The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-01-16
FROM SPRINGFIELD.
THE LEGISLATURE.


The proceedings of the Illinois Legislature
thus far have been uncommonly dull. The
remarkable feature Distinguishing the present
SO widely from the last Legislature, is the alb
sence of the lobby. The railroad companies
have evinced no fear of Mr.. Fuller's bill, and
sent no lobby to fight it. There is no state
house, university or penitcntiary ring. No
body that wants laws passed seems to have
any money to fee a lobby. The members who
are paying "a day board on a 81 per diem
are in despair.
THR INAUGURATION.
The ceremony of inaugurating an Illinois
Governor is very simple. The senate, at a
fixed hour, repairs to the house, when the new
Governor and Lieut. Governor walk in arm
and arm with the old, advance to the speakers
chair, take the oath Of office, and the Co.
vernon elect makes an inaugural speech Then
the senate return to their own chamber,
the new Lieut.. Governor calls them to order,
and makes a little speech, upon which the
usual routine of business is resumed. These
ceremonies,were exactly observed at the in.
auguration of Governor Palmer and 1t. Gov
Dougherty on Monday, with the addition that
they had military escort from the Executive
mansion to the state house, and also that 1t.
Gov. Bross made farewell speech, and sena-
tor Wood pronounced eulogy on him, as if
he had died, which is probably the case
politically.
Mr.. FULLER's RAILROAD BILL.
Pricked on by the correspondent of the
Chicago Times, Mr.. Fuller called up his railroad
bill in the senate on Tuesday, and to his sur
prise it was read third time and put upon its
passage without debate. This was evidently
going faster than Mr.. Fuller wished. Then
attempts were made to amend it, but having
been read three times, amendments could only
be admitted by Mr.. Fullers consent, and he
doggedly rejected all. AS the bill was open
to fatal objections, this stubbornness looked
like determination on the part of Mr.. Fuller
to have it killed. But after lengthy and
very angry debate the senate passed the bill
"
fare at cents mile, and provides, AS pen
atty for charging more, that the railroad COM
pany doing so shall forfeit its charter. This
latter provision is 40 pulpably unconstitutional,
that it probably accounts for the failure of the
railroads to fight tho measure. Of course the
bill in its present shape will not pass the
house unless as q sham. There are, however,
other and better bills on the same subject be.
fore both houses, but whether any sensible,
practical bill Of the kind will bc passed seems
very doubtful
sTENOGRAPHERs.
Both houses voted on the sth to employ
two stenogeaphers each, at SIS per day, to re-
port their proceedings, to be published in the
Springfield papers at s. column.
Ill. C. n. H. PER CENT.
The constitutional amendment adopted hy
a two-third vote of the last legislature, pro.
hibiting the legislature forever from releasing
the Ill. Central r. Il. Co. from paying per
cent. Of its gross earnings to the state, must
be approved by both houses Of the present
legislature before it can be submitted to a vote
Of the people for ratification The senate
passed . resolution on the 9Th approving the
amendment. The house has not vet acted
on it.
PRINTING MESSAGES. i4tf Ep.5
A large edition Of Gov. Oglesby's message
was promptly ordered to be printed by bott.