timable blessings hitherto enjoyed under our constitution and excellent form of Government. I pray gentlemen, that the State may experience the full measure of your patriotism. Never was wisdom from above to direct your counsels, more to be implored than at this moment. Party spirit in its mildest form has ever been found an enemy to liberty and sound legislation: but when it is the offspring of ambition and avarice, directed by designing bad men in high places, it begets a blind devotion and infuriated zeal, which shuts the door against all reason, justice and patriotism. May God in his infinite wisdom and mercy avert such an evil from this country, and that justice and the laws may prevail, and that every man in this broad land may sit down again with confidence under the shadow of the constitution in the peaceable and quiet enjoyment of his rights and privileges. No power must be allowed to exist in this country superior to that of the people, or that does not acknowledge the supreme and inflexible authority of the law as the rule of action both for the President and every other functionary of the Government. With great respect, your obd't servant, JOSEPH DUNCAN. The said documents were read in part, when, On motion of Mr. Dubois, The further reading of said documents was dispensed with: Whereupon, On motion of Mr. Stuart, The said message and accompanying documents were laid on the table, and 5,000 copies ordered to be printed for the use of the House. On motion of Mr. Smith of Wabash, Resolved, That so much of the Governor's message as relates to the State Bank of Illinois and Bank of Illinois at Shawneetown be referred to the committee on Finance. Mr. Speaker laid before the House the memorial of the directors of the State Bank of Illinois, praying a suspension, for a limited time, of the penalty of the torfeiture of the charter of the Bank consequent on a suspension of specie payments for more than sixty days, &c. and accompanying documents; Which were read, and On motion of Mr. Wyatt, Referred to the committee on Finance. On motion of Mr. Walker of Morgan, Resolved, That so much of the Governor's message as relates to the repeal of the Internal Improvement act of last session be referred to the committee on Internal Improve ment. On motion of Mr. Hardin, Resolved, That the Governor be requested to inform this House, whether he has received any information from the State Bank of Illinois, or the Bank of Illinois at Shawneetown, showing whether they have accepted the increase of stock provided for by a law of the last session, entitled "An act to increase the capital stock of certain banks, and to provide means to pay the interest on a loan authorized by An act to establish and maintain a general system of Internal Improvements." " On motion of Mr. Moore of St. Clair, Resolved, That so much of the Governor's message as relates to the Illinois and Michigan Canal be referred to the committee on Roads and Canals. Mr. Reddick gave notice that on Thursday next, or some other day thereafter, he would ask leave to introduce a bill for "An act to locate a State road from Nelson, in Shelby county, to Leroy, in McLean county. On motion, The House adjourned until 3 o'clock, P. M. 3 O'CLOCK, P. M. House met pursuant to adjournment. Mr. Speaker appointed the standing committees of the last session the standing committees of the present session. The following gentlemen being appointed on the committees, as follows, viz: On the Judiciary-Messrs. Ewing, Baker, and Connelly. On Finance-Messrs. Williams, Green of Greene, and Somerville. On Internal Improvements-Mr. Dunn. On Education-Mr. Ewing. On Petitions-Mr. Wyatt. On Public Accounts and Expenditures-Mr. Connelly. On motion of Mr. Hardin, 17 Resolved, That the Auditor and Treasurer of the State be requested to transmit to this House a statement of the condition of the Treasury of this State. . On motion of Mr. Edmonston, Resoloved by the House of Representatives, That the committee on Education be instructed to enquire into the expediency of distributing the school fund to the several counties in proportion to the population, to be loaned to the people at a rate of interest to be fixed by the General Assembly, and that they report by bill or otherwise. Mr. Dawson gave notice that on to-morrow, or some day thereafter, he should ask leave to introduce a bill relative to a certain road in the county of Sangamon. Mr. Smith of Wabash moved for adopting the following resolution, viz: Resolved, That the Governor be respectfully invited to occupy a seat within the bar of the House during the present session. Mr. Dunbar moved to amend the resolution by adding, "and also the Judges of the Supreme Court:" When, On motion of Mr. English, The amendment was amended by adding, "and Senators and Representatives in Congress." The question was then taken on the amendment as amended, and decided in the affirmative. The resolution, as amended, was then adopted. Mr. Hardin gave notice that on Thursday next, or some day thereafter, he should ask leave to introduce a bill relative to a certain road in Morgan county; also, a bill to amend the militia law of this State. Mr. Rawalt gave notice that on Thursday next, or some day thereafter, he should ask leave to introduce a bill for an act to extend the time for commissioners, appointed to locate State roads, passed at the last session of the General Assembly, to report: When, On motion, WEDNESDAY, July 12, 1837. House met pursuant to adjournment. Thomas Atwater, Representative from the county of Putnam, and John Harris, Representative from the county of Macoupin, appeared and took their seats. Mr. Smith of Madison presented the petition of sundry citizens of Madison county, praying the locationof a State road, The reading of which was, On his motion, Dispensed with, and Referred to a select committee. Ordered, That Messrs. Smith of Madison, Whitten, and Reddick be that committee. Mr. Leary presented the petition of sundry citizens of Cook county, praying that additional copies of the "Revised Laws of Illinois" be printed, The reading of which was, On his motion, Dispensed with, and Referred to the committee on Petitions. Mr. Moore of St. Clair, from the committee on Finance to which had been referred the memorial of the Directors of the State Bank of Illinois, &c. reported a bill for "An act concerning the State Bank of Illinois;" Which was read, and Ordered to a second reading by yeas and nays as follows, upon the call of Messrs. Bentley and Wheeler, viz: In the affirmative, Messrs. Baker, Ball, Barnett, Bentley, Carpenter, Copeland, Connelly, Craig, Cullom, Davidson, Dawson, Dollens, Dubois, Dunbar, Edwards, Elkin, Ewing, Hardin, Hinshaw, Hogan, Huey, Hunt, Leary, Logan, Lyons, McMurtry, Minshall, Moore of McLean, Moore of St. Clair, Naper, Odam, Oneille, Pace, Rawalt, Smith of Madison, Smith of Wabash, Somerville, Stuart, Stuntz, Thompson, Turley, Turney, Voris, Walker of Cook, Walker of Morgan, Webb, Williams, Witt, and Wyatt-49. In the negative, Messrs. Atwater, Cloud, Courtright, Crain, Cunningham, Davis, Diarman, Dunn, Edmonston, English, Green of Greene, Happy, Harris, Lagow, Lincoln, McCown, Madden, Marrs, Minor, Morton, Murphy of Perry, Murphy of Vermilion,, Paullin, Reddick, Richardson, Scarborough, Watkins, Wheeler, Whitten, Wood, and Mr Speaker-31. On motion of Mr. Leary, The rule of the House was dispensed with, and said bill was read a second time by its title, and On the further Mr. Leary, Said bill was laid on the table, and 250 copies ordered to be printed. Mr. Shields, from the committee on Elections to which had been referred the poll book and return of an election for a Representative in the Legislature from the county of Cass, reported, That the county of Cass was formed out of the county of Morgan by an act passed during the last session of the General Assembly, and organized according to the provisions of the same; that at an election held at Beardstown, in said county, on the first day of July last, Thomas Wilbourn was elected to represent said county in the Legislature of this State. By referring to the seventh section of the act above mentioned, the only section bearing directly on this subject we find the following provisions:" "In case said county of Cass shall be created under the provisions of this act, then, until the next apportionment of Senators and Representatives to the General Assembly, the said county shall be entitled to one Representative to the General Assembly, and shall at the next election vote with the county of Morgan for one Senator; also, at every succeeding election for said Senator, and the county of Morgan shall be entitled to five Representatives and two Senators." By the last apportionment the county of Morgan was entitled to have six Representatives and three Senators, and it is clear that whatever disposition its citizens may choose to make of their county, and into whatever number of distinct counties they may choose to partition its territory, they cannot expect to increase their proportion of representation until the next general apportionment, whatever quantum therefore of representation is given to Cass must be deducted from Morgan. It then remained to consider, whether the new county was entitled to elect its own Representative at the time above stated, and thus supply the place of a member of the Morgan delegation who had previously resigned. The act above referred to was approved the third of March last, |