Bill Text: IL HJR0095 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Declares October 5, 2018 as "First Illinois General Assembly Day".

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Failed) 2019-01-08 - Session Sine Die [HJR0095 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-HJR0095-Introduced.html

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.