pensation for their services and that of their assistants, a total of

per 1000 ems of matter, written out and properly prepared for the printers, as shall be determined by the committee on printing and binding, subject to the approval of the Convention.

Resolved, That said firm be paid for the work they have already done for this Convention at the same rate that shall be allowed them for their services after they have become the official reporters of this Convention.

Mr. Archer submitted the following resolutions, which were laid on the table for future consideration, namely:

Resolved, That the Constitution ought to provide that no bill which shall have passed the Senate and House of Representatives, and shall have been presented to the Governor and returned with his objections to the house in which it shall have originated, shall become a law unless again passed by two-thirds of all the members elected to both houses of the General Assembly,

Resolved, That the new Constitution to be framed by this Convention ought to provide for the establishment of county courts in the respective counties of this State, and that said courts, in addition to the probate jurisdiction now conferred upon them by law, should be vested with jurisdiction in all cases of misdemeanors, and with jurisdiction in all civil suits or actions where the debt or damages claimed shall not exceed $500.

Mr. Scholfield offered the following, which was laid on the table for future consideration:

Resolved, That it be referred to the committee on railroad corporations to inquire into and report to this Convention, by ordinance or otherwise,

1st. Whether it is competent and expedient to interfere with, regulate or control existing private corporations by amendments to the Constitution.

2d. Whether it is competent and proper to require, by Constitutional amendments, all private corporations hereafter to be created, to accept the rights and franchises to be conferred upon them, subject to subsequent legislative control. Mr. King offered the following resolution, which,

On motion of Mr. Cummings,

Was referred to the committee on printing:

Resolved, That the Secretary of this Convention be instructed to receive scaled proposals, at his desk, till to-morrow at 12 o'clock, for the printing of this body, and that the President of the Convention at that hour proceed to open said proposals, and that he award the said printing to the best responsible bidder.

Mr. Hanna offered the following:

Resolved, That the Secretary of State be required to communicate, at the earliest practicable period. to this Convention, the entire cost to the State of printing and binding per annum for ten vears past, and also, the cost of all statutes purchased by the State for distribution, for the period of ten years.

On motion of Mr. Haines of Cook,

The resolution was amended as follows:

"And that the Secretary of State be authorized to employ such clerical force as may be necessary for a speedy compliance with said resolution."

Thereupon the resolution, as amended, was adopted.

On motion of Mr. Fox,

Resolved, That the Auditor of State be and is hereby directed to report to this Convention a statement of the expenses of each session of the General Assembly since the sitting of the Convention in 1862.

Mr. Merrian offered the following amendment to the resolution, which was accepted by the mover :

Resolved, That the Auditor of State be requested to furnish this Convention a detailed statement of the expenses of the Constitutional Convention of 1862.

Mr. Washburn moved to lay the whole subject on the table; which motion was not agreed to.

Mr. Rice moved to strike out so much of said resolution and amendments as referred to the Constitutional Convention of 1862.

The yeas and nays were called for by five members, and on the motion to strike out,

Mr. Skinner moved to lay the resolution of Mr. Fox, as amended,

on the table.

On which motion,

The yeas and nays were demanded by five members, and

Ji was decided in the negative,

Those voting in the affirmative are,

Yeas..
Nays..

22

.58

So the Convention refused to lay the resolution on the table.

Mr. Tincher moved to refer to the committee on Retrenchment and Reform.

Mr. Atkins moved to lay the motion of Mr. Tincher on the table, which was carried, and resolution laid on the table.

Mr. Turner moved an amendment, which was accepted and is as follows:

"And also that he furnish a statement of the amount of money drawn from the treasury on account of the Executive Department of State, from the first day of January, A. D. 1862, to the first day of December, A. D. 1869, including general and contingent appropriations therefor,

Mr. Haines of Cook moved to further amend the resolution of Mr. Fox, which amendment was adopted, namely:

"And of the session of all the Legislatures since 1862."

Thereupon the resolution, as amended, was adopted.
Mr. Cary offered the following:

Resolved, That the Secretary of State and Auditor be and they are hereby authorized to employ such clerical force as may be necessary to promptly carry out the wishes of this Convention during its sessions."

And moved the previous question, which was seconded, and the main question ordered to be now put. And under the operation thereof, the question was put "Will the Convention agree to the question_was_put resolution offered by Mr. Cary?" and it was decided in the affirmative.

Mr. Wright offered the following resolution, which was read and laid on the table for reference to proper committee:

Resolved, That in all elections, every white male inhabitant above the age of twenty-one years, having resided in the State one year next preceding any election, should be entitled to vote at such election.

Mr. Washburn offered the following resolution, which was read and Laid on the table for future consideration:

Resolved, That the obligation of the Illinois Central Railroad Company to pay Into the State Treasury seven per cent. of the gross earnings of said road, should Lever be released, or in any wise impaired or diminished; and that the committee on railroads be instructed to prepare an article or section (to be submitted separately to the vote of the people) in such form and language as will secure to the people of this State the payment of the said 7 per cent. beyond the control of any or all of the departments of the State government, and which can never be released, impaired or diminished except by a direct vote of the people, at a general election, at which a majority of all the legal voters of the State must vote for such release. The following resolution, offered by Mr. Vandeventer, was laid on the table and ordered referred to the committee on Judiciary:

Resolved, That the new Constitution to be framed by this Convention shall contain a provision authorizing defendants in all criminal trials to testify in their

own favor, if they desire or elect so to do; and a refusal to so testify shall not be subject to comment by the prosecuting attorney.

Mr. Wells offered the following resolution, which was adopted : Resolved, That the Secretary of State be directed to have the paper and envelops furnished members of this body printed, with an appropriate heading.

Mr. Wells offered the following resolutions, which' were also adopted:

Resolved, That the Auditor of Public Accounts be requested to furnish this Convention with a statement of the amount of all indebtedness of the State, with a full description of the nature and description of said indebtedness, and also the amount and description of any and all real estate owned by the State, and its value; and also a statement of the amount of all taxes and other revenues of the State, of all kinds.

Resolved, That the Auditor of State be requested to report to this Convention the amount of the indebtedness and subscriptions of the various counties, towns and cities which they have incurred for building railroads, or which has been authorized in any way, and the amount of State taxes, if any, which have been diverted from State purposes to any of said towns or counties, on account of any such railroad.

The following resolution was offered by Mr. Anthony, and on being read was laid on the table and ordered to be printed:

That the Secretary of State cause to be printed and bound up for the use of this Convention, the Constitution of the United States, and the proposed Fifteenth Amendment thereto; the Constitution of the State, of 1818; the present Constitution of this State, with references to the decisions of the Supreme Court, made in exposition thereof; the proposed Constitution of 1862 and the act of the Legislature calling this Convention, with such other documents as may be deemed advis able by a committee of three to be appointed by the Chair.

The oath prescribed by the Convention was administered to Mr. Daniel Shepherd, First Assistant Secretary, by Mr. Harlow, Assistant Secretary of State, and he entered upon the discharge of his duties. The following resolution, offered by Mr. Anthony, was adopted:

Resolved, That the Secretary of State be directed to furnish the stenographic reporters with such an amount of paper as they may require to write out their reports.

Mr. Hanna offered the following, which was laid on the table and ordered to be printed:

Resolved, That the committee on legislative department, hereafter to be appointed, be requested to inquire into the expediency of so amending the Constitution of this State, that the House of Representatives shall consist of one hundred and twenty members; that for that purpose the State should be divided into forty districts, of contiguous territory, and as nearly equal in population as possible; that three members shall be elected from each district; that no elector shall vote for more than two of said members, with a view that all minorities in all parts of the State may be represented in the legislature in proportion to their number.

Mr. Wheaton offered the following resolutions, which, on being read, were laid on the table and ordered to be referred to the committee on Judiciary, hereafter to be appointed:

That there shall be Circuit Courts having general jurisdiction in law and equity.

Resolved, That the State shall be divided into nine judicial circuits, of which the county of Cook shall be one, the others to be bounded by county lines and to be compact and equal in population, as near as may be. There shall be four (4) circuit judges in each circuit, who shall hold their office for the term of

And

years and until their successors shall be commissioned and qualified. the judges of each circuit shall sit in banc once a year, in each county in their respective circuits, to determine law questions arising in their respective eircuits. That appeals and writs of error may be taken from the decisions of any such circuit judges sitting in banc in each county to the Supreme Court, to be taken in such manner as the Legislature may hereafter provide.

Mr. Coolbaugh moved that when this Convention adjourn, it adjourn to meet Monday morning next, the 20th inst., at 10 o'clock A.M. Motion adopted.

Mr. Haines of Lake moved that the rules be so changed that the matter of county and township organization be the subject of one committee.

On motion of Mr. Cummings,

The motion of Mr. Haines was laid on the table.

Mr. Atkins offered the following resolution, which was laid on the table and ordered referred to appropriate committee:

Resolved, That the committee on Bill of Rights in this Convention be directed to inquire what, if any, amendments are expedient or necessary to the present Constitution of this State, to authorize the enactment of drainage laws applicable to private property, and to authorize, in appropriate cases, the establishment of private cartways or roads, for securing to individuals the right of necessary passage

to and from their lands.

Mr. Hayes moved that all propositions contemplating amendments to the Constitution be printed.

The question being put, "Will the Convention agree to the motion of Mr. Hayes?" it was decided in the negative. Yeas and nays being then demanded by five members, Mr. Haines thereupon withdrew the motion.

Mr. Haines of Lake renewed the motion of Mr. Hayes; pending which,

On motion,

The Convention, at 5 o'clock and 20 minutes, adjourned until Monday next, at 10 o'clock A. M.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1869.

The Convention met, pursuant to adjournment.
Prayer was offered by Rev. Mr. McLean.

The journal of Friday was read and approved.

The President announced the following Standing Committees: Judiciary.-Messrs. Skinner, Hay, Scholfield, Anthony, Browning, Emmerson, Billings, Church, Allen of Alexander, Underwood, Hayes, McCoy, Turner, Eldridge, Rice.

Executive.-Messrs. Anthony, Kirkpatrick, Bromwell, Bryan, Goodhue, Dement, Parks, Anderson, Wheaton.

Legislative.-Messrs. Allen of Crawford, Church, Ross, Tincher, Coolbaugh, Wells, Snyder, Medill, Cary.

Electoral and Representative Reform.-Messrs. Medill, Browning, Goodell, Craig, Hay, Wendling, Wait, Hanna, Springer.

Right of Suffrage.-Messrs. Dement, Buxton, McDowell, Truesdale, Cameron, Pillsbury, Sharpe, Haines of Lake, Bowman.