A Bill for an act to suspend and act To reorganize the Judiciary of Illinois
1Sec[Section] 1 Be it Enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General Assembly, That the law passed at the present Session of this General Assembly, for the reorganization of the Judiciary System of Illinois shall remain and be inoperative until the people shall have decided on its merits
as provided for in a subsquent section of this act. And that no appointment of Judges shall be made under the act to which this ^is^ a supplement at the present session of this General Assembly, anything in said act to the contrary notwithstanding
Sec 2. Be it further enacted that for the purpose of ascertaining the opinions of the
People of this State upon the propriety of the change in the Judiciary proposed in the bill above recited That a poll shall be opened at the Next August election for Members
of Congress in which there shall be two columns, one of which shall be for the adoption of the
proposed change and the other against it. Said election shall be held and conducted
and returns made on elections of Members of Congress, And if a majority and of a Majority of all the Votes given shall be in favour of the proposed change in the Judiciary system as above referred to, Then upon a
certificate of that fact being made by the Secretary of State and published in the Paper The Legislature at is next regular or special session shall proceed to elect the five Judges provided
for in said act and provide for the carrying out of the provisions of said act. But if a
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Majority of all the Votes given are opposed to the change then the act to which this is a supplemt shall remain Null and Void
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[02]/[12]/[1841]
[02]/[12]/[1841]
ord[ordered]
2
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[02]/[12]/[1841]
[02]/[12]/[1841]
Finance
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[02]/[27]/[1841]
[02]/[27]/[1841]
Com. Dis.[Committee Discharged]
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46
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23
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19
1The House of Representatives began considering the bill on or before February 12, 1841. The House refused to
refer the bill to the Committee on the Judiciary by a vote of 38 yeas to 45 nays,
with Abraham Lincoln voting nay. The House also refused, by a vote of 43 yeas to 43 nays, with Lincoln
voting nay, to table the bill. The House referred the bill to the Committee on Finance,
of which Lincoln was a member, by a vote of 44 yeas to 42 nays, with Lincoln voting
nay. The Committee on Finance reported back the bill on February 27, and the House
discharged the committee from further consideration. The House took no further action.
Illinois House Journal. 1840. 12th G. A., 384, 385, 558.
Handwritten Document, 4 page(s), Illinois State Archives (Springfield, IL) ,