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

aoit ~ ger oulStis, ar utslfe to he attach
ell TO larger one. The People have a
right 10 peiitinn to he organized into new
counties, when they do not injure ano,h-
er. This principle perhaps might have
been proper when The State vas first Or
/ gan'Zed, but our state being 50 divided IN
regards timber and prairie land, the PEG
pie have a night To petition In be organi-
Zed INTO counties with a view 10 their I'd
vantage,. lie hoped the repor, oi the
commilteo would be adopted. lie would
repeat again that It The Pc 'ple were not
To be trusted with a rI.hl to petition for
new county when they desired II, for fear
they might he cheated, they were MOI ca
pabIe oi self government. TIE commit.
tee Intended, when they made he reporl,
TO have asked that some alteration might
be made in the shape oI the question.
Mr.. Palmer If MscouVin said. ,ha,
this question was one of some interest to
the people in his county aud he desired
10 express his views upon 1t. lie only
claimed to be the representative Of sin-
Gle county. The people Of that county
were nearly equally divided on the ques-
ton. He admitted the right of the PEG.
pie to be heard on this and every subject,
hut the Convention had a Iight also to
make such laws as appeared to them the
best lie thought tie subject = local one,
and not question Of State government.
and should only interest the counties con-
cerned. He was in favor Of re commits.
ment Of the resolutions and tia, the com.
mitee should wait I'LL they had heard
other propositions, which might be prc.
scented by gentlemen, aud when they had
seen them and cunlraslcd them one wuh
ihe other lhey would be better able to
speak of the question. Ii was true that
something should he done; but thew had
better wait and hear oil the propositions
that might be offered on the subject.
lie was personally opposed TO the res
olu!i"n before them, as were many Of his
friends, but he vas the representative of
the counly-a single county, and not Of
the whole State, "a other gentlemen
claimed to bs---and should vote as lie
considered best for the Interests Of lha.
county.
The subject involved in the deh,te was
not Of general character. BIT Of mere
local nature. 1t 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 lie admitted that these petitions for
new counties were got up by dishonest
mGn and spectators in town lots, he did
not believe that such was always the
case; and where a case arose where a
division would be proper, he thought the
people should have the right 20 petition
the Legislature in the matter.
Mr. Logan offered the following amend
menl to the Instructions:
"And tina, no counIy shall be divided.
or have any part thereof stricken of
wlthou, submitting the question to a vote
of the people Of the county. nor unless a
majority of all the legal voters Of the
county shall vote for the same"
He thought, he Convention should
how decide the question.
MIR. Singleton said, he had come there
TO represent the interest Of his couslilu.
ents. He had come, 10, TO consult their
ii, III hu, ,La;r ;ntc -ra,s 'rha,, ,.,,,,iI
exercise their will themselves. lie
scarcely ever got up to address the Con
vention, but what he could read in the
counlenances Of gentlemen, speeches up
on OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the consumption
of time. He did not care If l.! should oc-
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 re,rench.
meui. 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, aud it was high time stop was put
to it. 1t 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 a 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 90 home to his constituents, and
they should ask him why he did not re
sist abis or tina, proposition. must he say,
'why, it was unpopular in the Conven-
ton to make speeches, and | let it pass :"
Tins was perfect cul-lhroat policy.
Mr.. Davis, Of Montgomery, said, he
was in favor Of the area being fixed al
400 square miles. This would, if the
counties were all Of that size, still allow
them li0 counties. But he would be in
favor Of changing the instruction, so as
4. ,l.au