, 1859-01-08
PRESS AND TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY MORNING, JANUARY 8, 1855
A Lecomrton Constitution for Chicago.

A Lecompton Constitution for Chicago.
Tom Dycr's bill for taking the government
Of Chicago out Of the hands Of the voters |
aad taxpayers, Of which the public has been
favored with Eundry whispers and innuendoes
has come to the Highland broth" OF
bill; it is. 1t should BE- entitled: 'sAn act
to carry out the Great Principle which uu- |
.:.dcrlics the foundation Of our free institu-
"t tions-the right OF each community to re- |
az eulatc It's Own alairs in its own way so !
ably advocated by Stephen 4 Douglas in |
" tue recent campaign" By all means, let |
the brat start with right name, and no false |
pretenccs.
4 synopsis ot tLis Blue Lodge measure
will be found in another column, and NC ask
the careful attention Of our city readers to
its separate frauds on the rights Of the pco-
pie:
I. ADDITIONS TO TIE C1TT.-Thcse Gre the
least offensive and unjust features Of the bill
Bridgeport and Caualport are added, On the
South West, in virtue OF their majority Of
IL 4<A AOtNlE1 ALL u aEAkaV0 VI 'ElAALU4S Ill
width, is added to the southern limits Of the
Corporation. Halstein is annexed on the
North West, and en- addition is made on the
northern limits. If the residents Of these
towns and precincts wish 10 come in aud
share our city taxation We shall not he the
first to grumble, but they ought not to be
lugsed in by the neck gainst their wishes
1t is for them to consider the question in their
own light.
IL 1ScaEAsE, AND NEW SrB-1y1s1oS, OF
Wnns.-Tbe object sought in the repeal Of
the present charter and the enactment Of the
Dyer contrivanee, is Of course to put the gov
crnment Of the city, in all its departments,
into the hands Of the Democratic party-to
transfer the management Of Chicago affairs,
from Chicago to Sprlpgfeld-to put u set Il
men in Offices Of trus: here, whom The people
could rcvcr he induced 10 trust-to inaugur-
ale au 1ri=l Police-to put the Dyer admins
tratiou in power again, in spite of tile voters
and to Lccomptonizc the city generally.
the whole business being done at Springfield
without tie prctense Of submitting it to tile
people of Chicago for ratification. To ae-
complish this it becomes necessary to get hold
Of the Common Council. Repeated trials
have shown that the people want only the
smallest moiety of Democracy in that body.
The only resort is to ob]iteratc the present
Ward divisions and gerrymander the city 20
a. TO iusu1e Democratic majority in the
Council, however large the Republican ma
jorlty in the aggregate. To accomplish this
tue city is divided into twcnty~onc Wards
the boundaries Of which are set forth By our
Springfield correspondent. Let any CITIZEN
take a map aud trace out the new eubdivjs-
i,n$, and SEE how utterly, natural divisions
arc ignored, and what q mc1ange Of squares,
triauglcs, parallelograms und polygons IRE
here devised for the people Of Chicago to vote
in The present Xth Ward with total vote
Of 1,C29 is divided into three by the Dyer
bill, while the VIII, with vote Of
100 Is entitled to ouly two. Bridge.
port, with a yole of $50 or 800, is get
up with powers in the Council equal to the
NH Ward, which cast i142 votes at the cleo
tieu in Noycmbcr-and so on. The South
Division is cut III such 8: way that it is l1n-
possible 10 Judge Of tue falrncss Of its ap-
lur{ioument, but it is easy to see that The
uuriicus Of Shvr1uan street ure divided with
Il view Of throwing the ews OF that neigh
b,rlpuI into two Wards, as make-wclghts to
elect Democrats in both.
Ill. 4 rAEAICM o: COLONIZATION AND H.
LEGAL VOTING. Il seems to laye been apprc-
1cu1ctl ty Dyer T. Co. thai tue people might
upset their kettle in the course uf tlulc, by
ouvo.iuS t.'cm in their own dens. To guurd
against this contingency, tue bill provides
that Tic present Council shall 70 out OF Office
in>.,ncr that Que Alderman shnli be chosen
in ..scl Ward ut tue first elccton-one-llalt
ii them to hold Office 1or lhe term OF one year
and onc-half for two years. At each sue.
ctaling election, Aldermen shall be choscu
il ouly one:alr Of the Wurds. No rcasuu
Gail he assigned for this unusual method oi
iillin. tue Council. but the premium offered
for coluuizlns voters. The mass Of the Dc
mpcracy )'cin. Irish, having no fixed a}'udes.
;.ad being usually btsle themselves on elec.
+
taken 10 prevent their voting iu two or mure
Wards under our present system. The illega
voting under which we have suffered hereto
fore. is proposed to bc doubled by the Dyc'
tyscm.
". Tus POWERS AND DUTIES OF TIE MAYOR
Under the Lccompton charter, the Mayo
will have less to do with city affairs than
cnln1uon policeman. The appointing powc
is not only taken from him, but he is d.
barred from presiding over the meetings q
the Council. Il" becomes figure-hcal, 0
les consequence to the municipality than tht
portraits Of his predecessors.
Y. The Police ASp PrDL1c WoE1s.-Th
c'lar1er according to Dyer, establishes
Doard OF Police Commissioners, elected b.
tie Council, who shall have control oye
tlis branch oi the city government. RI
NOR has assigned these places t
Tbos. Dyer, Luther Haven and II. D. Co
vim all ol whom have rua for office With
4 year aud been defeated. But this is not til
worst Tue present efficient and succcsstu
Boards Of Water and Sewerage Commission
crs, u:e Displaced and superseded by q Boar
Of Pubic Works, also elected ly the Counci
Rumor has assigned the Presidency Of th
boiy to Elilm Granger. Without dcyotin
1n3rc space to particulars, tue whole mnnast
ment Of the city is taken out Of the hands c
the people, and placed by the Legislature
ii: keeping Of a dozen Democrats. We Al
Informed even that it is u part Of the echem
to have the Legislature cleo. the three P.
lcc Commissioners, aud put them in powt
Immediately, in advance Of the decision
the people. This is to enable Dyer d c.. I
curry the city, beyond q peradvcnture,
March.
- The citizens Of Chicago expect the
Representatives to do their whole duty in Il
premises They al>o wish to remind IL
Legislature that every man in that body ".
elected on the Issue OF forcing M abominal,
Constitution on an unwilling people, We i
sls, If they arc determined to enact this IL
ut the suggestion Of Dyer And the balan,
WHO hope to hold Office under it, that it eha
b. submitted 10 ;hc people Of Chicago j:
their ratification or rejection. Let US la,
no Lecompton Convention in Illinois Ii
john Calhoun returns 10 preside over it.
Recovery from the Rerulsion.-Unpa
1aH rfS SV{f md