The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-06-04
Address to the People Of Illinois.
In CONVENTION, May IL, 1870.

As your representatives In Convention TO al
Ter, revise and amend" the Constitution 1t is due
that sheuld state in brief the most tnapoiraHs
changes proposed, and some of the reasons there
for Our State Constitution has been in force
fer almost quarter of a century, during which
time our population, wealth and interests have
augmented. However wise and judiciOus when
adopted, that Constitution has become wholly
inadequate to subserve the necessities OF the
State without notifications and restrictions. 10
secure an efficient and at the same time an eco
nomical administration of the several depart
ments of the government, new Constitution
is On imperious necessity. 1t is not probable
that any Constitution will. in all respects fully
satisfy any in the State Livery one
will find in i. something he would exclude and
would insert something it does not contain. 1t
must be Judged altogether, and il better than the
old Constitution. il should be adopted. In all
human institutions the good and evil are mixed,
and sound sense demands that We secure the
greatest good attainable; and must often be
content if we get more wheat than tares. For
years past the machinery of our State govern.
ment ha. been kept only in motion by continued
violation of plain and positive constitutional
provisions. Nothing can be more perniclous.
By this the people lose their respect for the laws
and learn to hold them in contempt. A rever.
ence for Constitutions and laws is the best possi
BILE guaranty for the stability of the State, the
ton of the lfe liberty and property of the citi.
yen. And whenever II becomes necessary to
violate Constitution, it should be changed to
meet and remove the necessity which impelled
to such violation. Our State Legislatures are
only restrained by the Constitution of the State,
and of the United States. 1t is therefore neces.
sary that State Constitutions shoUd contain
many regulations and restrictions. while the
Constitution OF the United States may be much
oh 41,.,. of dale tod
powers, with only the incidental powers neces-
sary and proper to execute the powers granted
ELL OF RIGHTS.
In addition to the usual guarantees of natural
ane civil liberty, we have declared that no per-
son shall be denied any civil or political right or
capacity on account of his religious opinions.
All persons have the right TO publish the truth
with good motives aud for justitiable ends. Pri-
vate properly shall not be taken damaged for
public without just compensation, to be as
certaned by jury. The fee of lands taken for
railroad tracks is to remain in the owners sub
ject to the use for which it is taken All irrevo-
cable grants of special privileges or immunities
are prohibited, to protect the people against
privileged orders and dangerous monopolies.
Grand Juries may be dispensed with. Our jails
are crowded with criminals during the intervals
OF Circuit Courts, at great expense to the cOun-
ties. County Courts may be authorized to try
in IA summary manner many criminal cases and
thus save the counties the large expenditures OF
keeping prisoners for trial from term to term of
the Circuit Courts, and persons not guilty may
be promptly discharged or acquitted.
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT..
To avoid PARTISAN injustice in Representative
districts, and the expense and delay of the Cen
-eHal Assembly in making them, we have provi-
ded for dstricting the State as in Ohio, by ratio
md II, arl 81 in.
fuences upon the members of the General As.
sembly and to afford small counties Representa-
tives, we have increased their numbers We have
also required stringent oath against bribery
and corruption To afford security against
has,y and vicious legislation. we have required
all bills and amendments thereto to be printed
before they are passed Only one subject shall
be embraced ineach bill and when amendments
are made to laws, acts revived, the sections
amended and acts revived must be stated at
length The evils of special and local legislation
have become enormous. The expense to the
State in passing aud publishing such laws, and
the combinations by which private .peculations
have been secured, and monopoGes with extra.
ordinary and dangerous powers have been created
are well known We have prohibited the Cen
eral Assembly hereafter from passing such laws :;
and have required general laws in all cases where
a general law calI 10 made applicable. We have
any liability to the State to any municipal
corporations therein We have placed additional
guards against speculative contracts made with
officers of the State for stationery, fuel etc. aud
we have limited the amount of expenditures to
be incurred on account of the State Capitol now
in process OF construction.
We have provided for public and private roads,
and for the draining of lands, We have requir-
cd the euactmen, of liberal homesteads and ex-
Law ,pRl aw for l,. of
miners: and we have submitted "a separate Arti-
Gle, designed to protect producers and shippers
of grain, against frauds Ill warehouses.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
We require ,he Governor, at each session OF
the Legislature. and at the close OF Ais term of
Office, to furnish u statement OF all moneys re-
ceivcd and paid OUT 10y him. from any funds sub
iect to his order, with his voucher. therefor.
We make il toe duty of the Auditor oi Public
Accounts Treasurer, Secretary Of State and
SUPERINTENDENT OF Puhic Instructions. and per-
sons IN char.o at State Institutions. to keep un
account of none, : received or dislursrd 10y them
severailv, from all sources and for every service
performed and 10 make sem!annual report
thereof to the Governor, under oath 10 be laid
before the General Assembly. Thus enabling
the Representatives. Of the people to expose aud
by suitable laws prevent imrrovident expepdi-
lures and frauds We have given thu Governor
power to remove all officers appointed hy him,
i'll case they are incompetent or guilty OF
naifcasance in Office. We hay" PROV iird II safer
mode OF canvassns the votes Tor q v-rnor and
State officers; and avoided IL, G,n-,r of rn'n.
sions in case of contested rlr'i"l,s W. have.
required the Governor I" ,uimli & ,r'tui ,>'i.
mate Of expenses and rrVrrrt o.. .'h G,n"rai
Assembly. This viii ,r>t,,,u ar. VACANT n,,.
propratons, and give Toe I'.rl ,rr,lrr M.