426 GOVERNMENT EDUCATION. 



The legislature of Illinois is vested in a General Assembly, 

 consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives. The 

 members of Senate are elected for four years, and the repre 

 sentatives for two years. The pay of the members of each 

 branch of the legislature is S3 a-day. The right of suffrage is 

 vested in all free whites twenty-one years of age, and who have 

 resided six months in the State. The votes are given viva 

 voce. * 



The executive is vested in a governor and lieutenant- 

 governor, both elected for four years. The governor s salary 

 is Si 000, or L.212, 10s. sterling a-year. 



The judiciary consists of a chief-justice, and three associate- 

 judges, who hold circuit courts. Their salaries are Si 000 each. 



The taxes are levied by three commissioners in each county. 

 Justices of the peace are elected by the people every four 

 years, and their jurisdiction extends over inferior cases. Each 

 county has a judge of probate, before whom business relating 

 to wills is transacted. 



There is no imprisonment for debt, except in case of fraud 

 or refusal on the part of the debtor to deliver up his property 

 for the behoof of his creditors. There are no usury laws. And 

 slavery is not allowed since the adoption of the constitution. 



There are fifty-eight counties, and a considerable portion of 

 the northern part of the State has not been surveyed, which 

 was sold by the Indians in 1833. The population, in 1800, 

 consisted of 12,282. In 1 830, there were 157,445 inhabitants ; 

 and, from the recent emigration, their numbers must now ex 

 ceed 200,000. 



Congress granted to the State, for the purposes of education, 

 one thirty-sixth part of the public land, or 977,457 acres, and 

 3 per cent on the sales of land. So there can be no doubt of 

 an efficient system of common free schools being established, 

 wherever the wants of the population require them. Besides 

 the grant for common schools, 46,080 acres of land have been 

 granted for colleges. Such an institution was established at 

 Jacksonville in 1829. 



The population of Illinois embraces settlers from almost 



* Mellish s View. 



