, 1870-07-19

doubted since the battle ct Sadowa il it
combines twice the projectile power, WITH
Greater certainty Of aim hnd rapidi.y Of
nnng' then the PzusEans have as great an
Advantage, relatively 10 the French, in the
use OF this arm as they found in it against
the Austrians. The Chassepot does not
differ materially from any other good
o1eech-ioading riflo. Il has no elements Of
peculiar or marvellous power. On the
contrary. the Austrians soon learned a
dread of tho needlo-gun, and conscious
ness OF their inability to cope with il, only
comparable to The fear that bow-aud-arroE
warriors have Of the .la5h Of gunpowaer.
THE SEPARATE ARTICLES oF THE CON.
sTITUTIoR,
] We print elsewhere two letters on the
subject of the articles Of the new constitu-
ton which we're submitted to separate votes
Of the people. With all respect for the writ
en-, wesuggest that they permit themselves to
be deceived by giving an undue importance
to insnateriA words The new constitution
contained complete provision for the leg
islative department, which was to be the
permanent law, in case the section relatinoto
minority representation shou1d be rejected.
This Legislative article provided for an An.
portionment of the State after 1R7o hv
the Legislature elected this year. How
was the Legislature elected this year to be
npportioned The Schedule provided
that the Governor and Secretary Of State
should apportion the State for the election
OF 1870, "under this constitution" Thia
completed the formula required, if there
had been no separate article on minority
representation, OF if that article had been
rejected. The article on minority repre-
sentatlon, Of itself, states when it is to
come IN force, viz, sat the general cleo
ton in the year A. D. 1871 Tho Schedule
provides thai, should that article be adopt-
cd, it is to be " substituted for Sections :
and 8 OF the Legislative article in the new
constitution. But when is it to 60 into
edect7 Certainly not until 1872. To ad-
NIT that the section relating to minority
representation is to be substituted for Sec
tiona and Of the new constitution, on
! the sth of August, is TO admit that there
will be no constitutional provision for any
Legislature until the general election in
1879. The provision in the Schedule for
! an election in 1870, relates exclusively to
the apportionment provided for IN Sections
land 8 Of tho new Legislative article.
In reference to the article relating to
municipal subscriptions to railroads, the
case is equally clear, That article becomes
part OF tho Constitution Of this State"
What constitution Tho old or the new?
The twenty-ffth section of the Schedule
provides that if the new constitution and
the separate articles be adopted, "the e1-
listing constitution shall cease, in all its pro-
visions." The new constitution having
been adopted with all tho separate articles,
the old constitution, in all its provisions, is
to ceasa. Consequently, no part of the
new constitution, or Of the separate a.ti-
cles, aIe to be part of tho old constitu-
tion- The article relating to municipal
subscriptions therefore, is to bs
part OF the new constitution. It is
now precisely in the condition it would
be in, had it been embodied in that pa1t Of
the instrument not submitted to separate
vote. The Schedule provides that the new
constitution 81 shall be the supreme law of
the State Of Illinois, on and after Monday,
the s,h day of August, A. D. 1870" The
articles submitted separately, il adopted,
we're 10 become part Of this constitution,
which, as an entirety, was to take elect on
August the sth.
But our correspondents refer to the sec-
tion relating to these subscriptions, which,
after making the prohibition, declares that
"tho adoption OF this article" shall not
Affect the right to make subscriptions,
"when the same have been authorized
under existing laws, by vote of the
people of such municipality, prior 70 such
adoption" 1t is argued that this article
WIS :" adopted on the I'd of July, and is
in force from that date. When adopted, it
was to become "part of the Constitution
of this State" We have ahown that, under
the twenty-dfth section of the Schedule,
the old constitution Was to cease in Ill its
provisions, and the new one is not to be in
torce. until August ., O{.which Of these con-
stitutions "of this StatA" did this article
become part on the I'd Of July?
The whole constitution, and all the sepa-
rate articles, we're submitted (Schedulc,
Section 81 to the people of the State Of
Illinois for adoption or rejection" II
adopted, the separate articles we1o to be-
come parts Of the constitution just rs il
! shey had been originally contained therein
Except minority representation), and tho
constitution, as an entirety, embracing all
heparts ratihedb the people, was to become