Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-12-28
rFrom the Indianapolis Journal.
What the Extra Session Accom-
nlfhad sla#

IFrom the Indianapolis Journal
What the Extra Session Accom-
pllshed. az
The late session Of the General As.
y sembly was IL very lahorious one, and
more legislation of an important char
o. uonacter was perfected than at any other
session, of similar length, since the
adoption of our pr sent Constitution.
~ "a The number of bills that passed both
- Houses was one hundred and three, be-
s4 = -sides divers Joint resolutions; and many
others passed one or the other of the
q Houses which failed to become laws
Among The more important enact
ments were the following:
,AMOH Ito provide for tae dissribu lion of
awo the interest Of the Sinking Fund, for the
support of common schools This will
add from two bred and fifty to three
4Nc huDdred ihousapd dollars, annually, to
- the funds heretofore provided for main
w tanning our public schools
2 Fer the establishment Of State
Normal School
'4aeS1A23 8, Providing for refanding Ito the
Sinking Fund, in State bonds, the
. go amount due it from the State
@ An act providing for the taxation
OF railroads.
III ru5. Authorizing a company, organ
dig a dig ditch or canal from the Lit
tie Calumet to the Grand Calumet River,
in Lake County. By the erection of
feeder dam in the State of Illinois, the
waters of the Little Calumet were
caused 10 overflow about 10000 acres
of land in Lake County, to the great in
jury Of its citizens. Illinois has persist
entity refused to make any compensation
,Atssfis to the injured parties, and has recently
.sssold the dam to private parties. The
draining Of the overhowed lands in Lake
is County will probably leave water enough
in the dam for manufacturing purposes,
10 which we understand the water power
s..-is to be devoted; buff not, there is no
reason why we should longer submit to
the great injury inflicted upon our own
citizens.
% 6. Providing for a criminal court in
the county Of Marion and all other coun-
o. A A. ties having 10000 or more voters. This
81 court is 70 sit continuously as long as it
has any business to transact, and if the
IA kpenitentiaries are not peopled By its ad-
fnsst Indications, it viii be because the scoun-
drels who gather here from all quarters
of the country take time by the forelock,
and transfer their operations to other
-laaio localities There will be no six months
,e, continuances, but justice, in the lam
guage Of the Constitution, will be ad-
ministered "speedily and without de.
-ua.d lay" s asasv saQ.uLuc
wrtffl7. All former general laws for the in
corporation of cities were repealed, and
a new law enacted which it is believed
% by its trainers will be- great improve
ment on our late system of municipal
government II gives enlarged powers
to city councils in providing for the
cleanliness and consequent health of
cities, and by which they can take Wig
JOYOUS measures for meeting pestilence
.,n and epidemics, Considerable changes
have been made relative to the improve
-8sy ment.of streets and the construction Of
sewers, and to preserve the moral health
Of cityoffieials and to prevent the pos
sible suspicion Of their official integrity,
s-e34-the law prohibits all city officers from
re participating in contracts let by the city,
and makes all contracts, in the profits
~ of which any municipal officer is inter.
- ed, absolutely void
g. The Supreme Judges were depriy-
ed of the power heretofore conferred
~rsW upon them to issue writs of hGbeGs cor
a. pns, and enlarged powers in that respect
were conferred upon Judges Of the Cir
t,efy cult and Common Pleas Courts.
9. The law enacted at the last regular
session., by which State tax of thirty
cents on each 500 of taxable property
Ia ~ was levied for the support of soldiers
Sc1 families, for the years 1865 and 1866,
was repealed as to the latter year. The
- proceeds of the tax of 1865, less FIVE
sas per cent thereof, are to be retained in
treasures of the counties where collect
ed, and after the first day of March
m next become part of the general coun-
~ ty, funds; but all loans made by the
boards Of county commissioners, in an
ticipation Of the tax, for the purpose of
furnishing the relief contemplated by
''Ds the act, are to be first paid; and it is
made the duty Of, the County Commits |
sioners, by the repeating act, to provide
from the general county fund.- in liberal
manner, for the support of destitute sol |
diers who have been disabled by wounds
-. or diseases contracted in the military
service in the line of duty, for their
families, and for the needy widows, or.
phans, and dependent mothers of sol
diers who died in the service, or shall
lSD Hereafter die from wounds or disease |
received or contracted in the line of
duty.
zagrFT The law under which the tax was
levied set apart 500, 600, to be expend-
ed undar The direction of the Governor,
v- for the relief Of sick and wounded In |
diana soldiers in hospitals, This would |
amount to about seven per cent of the |
amount. likely to be realized from the |
three mill tax; and in anticipation of its |
collection the Governor borrowed con-
siderable sums for that purpose. These |
loans are to be refunded out of the five |
per cent. reserve fund, and the residue is /
authorized to be expended by the Gov
ernor, in his discretion, for the relief of
destitute, disabled, wounded or sick In
diana soldiers who may need such relief,
and he is required TO report the amount
and manner of such expenditure to the
Hapara1 A aaaunhlv
TO- An act to prevent unauthorized L
9 - State printing. i LsG3eltA
H. An act defining the crime of en-
bezzlement, and prescribing punishment
~ therefor. 1t is reasonable to suppose
that the prospect Of protracted service
in the Penitentiary will have a tenden-
cy to prevent persons occupying places
of trust and confidence, from making
~ TOO free use of the money of their prin-
cipals. 1.
IL An act providing for the orgaui-
cation of horse-thief detecting compa-
MES. S Gas .EB EgfrEfIH
H. An act making it the duty of
County Auditors to examine the rec
ords of their offices in relation to the
school funds, and make report to the SUI
periutendent of Public Instruction, and
providing compensation therefor, The
superintendent reports, that byglving
his personal attention to this matter in
q few counties, he has recovered $l7,-
600 70 the school fund that had been
Lost SIGHT Of but that he had not time,
without neglecting his other duties, to
continue his investigation. II was,
therefore, made the Imperative duty Of /
the County Auditors to make .horough /
examination into the condition of the l
school fund ip. their. respective counties,
which will probably result in saving
% .'' much that would otherwise be lost.
IA The late Supreme Judges made
decision to the effect that it was a suf6-
cient defense by a surety on an oficia
bond. that the principal promised him
that some other person would sign the
e--. LIZ - Ella L