said election are in favor of the articles and sections of articles, included in any of the parts of the specifications hereinbefore made, then the governor shall issue his proclamation of that fact. And it shall therefore be the duty of the governor, if made necessary by the adoption of any portion of the amended constitution, to issue writs of election to the sheriff of each county, or in case of a vacancy, to the coroner, to hold an election pursuant to the provisions of the amended constitution and this schedule, for the election of the several officers whose elections are provided in the same. SEC. 16. That in cases of the election of the supreme, and judges of the circuit courts, secretary of state, auditor, and treasurer, returns shall be made and canvassed, as is now provided by law for representatives in congress. For members of the general assembly and county officers returns shall be made and canvassed as is now provided by law. SEC. 17. That all laws of the state of Illinois, and all official writings, and the executive, legislative, and judicial proceedings shall be conducted, preserved and published in no other than the English language. SEC. 18. That the general assembly shall pass all laws necessary to carry into effect the provisions of this constitution. SEC. 19. That the clauses, sections, and articles of the present constitution, and none other, which have been amended, if, by the rejection of said amendments they remain unaltered, shall continue to be and form a part of the constitution of this state. Mr. Scates offered the following as an additional section: SEC. 20. That all the actions, indictments, and proceedings, together with all the records and files of office, pending and being in the supreme, circuit, probate, and county courts, shall, if the constitution be adopted, be transferred to the supreme, circuit, probate, and county courts, established by this constitution, and said courts, respectively, shall have authority to proceed with and complete all such proceedings, in the same manner as if such proceedings had originally been commenced in said courts. Mr. Thornton, from the minority of the same committee, submitted the following: SEC.. That the constitution, as amended, shall be submitted to the people for their adoption or rejection, at an election to be held on the first Monday in March, A. D. 1848; and there shall also be submitted for adoption or rejection at the same time the separate section in relation to the immigration of colored persons, and the article in relation to the public debt. SEC.. That every person entitled to vote for members of the general assembly by the constitution and laws now in force, shall, on the first Monday in March, A. D., 1848, be entitled to vote for the adoption or rejection of the constitution, as amended, and for and against the aforesaid section and article separately submitted; and the said qualified electors shall vote in the counties in which they respectively reside, at the usual places of voting, and not elsewhere; and the said election shall be conducted according to the laws now in force, in relation to the election of gov ernor, so far as applicable, except as is herein otherwise provided. SEC.. That the form of the poll-books to be used at said election, shall, as nearly as practicable, be in the following form, to wit: POLL-BOOK of an election held at precinct, in the county of on the first Monday in March, A. D. 1818, for the adoption or rejection of the Constitution, as amended, and the separate section and article submitted. SEC. That the returns of the votes for the adoption or rejection of the constitution, as amended, and for and against the separate section and article submitted, shall be made to the secretary of state, within fifty days after the election; and the returns of the votes shall, within fifty days after the election, or sooner, if received, be examined and canvassed by the auditor and treasurer, in the presence of the governor, and proclamation shall be made by the governor, forthwith, of the result of the polls. If it shall appear that a majority of all the votes polled are for the adop tion of said constitution, as amended, it shall be the supreme law of the land; but if it shall appear that a majority of the votes polled were given against said constitution, as amended, the same shall be null and void. If it shall further appear that a majority of the votes polled shall have been given for the separate section in relation to colored persons, or the arti cle for the two mill tax, then said section or article shall be and form a part of the constitution, as amended, otherwise said section or article shall be null and void. SEC.. That if said constitution, as amended, shall be ratified by the people, the governor shall, forthwith, after having ascertained the fact, issue writs of election to the sheriffs of the several counties in this state, or in case of vacancy, to the coroners, for the election of all the officers, the time of whose election is fixed by said constitution, or by this schedule; and it shall be the duty of said sheriffs, or coroners, to give at least twenty days notice of the time and place of said election, in the manner now provided by law. A. THORNTON, Mr. Peters moved that the two reports be laid on the table, and that two hundred and fifty copies thereof be printed; which motion was rejected. On motion, The report was considered by sections. The second section being read, On motion of Mr. N. W. Edwards, It was amended by adding "and all debts contracted and engagements entered into before the adoption of this constitution shall be as valid against the state under this constitution as under the old." And then, as amended, adopted. Section third was adopted. On motion of Mr. Thomas, The fourth section was amended by inserting after the word "character," the words "or to the people of the state of Illinois." And then, as amended, was adopted. Sections five and six were severally read and adopted. On motion of Mr. Logan, The seventh section was amended by striking it out and substituting for it the following: "The county commissioners' courts, and the probate justices of the sev eral counties shall continue in existence, and exercise their present jurisdiction, until the county court, provided in this constitution, is organized in pursuance of an act of the general assembly, to be passed at its first session." And, as amended, the section was adopted. Sections 8, 9, and 10 were severally read and adopted. Mr. Peters moved that the words "by ballot" be inserted in section eleventh, between the words "vote" and "anywhere;" which motion was rejected. Mr. Thornton moved that the section be stricken out, and the five sections, submitted by him from the minority of the committee on the schedule, inserted instead of it. On motion of Mr. Turnbull, The previous question was ordered to be put. Mr. Hayes moved for such a division as would enable the convention to vote first on striking out the section; which motion was rejected. The question was taken, by yeas and nays, upon the amendment proposed by Mr. Thornton, On motion of Mr. Woodson, Thornton Trower Turnbull Turner Tuttle Vance West Williams Mr. McCully Tutt Whiteside Mr. President. The twelfth section was amended by striking it out and inserting in lieu of it the following: "The general assembly shall, at its first session after the adoption of this constitution, provide by law for the mode of voting by ballot, and also for the manner of voting, canvassing, and certifying the number of votes cast at any election, and until said law shall be passed, all elections shall be viva voce, and the laws now in force in relation to elections shall continue in force until the general assembly shall provide otherwise as herein directed." The section, as amended, was adopted. Mr. Dement moved that the convention adjourn. |