Richmond Enquirer

THE ILLINOIS TERRITORY.

It would appear doubtful, from the following extract from an Illinois newspaper, whether the act of Congress for the admission of that territory into the union can at present take effect, seeing that the population falls below the estimated amount of forty thousand souls, and that the act of Congress requires, as a preliminary to the formation of a state constitution, that it shall appear, from the enumeration directed to be made by the legislature of the said territory, that there are, within the proposed state, not less than forty thousand inhabitants.

[From the Illinois Intelligencer.]

The fact that our population will not amount to forty thousand, having become generally known, we understand that some doubts are entertained as to the propriety of electing members of the convention. The diversity of opinions which prevailed on this subject, was such as to induce us to enquire of Mr. Pope, upon his arrival, as to what were his views on the subject: and he gives it as his opinion that it will be proper to elect a convention, and for them to meet. And if it should appear from the returns made, that we have not forty thousand, then for the convention, to pass an ordinance, authorizing an election for members of convention after the last returns shall be made, which are to be made in the first week of December next. And if we then have forty thousand souls, that such convention will have the right to frame a constitution. This construction, Mr. Pope contends, is in conformity with the spirit and intention of the act of Congress: That intention being, "that if we have forty thousand at any period, during the time which the commissioners are authorised to take the census, that we shall then be able to form a state government." This construction seems to correspond with reason, and we hope the honest vigilance of the commissioners authorised to take the census will not be suffered to sleep so long as our population is found increasing.