HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
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two-thirds vote of the Legislature made necessary to override an executive veto. The list of State officers was increased by the creation of the offices of Attorney-General and Superintendent of Puhlic Instruction, these having been previously provided for only by statute. The Supreme Court bench was increased by the addition of four members, making the whole number of Supreme Court judges seven; Appellate Courts authorized after 1874, and County Courts were made courts of record. The compensation of all State officers-executive, judicial and legislative -was left discretionary with the Legislature, and no limit was placed upon the length of the sessions of the General Assembly. The instrument drafted by the Convention was ratified at an election held, July 6, 1870, and went into force, August 8, following. Occasional amendments have been submitted and ratified from time to time. (See Constitutions, Elections and Representation; also Minority Representation.)
CONSTITUTIONS. Illinois has had three constitutions-that of 1870 being now (1898) in force. The earliest instrument was that approved by Congress in 1818, and the first revision was made in 1847-the Constitution having been ratified at an election held, March 5, 1848, and going into force, April 1, following. The term of State officers has been uniformly fixed at four years, except that of Treasurer, which is two years. Biennial elections and sessions of the General Assembly are provided for, Senators holding their seats for four years, and Representatives two years. The State is required to be apportioned after each decennial census into fifty-one districts, each of which elects one Senator and three Representatives. The principle of minority representation has been incorporated into the organic law, each elector being allowed to cast as many votes for one legislative candidate as there are Representatives to be chosen in his district; or ho may divide his vote equally among all the three candidates or between two of them, as he may see fit. One of the provisions of the Constitution of 1870 is the inhibition of the General Assembly from passing private laws. Municipalities are clas
