, 1859-02-26

cedure specified section two of ar.,tia tTo7f.b
which Is explicitly hunted In its operatjon t., !,
klns'e article at any one time. What cannot b..
c M utecly II course e:'t'Ilt he done indirectly.
Now t!'s IL Il proposition, virtually uuIcr ih,s
l1ode Of amendment. to amend Indirectly ti,c urt
esea, ~: the third, and fourth, and Gttb. anil
twelfth, md fifteenth. The Ingenious exr,etlicnt
70 nomnlly srncn1 but one article, and effect IT,:
oqet me- y WY Or thereto does
Que article manifcstty ii amended Iy one pruec,.i
lnE and one act Of submission to the ,,e,ti,.
baI cannot aptrovc tie schem. OF the honor.
que senator from Pike for Ltlet reasons, l. mani;
n. 1ests too great dlstrust Of the reaple Ii III
o. the Popular Sovereignty Of Illinois. giving free
aom only TO the rest. Let Gs net in tGs snitit of
1eaionsy and disttuss tow1rds our constitnents
dole oat to them stinted share of their oyeri.rn
f,ghts, anu lock up the remainder in The existing
constitution and put the key 10 our nockets' ~
the Illinois Of 1860 exercise the same soyere;on
eo15ol ever her Pelitical affairs which the illinois
o. tsat' Mns pe14Had to exercise. with a. annie,
as unrestricted ffeed34 to adopt the proysions NJ
ne: new constitution 70 lsr existing exigeucies.
principles, sentiments add experience.
Oae OF the objects contemp plated ia the savinp
ot expense. The statement of the cost ri thes
Convention Of 1s47, made by the Senator from
Fulton, together with the computation wh;ch
has been made, showing that the diuinished
numbers Of the next will be likely TO male ,he
expense still 1esa thsu in the former csae. If
ssems 10 me has put this objection oui,a beneath
our nctice. But, Sir, this opposition on ths
ground Of expense. regard as altogether ipcon.
s'stent with the dignity of the Etate Of lllnoia.
20 upon the broad ground that soyereinn
etats Is never rich enough TO justify uunecessx-
~ or extravagant expenditure, and ia never
poor enough 70 delay tor single hour whateyer
may be needed to perfect or amend her civil pr.
gani1asion. This Is q strange place to s.and no
and count upon our fingers the cost of Consts.
tutiona1 Convention. Within the yault. of IN.
Treasury beneath this chamber has been accn-
mulated fund. twenty times as large a. tha
estimated expense Of the proposed Convention.
eolected without serious oppression upon the
people, now lying without HnT practical outlet or
power Of application fer any beneficial purpose.
and the continuance OF which dd indn1srna can
only be relieved By an amendment Of the Con
stitnsIon. Shall it be said, that Illinois, with
her vast and rapidly augmenting resources, viii
Continue passiveIy TO endure the ENORMOUS bur
thens under which she NOE groane, rather than
pay the pittanee required to relieve herself Of
them "
4 Convention, then, is our onIy adequate and
satisfactory mode Of amendment, Permit tbe
people OF Illinois, who hare never forfeited
their grand pFerogatives OF political sovereign
II, TO revise and remodel their civil oroan1a.
ton without restriction or iimits.ion. Afford
them the amplest opportunity to provide for the
exigencies Of their condition, and 10 snbodT
their present sentimenss and principles upon
esery question: of Internal policy. IL the poiiti.
cal opinions Of majority have changed. ii their
views upon any subject Of municipal regulation
hare undergone modification, Whit might have
Ee, ths creatures aud Representatives Of their
soyereign will, 10 say, that they shall not be al.
loved 10 conform their organic law to these
changes. whatever they may be- have m faar
OF any wild, rash departures from IT, ancient
isndmarks. Whatever is valuable in The old
consultation, l hsVe 40 reason to doubt. Ia as
BY W. and ~ill be carefully preserved IN the
pages Of the new. At ali eveu!s, let US not
withhold from our constituents, who invested rs
with this power, the opportunity !hich theY ssk
10 pass again upon the T:aeie' matter OF their
organic Law, ~A~'A