The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-10-02
MiScellanp.


EPEAKER OF THE HOC8E Or REPRESENTATIVES,
OF THE ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE, AND Ed
NOR OF THE OTTAWA REPUBLICAN,.
Your lAbored editorial il the Republican of
The 10th inst, fanishes abundant proof, that
the Constitution of the State of Illinois has been
papa6ly ciolai.d, lin many of ,,s provision" for
years past. The instances you mention OF In.
creased pay to the Governor, Auditor of Public
Accosnts and the Judges Of the Supreme aud
Circuit Courts of the State. only prove that the
Legislature Of the State proved reckreant to their
duty, and the oaths they took to support the
Constitution.
That the Governor. Auditor and Judges of the
Supreme and Circuit Courts received these sp-
pIopristions thus voted by the Legislature. is un
questionably true. Well knowing that all such
acts were but repeated violations of the Consti-
tuition, you say "These appropriations have
been not only acquiesced in. but commended as
far as We know by every department of the
State Government" you add: "by the
people," That large sums Of money have been
voted by the Legislature. - . gratuay to these
officers and that all the officers of the Executive
and Judicial departments of the government
AaUe commended the Legislature for their sub.
serviency and venality, nay be true; but that
the people of the state Of Illinois ever commend
ed or acQutcsced in these pslpable violations of
the constitution by the Legislature, is not true.
Show resolutions of mass meetings of the people
where this question has come directly before
them in the several counties and when the aues-
ton has been fairly presented for their consider.
alton aud an affirmative vote taken in favor of
such violations, then conoede that you will be
justified in the assertion that the people acqui-
esced in these infractons of the Constitution, but
no such resolutious and votes can be found and
hence the assertion il false.
"No money can be drawn from the Treasury
but by appropriations made by law" The Leg.
islature are the law-making power, it is by their
acts alone that the Treasury can be reached
Suppose the Governor, Auditor and Judges of the
Supreme and Circuit Courts should assemble
and pass laws and resolutions appropriating
money out of the Treasury, do you suppose the
Auditor would issue his warrant ON the Treas
ury for money thus appropriated The ques-
ton comes back upon you as q member and
Speaker of the House of Representatives with
momentum that brushes and obliterates all the
defences you have raised to protect yourself and
the House of Representatives over which you
preside. What pretext had you for " evading and
disregarding the Constitution" in voting these
gratuities ana receiving your pro rata share of
the $S3S5 of the peoples money for postage
stamps, which was appropriated at each Of the
two last sessions of the Leeslature2 You re.
ceived $50 as extra pay for special session, April
18th, 1869. You received IS per day for foe
days service during the recess in signing bills
passed. f}l'@t
You voted for and received FIVE copies of the
reports of the Geological surveys Of Illinois in.
Guiding the 4th vol Your pay as speaker, was
$500 per day as provided BY the Constitution
and no more. The question was propounded to
you in my last squarely to answer the foregoing
questions, which you have as carefully "eoaded
and disregarted' as you did the provisions of the
Constitution, under which ysu voted and re.
ceived the money for postage stamps, also extra
pay $50 for special session April IA, 1859, and
% per day for five days service in signing bills.
The voting and receiving money BY you as 3
member of the Legislature in direct violation Of
the Constitution involves your action in a con.
troversy with the oath you had taken to support
the Constitution.
The people have no interest in such a oentro-
versy, and no sympathy with man who will
disregard and evsde the Constitution, for '.flthy
lucre." Had you met and answered these ques.
tions fairly and squsrely. you would not have
subjected yourself to the suspicion that your
conscience under your oath is moro elastic than
simple honesty can justify. Whether thu Gov
ernor, the Auditor and Judges would have re-
signed in consequence of the low salaries given
them by the Constitution, is matter of opinion,
but the wheels of the Government would have
continued to move on and would not have stop.
ped in 30 or 100 days as you intimate, for the
simple reason that other men as we'll qualified
could have been found, who would have accept.
ed their vacant places and performed the duties
of those officers with equal ability and patriot.
ism upon the salaries provided by the Constitu.
ton. Did you ever know any Of our Governors,
Auditors, or Judges Of the Supreme Court, re.
sign in consequence of the low salaries fixed by
the Constitution Did you ever hear of a mem.
Der of the Illinois Legislature resign because his
per diem pay was only $20O per day for the
first AZ days, and $l.00 per day thereafter? Or
the speaker of the House decline to serve, or 70
sign because his pay was limited under the Con.
stituton to $500 per day 1t is not true that the
wheels of the Government would stop for the
reason you allege. 1t is true, that if such a ca.
lamity should occur that Governor Palmer
should resign, that the Hon. Franklin Corwin.
the present speaker of the House of Representa-
tives would accept the cast off mantle and ad-
minister the Government with as much fdelitu
if not with the same ability as it is now admin.
istered by Governor Palmer, on the salary of
$loOO.OO The appropriations made BY the
Legislature, for postage, candles books, station
cry, fuel, repairs of the executive mansion and
gardener for the Governors property is proper
enough; and in my poor opinion it was their
duty to provide for these expenses, as much as
to provide writing paper, pens, ink, envelopes
&C., for the members of the Legislature. These
expenses are incidental to the Office of the Exec.
utive OF the state, and gardener for dressing
and taking care of adjoining the grounds
connected with the Executive mansion with
shrupoery, evergreens indigenous and exotic
plants ana fowers, is Indispensable, Tor the sim
pie reason, that the Executive mansion and
grounds connected Herewith are the propertv of
the state and not the property of the Governor
The law compels the Governor to reside there
and occupy the grounds and il haco,,a. ~, a.,