, 1870-07-08
= THE -NEW CONSTITUTION.
C&AxK1tu1Atlenx from All Quarters.

~, nn......
SSHxf9a"Ae'asn n" 1'otA A1' >""' 'o''
..,,.,,.,. FINN all op.tters ~ H.
onr eAcnA1se" - a,s..s.e -. :, -
Union express unquAaneo p'eesate over In
ratification Of the new constitution ny the pea
PIE Of Illinois, we ~ a1s onsn;ar &c" selections
@uoeo "a psHs,, eee -. 49, :. W 40 e1.
: our readers W. '' e''"o'1 - @ee "nAs 16 sa1s
anoo5 =" .,"o a~o4a ~. ~,
coSsuIuuosAL nEro1n In 1Lnso1s.
= =. The neu constitution adopted by the Stat4
NJ Convention Of HGnois on May Is. and con
4 hEnesi by the people of tho State ut specia
election On Saturday last, il distinguished from
.. Tho fundamental laws Q: most II thu othel
St4tes chiefly By the limitations which it i'm
poses upon tho powers Of the State Govern
ment; and hy its plan for minority Representa-.
tSou in the moet Numerous branch Of the Leg.
L fslatnre.
- There eccres to he no doubt that this sec
zion has been adopted lv the people, with Al
thc others. Il ril lead to the immediate sr1al,
Oh : largo scale, OF tho experiment Of pczaona4
n .af p3yss p'n p
f. dTessss a, e esPs Pc as1@ng snr resl oer
St.t @ ra.,+ ~, u1 =, it.ol.J fo- WITH in
fSrSst ~'<As ~ 1O''0e@
Omiho vlclc. this ncv st.tc constitution is
thsn snr nt;,cr 1noST to ,ls. Il oficers and
1as;s,stors 49,. ~. coerun. no fuudanentM Iaw
,sfii mnta than, nurt:: but the absolute re
quiremcnt tf .nhlirily in n1l their proceeding
= M inno,tapt cl,e-t upo, puhIc pluuderers
acd aEHcsr. TIA I,cl;.y at limiting leeialatiye
1,nsrr NAV f. -a,rici 100 far. re do not OBJ
serye snyfI,ips in tl,e restrictions imposed by
this cors.itrtic:l witch is likely to arnbarraas
ftns@ tic .yac ,Mt Tribune
VIC arc pleased to learn that the returns thus
far received 1ease l,.!e "r no room to doubt
That t1lc proposition Tor minority reprsseata-
4f1nJ e{r1ro
" mittcd IS ecparate and distinct proposition.
has been adopted l,y the popular vote as 1,srt
.of The Fundamental Law Or that ststo- This il
- IN the public prints for the mast few yaars md
= faycrcd f@ lie IrtIs.Ae. II is a nronnsiti,n 81,
obviously Just aud fair that We co1gratuIa.a
tho public upon its adoption by 80 Iarge and
Influential = Stats as uiiaois o.
f-Spccial Legislation is substantially nron;,dta1
by provision w1,icI, forliis tue enactInenr of
L. Z local or special act the object Of which csn
be reached Iy a renetrl law: The anthority of
tie Legialatnro 10 increase tl.e Stats dobt,
except for war purposes, is limited 10 quar-. quar-
~. Ioei~,a..r. Is nsesf = 1--Ia
* ~eniEitcf AZ stationery, &c. are limited to S51
~ per nnnum for eacA nemner The minority
:. representation principle is nado to npnlr to
: tho election Of directors of incorporation
:, AL fees established by special laws ara
- to cease on the adopsion Of the coa-
etitutiou- No railroad company ia par
united to consolidate ita stock with any
competing company. A two-thiHd vote is re-
qnired to override veto Of TIE Governor,
majority may do so. AL State ofhcera are to
receive ta1aries, without perquisites or fees,
which salaries shall not be increased during
Their term Of ofiee. County authorities arc
fhree-quazte1s OF cent upon eaeh dollar Of
Valuation. except to paT existing indebtedness,
without u vote of the people. City. township,
School district. and other municipal cor
srn4
their authority to levy tA1es; and the
-a' nate and municipal! corporations are prohib-
ited from lending their credit to private cor
potations OF individuals. The State, county,
dy, and townelip corporations are prohibited
-' from taking etock IN any railroad or other cor
,- porahon, and from making appropriations OF
.ltI4be public funds to any church, or Of con-
81 f14pting in any way to sectarian purposes. q
= = a~> The constitution is imbued with the most
advanced principles OF freedom and republ-
:, ,~c4n civilization. and con.sins many other pro-
Visions for carving out ite controlling idea,
which is to shirld tile people against the abuse
OF Legislahye power.
--~~' From Iae Detroit Iosk
Inc many noEei features Of the consdtu-
uo0 1ust 4doptcd ~ tic state 0t 1utnolS,
create an unusual interest in it. The plan Of
minority representation alone, winch has been
1s, faopted. WILL !! 1t proves successful, work
/. 1esoiutaon. Mfbt N me United states. and IL
t1mateiy IN TUG world. Il is undoubtedly the
purest fo1m oI democracy yet suggested. in
winch every man II represented In the govern
ment. and ono hundred men do NOT rule
tn1nety-mne 1aen, as may be the case in the
government by lie majority. The Question
whether ne ere yet ready for 90 radical u
coanFe Viii De greatly helped towards soiu-
>2o1i ty the AAaoM experiment, and the night
ndethoo Of esiaohsinn$ "a 1t the new s;sscm WI!
also be evolved IRON TIE trial So that i VIII
Neid many valuable hnts and suggestions,
and throw great light upon very Interesting
question,
lhe OTHER PRINCIPAL features OF the consttu-
We taT t.&
these columns How it caErks tho power Of
corporations br giving railroad stoctholders
minority Iepresentatlons and fotlids railroad
ing e. s'ocss oS noas except eE
with parallel or competing line. Kailroads
are compelled to deliver grain at I'll elevators
The State and MUNICIPALITIES are also forbidden
to subscribe, give, or loan money or credit to
any railroad. The State and ali municipalities
ere p1ehitited from contributing il any wsy to
stctatian Institutions All spe:ial Legislation
is prohibited. Tho members Of the General
Assembly ere compelled to take an oath that
they have made no bribe in anv shape to
secure their elections, and that theS will
take ropc to influence tAeir action in Icgisla-
tive matters. $3.50.
The State debt is limited to a95o. o00 the cx-
penditufe On the new State House Is limited
70 AZ mnniaiaa are lofoid-
mr. cent if their .a1ahio 1,rnnertv AlIowan-
ccs for sta.;one:y to .ne.soers Of the Lesisla-
1ute are limited 10 $50,
It VIII he readily acknowledged that. IN the
words Of TaE CHICAGO IE11uxE. 4'The eorern-
iug idea of the new constitution is to project
the peo,;le against an nb1se OF the Legislative
DoIer+Lau idea that opeas M go manT reaec-
ficps ,r,on the present curious phase Of our
political organization wherein pcople have to
he protected from the laa-nakers or their own
selection. that We viii stop right here.
Front the ii. F7ut Prsss
Tie ratification Saturday By the voters Of
Illinois of the new constitution OF TINT State is
IN event Of considerable Importance in the
constitutional history OF tie West, aa It en-
furces large number Of reforms which az
perience has proved to be necessary, and
which. therefore, are pretty l:kely to be msde
the model Of similar improvements IN the con.
stitutions OF other States. though some OF
them are already embraced in onr State con-
Etitution- Among tue reforms worthy OF being
copied is one which aims to prevent electoral
and Legislative -corruption,netabers Of the
Legislature beng required to take NJ oath
that they have not pad anEth!nS OF made any
promise in the nature OF a bE1be to directly or
indirectly influence any vote, and that they
lnye not and will not accept my consideration
for any vote or lnll1ence Whicn they may gaSo
or withhold On any biil, DC: Swearing falsely
to this oath foae5eE dis4iashes sno CONVICTED
person from holding any ONCE
list of the GOOD things IN the new constitution,
LIE. y, NV e.
and coses mus
But perhaps the most important ot al 1s the
provision for minority fepressntanon, Wlach
was submitted separately and is thought to
lavo been adopted. This introduces new
rri.ciple in the representative system OF this