New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-02-28
TIE BLOCKADE AND THE BLOCKADERS OF
LIE ILLINOIS LEGISLATUKE

IHE lLIlNOlS LtGlSLAIthB.
II ia now well assured that the Legislature has come
TO informal eId and that the Governor Secretary
Of State, Au itor Treasurer Superintendent OF Plb
lie Instruction, Circuit snd Supreme Judges are left
either TO shut up shop ard 90 about something tO
living, TO proceed with their duties for Two years
without pay. The Constitution of our Safe never
contemplated the latter alternative, aUd the officers
1t perfect Liberty to close their doors home and
earn the pitsnce FOR their families which that ec0nOm
ical instrument presCTbes for them, ia their several
ways. The people have no clal on them after thei
salaries withdrawn. Bot the evil does not stop
here. large amount Of much.needed legislation Is
blocked for two year, unless the Governor snall call
special session, ana two thirds Of all the members
sponG TO the cal. We not overtSting the amount
Of bn:iness thus defeated when we place the number
Of bills Of greater or lees consequence which have
reached final vote at fully three hundred.
Tic lar}e share OF these Of local necessity but
their failure involves general misfortune. Handy
member, Republican or Democrat, has succeeded in
getting half the measures intrusted ~ MIN by his
stituents acted upon, and many have not sugle evil
dence Of their fahulnes5 to carry home 20 those who
elected them.
TIE cause Of this great public Gala nifty need no. be
disguieed The leaders Of the Democracy, in the ir
tonsity of their hate against Judge Tiunbu squsred
the whole business Of the session to sdYe through an
oigarclicel and e1iDdDg Cerrymander Of tbs state,
by which they hoped TO stfe the popular voice and
elect Pro Slavery SeGator in 1861. AZ justly aud
firmly declared in the veto message OF Gov. Blssel
object to iaid b became its effect as la" would
be TO continue the control of the General Assembly
"in the hazds of o minority Of ne pfopk.' Ia the
blindness Cf their zeal these yiolatOrs OF pOpular
rights could not frame constitutional act. Ihey
placed the new County Of Ford wholly within the
iX'h Senatorial District and also wholly within the
XVIIIth Senatorial District. They also placed
town of Southwest Chicago in Senatorial and
Representative DstTict, notwithstanding there Is no
sUch town voting precinct created by law m the
State. They made districts which stretched over two
degrees of latitude. They made eleven thousand
PfoSaveIy voters eqaul TO twenty Thousand Republ-
osIs. They nulifed the FIRST principles ct American
freedom and equality-and all TO crafty their spite
against true and fearless representative of the people
ia the Senate Of the United States.
Having settled themselves CpOn the scheme OF bald
faced public fraud, they resolved to make everything
el!e, Of lite great consequence. dependent on lt'
fate. Having majority in both HOuses, they fiit-
tered away the forty two days contemplated by the
Constitution as the limit of tle session, 10 speech
masking, buncombe resolutions, and LEGO npton
charters. On Saturday last one Of their own men
MIR. Erwin of Schuyler reported the regular appro
priation bids from the regular Committee. Yet they
fought it OF all day, and declared that it should not
be passed until the swindiUg ard unconstitutional
spportior should become law. They would
starve the Governor into signing bill violating not
only the rights Of the people but the Constitution ITSELF
Ard not only bat they would peril the adGinistra
ton Of Justice throughout the entire State for two
years unless the Republicans would remain aud thus
acquiesce in the vlainy. la our whole history as
State there has not been another outrageous and
desperate an act attempted by political party. The
vrueDce of their hate and the funess of their deter
mipaton to force this measure down the throats OF
the people at all hazards. be best understood in
| the decree which went forth consgniog the private
| bills of Democratic smbers aud Democratic consti.
tuences 10 the came fate with the appropriations and
tie other important business before them, rather than
| fail Of their srgle scheme.
] Under these oirouns ,apoes, busicess being at a
stsndslil having oversayed their time at their own
expense longer than any previous Legislature since
! the adoption Of the Constitution the Republicans
closed down upon tomfooery and fraud at once by
leaving them without quorum even to pass niger
| driving resolutions. We applaud the act and we
gladly accept the issue thus rendered for another
peal to the honest and Intelligent electors o the ate.
iChiosgo PIess and TdbuUe. Feb. o.