAS first or
ganzed, but our state being 50 divided as
regards timber and prairie land. the Peo
pie have night IN petition In be organi-
Led into counties Nith a view TO their nd
vantace-. lie hoped The repor, u, the
committee would be adopted. lie would
repeat again that it The Pc'pie we're not
10 be trusted with rlshl to petition for a
new county when they desired It, for fear
they nigh, he cheated, they we're MOI ca
pable oi self government. Tie comwil
tee intended, when they made he report,
to have asked that some alteration might
be made in the shape ol the question.
Mr.. Palner of Macoupin said, that
tins question was one of some interest to
the people in his county aud he desired
to express his views upon IT, lie only
claimed To be the representative Of sin.
gle county. The people Of that county
were nearly equally divided on the ques-
uon. He admitted the right of the peo-
pie to be heard ON this and every subject.
hut the Convention had righl also 20
make such laws as appeared to them the
best lie thought tie subject a local one.
and not question Of Stale government.
and should only interest the counties con.
cerned. He was in favor of re commit
ment Of the resolutions and that the com.
mtlee should wait I'll they had heard
other propositions, which might be pre-.
scented by gentlemen, aud when they had
seen them and Cunrasled them one wnh
The other lhey would be better able to
'peak of the question. II was true that
something should be done bu, they had
better wait and hear oil the propositions
thai might be offered on the subject,
lie was personally opposed to The res
n'uli"n before them, as were many Of his
friends, but he was the representative of
the counly--a single county, and not oil
The whole State, as other gentlemen
claimed to be--and should vote as he
considered best for the Interests Of tina,
county.
The subject involved in the debate was
no, Of general character. bit Of mere
local nature. Ii had been his misfortune
since he had been there, when he had
been advocating the interest Of his own
county, to differ from the majority.
While he admitted that these petitions for
new counties were got up By dishonest
men and spectators in town lots, he did
not believe that such was slways the
case and where case arose where a
division would be proper, ne thought the
people should have the right % petition
he Legislature in the matter.
Mr. Logan offered the following amend.
meni to the Instructions:
"And that no county shall be divided
or have any part thereof stricken off
Without submitting the question to vote
Of The people Of the county, nor unless a
maj GRITTY of all the legal voters of the
county shall vote ior the same"
He thought the Convention should
how decide the question.
MIR. Singleton said, he hal come there
to repr sent the interest Of his constllu.
ens. He had come, not 10 consult their
will but their interests. They would
exercise their will themselves. lie
scarcely ever got up to address the Con
yention, but what he could read in the
countenances Of gentlemen, speeches up
on clreuchmeut-aboul The consumption
Of time. lie did not care If i. should &C.
.cupy month in discussing a question
when he thought ii demanded ii. He
thought the restricting the formation of
new counties the best step in roirench.
menr. They did not see the dollars up.
permost but they were in the back ground.
The question Of creating new counties
had occupied much Of the time Of the
Legislature. The resolution which had
been before the Convention originally
come from his colleague. and the people
Of their county are much interested IN the
subject. The people had shown their
opposition to the creation Of more coun-
ues, and i, was high time a stop was put
to it. Ii was never too late To do good
We are making roads every day, and we
do not want the county seats changed or
county lines altered. This matter costs
the State every year $4,000, and he
looked upon it as most important item.
1t was very little object what amount
of time was consumed in the discussion
of this subject; bu, when man gets up
here he is almost frowned down. What
were they to do! When one of them
should go home to bis constituents, and
they should ask him why he did not re
sist shs or that proposition, must he say,
"why, it was unpopular in the Conyen.
lion to make speeches, aud | let it pass ?"
This was a perfect cul-lhroat policy.
Mr. Davis, of Montgomery, said, he
was in favor Of the area being fixed at
400 square miles. This would, if the
counties were all Of lhs, size, still allow
them ll0 counties. But he would be III
favor of changing the instruction, so as
A., 49,, ,p,tnin ilpg