HJ0095 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0095 LRB100 16734 MST 33394 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The first session of the Illinois General Assembly met on October 5, 1818 in Kaskaskia, at that time the capital city of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Kaskaskia served as the state capital of Illinois only during the first general assembly; and

WHEREAS, The members of the 100th Illinois General Assembly wish to honor the roots of our great State and commemorate the work of the First Illinois General Assembly during the bicentennial year of the Prairie State; and

WHEREAS, The 14 Senators administered the oath of office by Justice of the Peace Miles Hotchkiss on the first day of the 1st Illinois General Assembly were: Martin Jones of Bond County, Joseph Kitchell of Crawford County, Guy W. Smith of Edwards County, Michael Jones of Gallatin County, Conrad Will of Jackson County, Thomas Roberts of Johnson and Franklin counties, George Cadwell of Madison County, Alexander Jamison of Monroe County, Lewis Barker of Pope County, William Kinney of St. Clair County, John McFerron of Randolph County, Thomas Cox of Union County, Zariah Maddux of Washington County, and Willis Hargrave of White County; and

WHEREAS, The 29 Representatives sworn-in on the first day of the First Illinois General Assembly were: Francis Kirkpatrick of Bond County, David Porter and Scott Riggs of Crawford County, Levi Compton and Henry Utter of Edwards County, Elijah Ewing of Franklin County, John Marshall and Samuel McClintock of Gallatin County, Jesse Greggs of Jackson County, Isaac D. Wilcox of Johnson County, Abraham Prickett, John Howard, and Samuel Whiteside of Madison County, William Alexander of Monroe County, Green B. Field and Robert Hamilton of Pope County, Risdon Moore, John Messinger, and James D. Thomas of St. Clair County, Edward Humphreys of Randolph County, Jesse Echols and John Whiteaker of Union County, Daniel S. Swearengen of Washington County, and William McHenry, William Nash, and Alexander Phillips of White County; and

WHEREAS, The Senate President for the First Illinois General Assembly was Lt. Governor Pierre Menard; the Senate Secretary was William C. Greenup and the Senate Doorkeeper was Ezra Owen; and

WHEREAS, The Speaker of the House for the First Illinois General Assembly was Rep. John Messinger; the House Clerk was Thomas Reynolds and the House Doorkeeper was Charles McNabb; and

WHEREAS, The First Illinois General Assembly created the very first laws of our union's 21st state; and

WHEREAS, A commission was established by the First Illinois General Assembly to oversee the selection of a "new seat of government thereon for twenty years" on the Kaskaskia River, a location which would become Vandalia, the second capital city of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The counties of Alexander, Clark, Jefferson, and Wayne were created by the First Illinois General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, Many laws establishing and overseeing our State's court system were enacted by the First Illinois General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, The First Illinois General Assembly authorized the creation of the first State Seal of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Laws regulating elections, establishing the process to deal with a vacancy in the office of Governor, and providing for the election of electors for the office of president and vice president of the United States were enacted by the First Illinois General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, A law providing "for the relief of Dunkards, Quakers and other religious persons, conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms", now commonly referred to as a conscientious objector law, was approved by the First Illinois General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, The First Illinois General Assembly approved several laws regarding infrastructure for our new state, including the creation of turnpikes, bridges, dams, and declaration of navigable waterways, as well as a resolution which called on Congress to continue the extension of the National Road through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and into Missouri; and

WHEREAS, The First Illinois General Assembly enacted numerous other laws including: requiring certain official reports be made to the General Assembly, regulating marriages and divorce, improving the breed of horses in the state, regulating weights and measures, establishing and regulating ferries, suppressing dueling, licensing and regulating taverns, preventing vice and immorality, and for the relief of the poor; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we declare October 5, 2018 as "First Illinois General Assembly Day"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That officers of the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate are requested to plan an appropriate commemorative ceremony to take place on October 5, 2018 in Kaskaskia, the site of the first capital city of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to any descendants who come forward with verifiable proof of lineage to members of the First Illinois General Assembly.