The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-10-26

o'"Nc thc "uoHuoh Va s"S S""SS
luton, writs Of election have been
issued when required, to
ill vacancies occurring in the seve.
raj offices where the term of service
commrncedprior to that date. Ger.
tain of its provisions, however which
relate to the manner Of providing
for filling vacancies, seem to con-
future Legislative action to
enable the exc cu,ive to cause them
to be filled, in cases where the officrl
is created by the constitution. This
is particularly the case in the Office
of sheriff, surveyor, &C., where it
may be doubtful ifthe executive pos
sess the power to cause them to be
filled. The responsibility attached
TO these Offices, particularly the for
mer, both as to individuals and the
state at large, requires that the in
cumbent shall hold his Office by a
more secure and certain tenure than
the exercise of a questionable power
of election or appointment.
The Office of attorney general for
the state was abolished BY the a1op-
ton of the constitution, and no pro-
vision has yet been made Cor the dis
charge of large class of those du-.
ties which were peculiar to that Of
fee, by any other state officer. This
omission renders Unnecessary for the
public officers to employ counsel to
take charge ola considerable portion
Of the legal bushes of,he state par
ticularly in the three divisions ofthe
supreme court. The expenses thus
necessarily incurred, and which
reach very consider yearly a
mount, may be reduced to merely a
nominal sum. and result in saving
to the state, if suitable provision be
made for the purpose cit is believed
that this purpose can be answered
by comforting the duties upon the
states attorneys, at a small compen-
sation with limited per centa.e, TO
be taxed against parties in default.
By examination of the revenue
laws, it will be found tn It in omit
ting to adapt its provisions to the re-
quirements Of the constitution, In"
most serious perp'exi,y and cmhnr-
rassmcnt will lie in the way Of any
attempt to execute it. These. diff :
culties must occur prior to any reg
ular meeting of the general assembly.
Errors will also be- discovered in the
details of the Law, which it will be
found difficult, if not impossible to
obviate without further Legislation
The law, by requiring the bonds of
the several collectors in the state to
be entered into in September, as il
their election had taken place in Au.
gust instead of November, AS is re-
qnired by the constitution, and by
further requiring that the assessors
books shall be placed in the hands OF
the collector on the first Monday in
November thereafter, and which in
fact is prior to the election of the
contemplated collector, made such
by law for the ensuing year; and
the further difficulty, that this las,
collector cannot qualify under the
law, will necessarily place the reve-
nue. of the state in the hands of those
who are not required by law to fur
ni'h any guarantee for the faithful
performance of the trust, or any So.
curiH whatever that the taxes col.
l'cted from the people will not b,
squandered or misappli-d.
Ii has been represented to me thai
! the increase illegal business in some
of the circuits has been such that i
has become impossihl. for the indg
to dispose oft in the time allowr'
by law. This seems to he particu
larly the case with the ninth circuit
and applies in special manner t.
the county Of Peoria, where for
considerable time it has been ioun'
impracticablr to reach the civil suit,
upon the docket. 1t seems that n,
relief can be expected from specis
terms, as the time when such shout,
be holden il exclusively occupied b,
the Judge in other counties Of TIE cir
cult. The result of this is equiva
lent to denial Of Justice, and 70
which IA remedy should he provided
1t may appear that in this, as well a
+ other like instances, a remedy ma
br found in a more equitable dls,'i
button Of the business among the diff
f"rrnt circuits, by detarhing com
ties from one circui, and attachin,
them to another, or by enlarging th
, JuriSuicuhn " the Uuun,y ,vu,t-
the establishment of municipal court
) or so changing the present arrange
mrnts ofthe circuits, as will give tn
proper relief
tits the opinion Of the executiv
= that the number of circuits should ~,
r ,lnneceSsarily hp increased. aud cn