The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-02-09
Illinois Legislature.
CANAL AND RIVER IMPROVEMENT.

CANAL AND RIVER IMPROVEMENT.
I Doubtless the NEST important measure be
/ vide for canal and river Improvements"
Tse bill creates board Of canal and river
! improvements, 10 consist, er-offcIo, Of the
! Governor, Secretary of State, and Auditor,
and Of three com missioners. whom the Cover
nor, with the approval of the Senate, shall
| appoint. To this board the bill proposes to
commit the whole subject Of inavgurating
and carrying forward to completion, as fast
az the funds provided will admit the four
| branches into which the proposed improves
ment naturally is divided, viz: The exten-
sion of the canal from La Sale to Rock Is
land: the construction OF feeder from Rock
river, and the improvement OF that river to
Dixon; the improvement of the Illinois river,
and The enlargement of the present canal to
admit of steam navigation from the Missis>
sirpi. through the Illinois river, to Chicago
Beyond this general specification Of the OBJ
iects for which the board is created, the bill
does not proceed. All the details Of the work,
the mode snd time of construction, ara left
to the direction Of tho board. For carrying
out the objects of the bill, a general tax OF
two mills Oh the dollar Of taxable valuation
| i, authorized to be collected annually, and
devoted expressly to This object.
The entire cost of the proposed improves
ments i, placed at 7l5 900. 900. Of these
i. is hoped to get 81 100000 from the general
government, s3,cOO000 from the city of Chi
cage, (alrsrdy provided for,) and tn. rest is
to be raised by two mill tax, which 1t is be-
lieved will sssily raise tn. amount during the
! FIVE years it will take to make the improve
ments.
Til. bill occupied the House the greater
part of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,
and with exec tion of some Of the details,
appears to meet with ne threatening opposi>
ton.
RAILROAD RATES.
Next in importance to the above. doubtless,
is the bill to restrain railroad moaorallss and
regulat. their rates Of frsi Eht and fares. The
bill of Mr. Fuller, which was defeated IN the
Senate, was, with fsw Improvements, re-
ported on Monday in the House BY Mr.. Hurl-
but and put upon its passage. Although
cles.ly fought at every stage, it finally passed
OH Tuesday, by tha encouraging vote OF 81
to "A. On Wednesday it came up in the
Senate, being offered IA amendment 10
T..
in the interest Of the nonppoli,t,,) and Wa.
voted Gown by II to y. The whole subj.s,
ther went back 70 tte Senate committee ca
railroads, where Mr.. Mack, who acts as if &c
va. the hired attorney Of t-s railroads, will
dsabtless attempt 10 smother It.
CBHICaGo WAREHOUSE HoEsFoLY.
Nr. Ea,,rsans bill, to break up the out
rageous w.rehsu,. system IN Chicago, was
put upon It's passage in the Senate Oh Mou>
t.r. when Mr. Eastman delivered : crushing
speech against the monoslists, exposing their
tricks and showing t.s necessity of lsgi,ls>
tive restraints. The warehouse men, how.
ever, have rot been idle. and the probabilities
are against the bill passing, except in form
SO evscerated "a to make 1t useless.
"TgE CoLoEED rgooPa."
The inevitsbl, eolorcd individual had an
airing in the Hosse en- the LIST, and the odor
seemed, even in that rot overly swestscsntsd
society, 10 be ungrateful. Mr. Bruner offered
reselgtion asserting, in general terms, that
the constitution ought to be amended SO =.
allow the regro TO vote. Quite 4 lively De-
hate arocn - --L;oL n. D., --1sy 4eid
he had bcen 4 chaplain in negro regiment,
greatly e1tolled the fighting qualities n H.
--ssrsaG, VINO had also been -
/ seider, serving through the entire war, or
/ the contrary, denied, and challenged tie
| proof that the colered troops fought braves
/ " in single Battle. or even Rad been worth
/ thar s.lt to the government. The debate
was evidently di.,asteful to many Of the re-
/ publiesns. and tie democrats opposed to the
,resoutioss and those in favor Of them con.
I eludcd to vote against the resolutions in order
to compel the republican, to show their
hands. Tn. question came t. an issue on
melton TO lay them en- the table, which wa,
carried by vote Of II 10 q and I, stronger
vote could have cen secured had it been
necessary.
DAMS At OTTAWA.
The bill to authorize Ottawa to take stock
i'll the proposed Water Power improvement
at Ottawa. passed the Senate on Monday and
is now pending in the House.
JUVENILE OFFENDERS
The bill to provide more suitable mode
Of Furnishing Juvenile offenders and to build
state house OF correction was up in the sens
ate on the 4th, but was cent back to the
committee. Its passage is doubtful.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
Mr.. Mcconnell got the judiciary committee
to endorse his bill 10 call a constitutional
convention without reference 70 the provis-
IONS Of the present cons tituiion On the SUBJ
ject. 1t provides for calm. convention
OF the 4th Monday in August next, the
delegates to be elected in July. IRE bill
was reported to the senate 0, the 4th, and
orasfed to be printed.
TEMPERANCE.
A perfect food of petitions is flowing in
upon the legislature in favor of the passage
81 Jaw allowing each town or municipality
to decide by vote On the sale of Intoxicating
liquors within such town, village or city.
EVIDENCE
4 bill has passed the senate to lllsu in>
terestsd parties TO testify in civil eases.
OGEIBCs.
To expsdits busisess, both houses have
adopted the omnibus system of passing bills.