district organized under the act of 1885, there are three commissioners, one elected each year for a term of three years.

Congressional and Legislative Districts. In addition to the numerous governments for local purposes, Chicago and Cook County are also divided into districts for the election of members of Congress and of the General Assembly. There are 6 congressional districts entirely within the city of Chicago, and 4 others partly in Chicago and partly in Cook County outside of the city, one district also including Lake County. There are 14 senatorial districts, for the election of state senators and representatives in the city of Chicago, and five others in Cook County, four of the latter being partly in the city and partly outside.

The boundaries of these congressional and legislative districts. do not correspond with each other, nor with the ward lines for the election of aldermen, nor with any of the local government areas. These add further to the complexities of the political and governmental situation and to the problems of the voters on election day.

The Voter's Burden. In the table below is summarized the data as to the burden placed on the voter by the enormous number of public officials elected in connection with the numerous and overlapping governmental bodies in Chicago and Cook County. There is an aggregate of 2,557 officials voted for in Cook County, of which 417 are within the City of Chicago, and 1,640 within the Sanitary District. Each male elector in Chicago is expected to vote in a brief series. of years for 178 different officials, and in some parts of the city the number is 187. In other cities and in villages in Cook County each. male elector is expected to vote for from 172 to 197 different officials.

At the presidential election in November, 1916, each male elector in Chicago was expected to vote for 71 different officials, including presidential electors; and at the general election in November, 1918, for 55 different officials. Male electors in Cook County outside of Chicago were asked to vote for 61 different officials at the presidential election in November, 1916, and for 35 at the general election in November, 1918. Other officials are elected at city, village, township, school and judicial elections held at various times from March to September. Including primary elections there are in Chicago seven elections in presidential years; and in other cities and in villages there are from eight to ten elections in such years.

III. PROPOSALS FOR UNIFICATION.

Constitutional Convention of 1870. In the constitutional convention of 1869-70, some attention was given to proposals for authorizing large cities to be formed into separate counties. Early in the convention (on January 13, 1870) Mr. E. M. Haines of Lake County introduced a resolution, which was referred to the Committee on Counties as follows: "Resolved that cities containing a population exceeding 300,000 may be erected into a county.'

On the next day, Mr. Cameron of Cook County introduced a counter resolution, in opposition to that of Mr. Haines, which he considered presented "a pernicious principle", as follows: "Resolved that no township in any county shall be transferred from one county to another without the assent of a majority of the voters of said township".

Later Mr. Cameron presented several petitions from towns in Cook County opposing any change in county boundaries; and stated that the Cook County delegation was opposed to any change. 3

3

A minority report was presented by Mr. Abbott of the Committee on Counties, to authorize the formation of new counties with the consent of two-thirds of the voters of the proposed county, without requiring the consent of the county from which it would be detached. In Committe of the whole (April 18) this was not agreed to. Several amendments to authorize the transfer of parts of counties, without the consent of the county from which they would be detached, were also defeated. *

Somewhat later (April 27, 1870) when the article on counties was being considered in the convention, Mr. Turner of Stephenson County proposed an amendment to section 1, which was agreed to without debate by a vote of 26 to 18, as follows:

"But any city having a population of 200,000 or more may be organized into a separate county."

On the next day, Mr. Turner moved to reconsider this amendment, because of objections from Cook County members; but the motion was held out of order, and it was suggested that the matter could be taken up later. Mr. Anthony of Cook County objected to the amendment, as not wanted in Cook County and likely to cause trouble. Mr. Haines of Lake County spoke in favor of the amendment.

The day following, at the end of the convention debate on the article on counties, Mr. Skinner of the 28th district (Adams County,

1 Proceedings and Debates, I, 180.

2 Proceedings and Debates, I, 192.

3 Proceedings and Debates, I, 306, 851.

Proceedings and Debates I, 307; II, 1325-28.

Proceedings and Debates II. 1521.

Proceedings and Debates II, 1535-36.

etc.) offered an additional section providing that cities of over 50,000 population might be created into counties. This was laid on the table by a vote of 41 to 19. Three Cook County members (Anthony, Coolbaugh and Medill) voted for the motion to lay on the table; the other Cook County members were absent or not voting."

On May 11, 1870, when considering the report of the Committee on Revision and Adjustment, Mr. Cameron of Cook County moved the suspension of the rules so as to strike out the provision authorizing cities of over 200,00 population to be created as separate counties. He stated that he had presented twenty petitions against such a clause; and that it would be unjust to the towns outside of Chicago. Mr. Turner referred to his earlier attempt to reconsider his own motion; and stated that at that time Mr. Coolbaugh, of Cook County had mentioned a resolution of the Cook County Supervisors in favor of such a provision. Mr. Medill of Cook County said that the supervisors had passed a resolution in favor of creating Chicago and some adjoining townships as a separate county, as the result of a quarrel in the board; but that they were ashamed of it.

Mr. Cameron's motion to suspend the rules was then carried; the question was reconsidered, and the motion to strike out the provision was agreed to without a record vote.

8

It may be noted that if Chicago had been organized as a separate county in 1870 it would have included only the city as it existed at that time, or only about one-sixth of the present area of Chicago.

Constitutional Amendment of 1904. Various proposals for consolidation of local governments have been presented from time to time, culminating in the adoption of section 34 of Article IV as an an amendment to the state constitution. The annexations to the city of Chicago in 1889 added to the complexities of local organizations, and seem to have called attention to the need for further changes. A constitutional amendment authorizing consolidation was advocated in 1891; but no action was taken.. Mayor Washburne in his message of 1892 favored the abolition of township collection of taxes and the union of county and city government.

The assessment law of 1898 established a county board of assessors and a county board of review, and eliminated the township assessors in the towns within the city of Chicago. An optional act of 1901, soon adopted by Chicago, did away with township collectors for the towns in Chicago. These two measures practically eliminated the separate town governments. Further changes, however, could only be carried out by amending the state constitution.

In 1898 the Civic Federation of Chicago appointed a consolidation committee of 100 from various organizations, with Judge M. F. Tuley as chairman. This Committee agreed to a proposed amendment, which was submitted to the legislature in 1899. In his annual message of

Proceedings and Debates II, 1557.

Proceedings and Debates II, 1835-36.

that year, Mayor Carter H. Harrison, urged the consolidation of local governments within the city limits, and recommended a council. committee on consolidation.

On April 11, 1899, the House Committee on Judiciary reported a proposed amendment to Article X, Section 7. This authorized the general assembly to provide for the consolidation of city and county government within the present or future limits of Chicago, and also for the extension of the city "so as to include all of the County of Cook", subject to a referendum to the voters of the city and of the county outside of Chicago. Provisions might also be made for subordinate local governments by districts; and prohibition of the liquor traffic in any local district should not be repealed or impaired.

An amendment to strike out the words "so as to include all the county of Cook" was adopted by a vote of 75 to 27, the Cook County members voting for this amendment 22 to 13. Several other minor amendments were adopted. But no further action was taken on this proposed amendment.

In 1901 another proposed amendment was offered in the legislature, authorizing the consolidation of local governments in the city of Chicago, and the formation of a county of Chicago subject to a local referendum in Chicago and the part of Cook County outside of the city. Mayor Harrison, in his annual message of this year, renewed his recommendations for consolidation. But no action was taken on this matter in the general assembly.

In September 1902, a committee of the Civic Federation of Chicago submitted an extended report on Chicago and the constitution, favoring a separate amendment relating to local government in Chicago rather than the calling of a constitutional convention. On October 28, a local convention was called, consisting of about 70 delegates from business and civic organizations (including the Civic Federation, the Chicago Bar Association and the Union League Club) and also from the city and county government. This convention agreed to a proposed amendment authorizing the consolidation of local taxing bodies, with provisions relating to a municipal court, the abolition of justices of the peace, and revenue and borrowing powers.

The proposed amendment was introduced in the Senate on January 20, 1903, by Mr. Campbell, and in the House on March 4, by Mr. Wilkerson. It provided for the consolidation of county and other local governments in Chicago, and for the creation of not more than two counties out of the part of Cook County outside of Chicago, subject to local referendum, which on county consolidation was to be submitted to the city and to the part of the county outside of Chicago.

On January 29, another proposed amendment was introduced. by Senator Humphrey of Cook County. This was much shorter and authorized the general assembly to provide for the consolidation of town, park, school and other local governments within cities, and for the abolition of justices of the peace in cities of over 150,000 population.

On March 12, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported a substitute (Senate Joint Resolution No. 12) relating to Chicago, but omit