The President announced that Lewis Zeigler, having received a majority of all the votes cast, was duly elected.

Mr. Underwood put in nomination Mr. John F. Moore, as First Assistant Sergeant-at Arms of the Senate.

Mr. Richardson put in nomination John Schell, as First Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate.

The President announced that John F. Moore, having received a majority of all the votes cast, was duly elected.

Mr. Beveridge put in nomination John B. Turchin, as Postmaster

of the Senate.

Mr. Bush put in nomination James Ward, as Postmaster of the Senate.

The Speaker announced that John B. Turchin, having received a majority of all the votes cast, was duly elected.

Mr. Eddy moved to proceed to the election of Second Assistant Secretary of the Senate.

Mr. Epler moved to lay the above motion on the table; which motion was lost.

The motion of Mr. Eddy was then adopted.

Mr. Eddy put in nomination Mr. O. S. Knickerbocker as Second Assistant Secretary of the Senate.

There being no other nomination, Mr. O. S. Knickerbocker was declared duly elected.

Mr. Snapp moved to proceed to the election of the Third Assistant Secretary of the Senate.

Mr. Epler moved to lay the above motion on the table, which motion

The motion to lay the motion to proceed to the election of Third Assistant Secretary of the Senate on the table, was reconsidered.

On motion of Mr. Snapp,

The Senate proceeded to the election of Third Assistant Secretary of the Senate.

Mr. Snapp put in nomination Mr. James H. Paddock as Third Assistant Secretary of the Senate.

There being no other nomination, James H. Paddock was declared duly elected Third Assistant Secretary of the Senate.

Mr. Van Dorston moved to proceed with the election of Second Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms.

Mr. Harlan moved to lay the above motion on the table; which motion was lost.

Mr. Van Dorston put in nomination Mr. B. B. Harlan as Second Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate.

There being no other nomination, Mr. Harlan was declared duly elected.

Mr. Nicholson moved to proceed to the election of Assistant Postmaster of the Senate.

Mr. Shephard moved to lay that motion on the table; which motion was

Lost by the following vote,

Yeas...

{Nays

..21

28

Those voting in the affirmative are,

Messrs. Bishop,

Starne,

Mr. Nicholson put in nomination R. C. Staples as Assistant Postmaster of the Senate.

There being no other nominations, Mr. Staples was declared duly elected.

On motion of Mr. Fuller,

A committee of five was appointed by the President to wait on the Governor and inform him that the Senate was organized and ready to receive any communication he might see proper to make.

The President appointed as such committee the following gentlemen: Messrs. Fuller, Boyd, Van Dorston, Casey and Reddick.

On motion of Mr. Snapp,

The following resolution was adopted:

Resolved by the Senate, That the Secretary of the Senate inform the House of Representatives that the Senate has met and organized by the election of E. H. Griggs, Secretary; Z. S. Swan, First Assistant Secretary; O. B. Knickerbocker, Second Assistant Secretary; James H. Paddock, Third Assistant Secretary; R. H. Gettamy, Enrolling and Engrossing Clerk; Gershom Martin First Assistant En

rolling and Engrossing Clerk; Lewis Zeigler, Sergeant-at-Arms; John F. Moore, First Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms; B. B. Harlan, Second Assistant Sergeant-atArms; John B. Turchin, Postmaster; and R. C. Staples, Assistant Postmaster; and is now ready for the transaction of business.

On motion of Mr. Epler,

The following resolution was adopted:

Resolved, That the President of the Senate appoint a committee of seven to prepare resolutions of the Senate.

Mr. Fuller, from the committee appointed to wait upon His Excellency the Governor, informed the Senate that His Excellency would report to the Senate soon, in writing, by his Private Secretary.

Message to the Senate, by E. B. Harlan, Private Secretary.

Mr. President: I am directed by the Governor to lay before the Senate a communication:

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

Springfield, ILLINOIS, January 4th, 1871. Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Representatives:

Meeting the representatives of the people a second time, I am permitted by the circumstances to congratulate them that, since the last session of the General Assembly, nothing has occurred to interrupt the steady progress of the State. The inhabitants of nearly every district have been blessed with a large measure of health; the harvests have afforded plenty; employment has been abundant, and industry well rewarded; the wants of the needy, the helpless and the poor have been supplied; efforts for the diffusion of morality and education have not altogether failed of success;' new lines of railway have been constructed, opening to fertile districts, heretofore isolated, convenient access to favorable markets; and the laws for the preservation of peace and order have been, in almost every instance, faithfully executed. No people have greater reasons for thankful gratitude to the Divine Giver, or stronger motives to impel them to the earnest discharge of every social and patriotic duty.

Amongst the exceptions to the general enforcement of the laws of the State, are several instances of outrages committed by mobs. On the 21st day of February, 1870, one Harrison Reed, who was charged with murder committed in Madison county, was taken from the custody of an officer, who was conveying him to jail, and killed.

On the 20th day of April, 1870, one Hank Leonard was forcibly taken from the jail of Marion county, and put to death under circumstances of peculiar atrocity.

On the 16th day of April, 1870, one Joseph C. Ramsey, while in the custody of an officer of Putnam county, who was conveying him to the county jail, was seized by a mob and hanged.

These cases were officially reported to me, and other instances of lawless violence have occurred in the State, in regard to which I have no official information. It will be observed, by an examination of the reports made to me of the circumstances that attended the killing of the persons above named, that they were at the time helpless prisoners, without any means at hand of self defense; and if the officers who had them in custody attempted to defend them, it was done in a man

ner that reflects no great degree of credit upon their firmness or sense of duty.

The case of Reed is especially humiliating. He had escaped from the State, and was arrested under the order of the Governor of Missouri, in consequence of a requisition made by me, and was murdered while in the custody of an officer of this State, who could not or would not protect him. When the facts were fully investigated by me, I offered a reward of one thousand dollars for the apprehension and conviction of the offenders in each of these cases, but no arrests have been reported to me. The papers that relate to them will be transmitted to the General Assembly.

The frequent recurrence of crimes committed by mobs, and the fact that instances of the punishment of the offenders are rare, suggest the inquiry whether some legislation is not necessary for their repression. The Governor is charged by the constitution with the obligation "to take care that the laws are faithfully executed;" and yet, although he may be satisfied that in this class of cases and others, officers neglect or refuse to discharge their duties, or the State's Attorneys are incompetent or refuse to take the necessary steps to punish offendere, he can neither remove nor suspend them, nor bring them to trial before the judicial tribunals. It is for the General Assembly to determine whether it is proper to give to the Executive Department any addi tional powers, to be employed for the enforcement of the criminal laws. In the cases mentioned my powers are exhausted, and the violators of the laws are unpunished.

THE NEW CONSTITUTION.

On the 2d day of July, 1870, the people of the State expressed their approval of the constitution submitted to them by the Convention that assembled in this city on the 13th day of December, 1869. This instrument, that was prepared with so much care by the intelligent and patriotic men that composed the Convention, and that was adopted by the freemen of the State with a singular degree of unanimity, introduces many most salutary reforms into the organic law of the State.

The constitution of 1848 was well suited to the times, and was adopted by the people under circumstances of difficulty and embarrassment that we cannot now fully understand. At that time the State was overwhelmed by a debt improvidently contracted, and that had wholly failed of benefit to the people; property had but a nominal value; the resources of the State were undeveloped and but little understood, and immigration had almost ceased. The constitution was the expression of the determination of the people of that day to meet every obligation, and to practice the most rigid economy, until the claims of the public creditors were placed in a condition that would satisfy them. The purpose intended was accomplished, and the constitution of 1848 will be remembered as an example of courageous integrity, to the enduring honor of the State of Illinois.

The Convention of 1870 was called by the people from a conviction, Well justified by the facts, that the constitution of 1848 was no longer suited to the changed condition of the State. Under the practical con