ILLINOIS. One of the new states of the United States.
2. Civil government was organized nuclei. the jurisdiction of the United States, by the ordioance of the Continental congress, in 1787, being part of the Northwestern territory. In 1800 that territory was divided, and a territorial government was cre ated in the Indiana territory, including this coun try. In 1809 the territory of Illinois was created, and continued under the same ordinance and the laws of the Indiana territory. For a fuller state ment of the territorial history, see OHIO.
In 1818 Illinois formed a constitution, and was admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states, with the following boundaries, viz. : By the Ohio and Wabash rivers, from the mouth of the former to a point on the northwest bank of the latter where a line due north of Vincennes would strike said bank ; thence north to the north west corner of the state of Indiana; thence east with the line of said state to the middle of lake Michigan ; thence north to latitude 42° 30' ; thence west to the middle of the Mississippi river ; thence duwn the middle of the stream to the mouth of the Ohio, with jurisdiction on the Ohio, Wabash, and Mississippi rivers with coterminous states. The state was admitted into the Union in 1818. In 1847 a convention met and formed a new constitution, which went into operation April 1, 1848.
Every white male citizen twenty-one years of age, resident one year next before any election, and every white male inhabitant of the same age, resi dent in the state March 6, 1848, has a right to vote in the district in which he lives. Soldiers, seamen, and marines stationed in the state are no$ included in the above enumeration of citizens; and the general assembly may by law exclude persons convicted of infamous crimes. No person is eligible to any office, oivil or military, who is not a citizen of the United States, and who has not been one year a resident of the state. All votes must be by ballot.
3 Ill. 414.
The Legislative Power.
3. This is exercised by a senate and house of representatives, whioh together constitute the gene ral assembly.
The Senate is oomposed of twenty-five members, elected by the people of the districts for the term of four years. A senator must be thirty years of age or more, a citizen of the United States, have been five years an inhabitant of the state, and one year of the county or district in which he is chosen, immediately preceding his election, if such county or district has been so long erected ; but if not, then within the limits of the county or coun ties, district or districts, out of which the same was taken, unless he has been absent on the public business of the United States, or of this state, and must have paid a state or county tax.
The senators, at the first session, were divided into two classes, so that one-half are elected every two years.
The House of Representatives originally consisted of seventy-five members, with the provision that when the population of the state amounted to one million, five members should be added to the house, and five additional members, for every five hundred thousand inhabitants thereafter, until the whole number of representatives should amount to one hundred; after which the number should neither be increased nor diminished ; tube apportioned among the several counties awaiting to the number of white inhabitants. The 'members are elected bien nially, by the people, for the term of two years. Where several counties. are thrown into one repre sentative district, all the representatives for the district are to be elected on one ticket. A repre sentative must have attained the age of twenty-five years; be a citizen of the United States, and have been three years an inhabitant of the state; have resided within the limits of the county or district in which he shall be chosen twelve months next preceding his election, if such county or district has been so long erected ; but if not, then within the limits of the county or counties, district or districts, out of which the same has been taken, unless absent on public business of the United States or of this state; and must, moreover, have paid a state or county tax.