The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-02-11
By Telegraph.
Constitutional Convention.
Petitions---El e ctoral
Reform.
WASHINGTON.
WHISKY--G0LD INVESTIGATION
MORMON BILL---SUBSIDIEs--
FENIAN RESOLUTION AND
OUR FOREIGN POLICY.
Air Line Postal Telegraph
Cable QueStion--Cadet Abuse
--ManufacturerS' Con-
tinentaI Exhibition.
Vmnn~t.,t p.;irn~d Sniff nocideA
Important Railroad Suit Decided.

SPsINGFIELD, Feb. l0.-The Convention
met at 10 A. NJ.
The following petitions we're offered and
referred
| Of 200 citizens of Lake county, praying
for the right of suffrage to women.
! To obtain more perfect observation of the
Sabbath.
| To provide for the use Of the Bible in the
schools.
| Mr.. Medill, from the Committee on Rep
resentatives and Electoral Reform, made a
report and recon mended its adoption. The
report is as follows:
| SEC. /. The appointment of the State for
mem bers of the General Assembly shall be
made by the Legislature every ten years,
! beginning with 1871, in the following man
ner the whole population of the State, as
ascertained by the Federal census, shall be
! divided by ) g, and the quotient shall be tn e
ratio of representation in the Senate; and
| the whole population shall be divided, in
| like manner by 1853, and the quotens shall
be the ratio of representation IN the House.
| Sec. .. Three times the number of in
ha bitsnts required for Q Senatorial ratio
shall constitute Senatorial district, each OF
which shall be four years, till the mum ber oi
/
shall constitute q representative district, each
of which shall choose three representatives
whose term shall be two years. The districts
shall be formed of compact territory bound
ed by county lines, and contain as nearly ss
possible al equal number of inhabitants;
Pouided. that no county shall be divided in
the formation of representative districts, un
less 1t shall be entitled to more than Eve
( Nhap scf5 &c
district shall have fraction of population
! above the ratio 80 large that being multi
piled by the number of regular seasons in a
| deceunisl period, the resnlt will be one OIL
more ratios, it shall elect an additional rep
| pesentative, in such years as its fractions sc
, n ultiphed shall produce d whole ratio.
/ Sec. 1. The same rule shall be applied
| in spportioning the fractions of Senstoria
districts and the additional Senators shal
be allotted TO the sessions of the decennia
period TO which they belong under the ratio
! SEC. ) Ia all elections of Senators snt
| Representatives., each qualified voter shsl
be entitled to as many votes as there are
Senators or Representatives to be elected BY
the same constituency, and may distrib butte
them, or equal proportion thereof, equal
| or runequally-among the candidates, or con-
centrste them upon one, at his option
and the candidates highest in ratio shall bt
declared elected.
The report was laid on the table and 5O(
copies ordered printed.
At 1880 the Convention went into Com
mittee of the Whole on the Legislative De
partment report, with Mr. Turner in tn.
chair, and section 81 was taken up.
Mr.. Fox opposed the oath, as honest mer
would dislike to tPke it.
Mr.. Harwood also held the same views.
Mr.. j. C. Allen thought the oath one o
the most necessary things that could be pro
posed. In his opinion no honest man woult
object to taking it, but all dishonest mel
would.
Mr.. Whiting considered it absolutely ne
cessary. Such an oath should be prescribed
and taken. 1t was Just what was needed.
Mr.. Bayne wished to amend by providing
that no intoxicating liquors should be USE
during the session by the person taking tn
oath.
Mr.. Snyder was for the oath. Ever
word of it was just what was needed, Il
said it would prevent many q man froI
m aking a scoundrel of himself.
Mr.. Pierce knew that some members VIII
voted for the State House bill, last winter
had received from one thousand to tw
| Thousand dollars for such vote. He though
we, by the adoption of this oath, would SO
hat in the future we would have no NOR
oundrelism, and the people had goo
c ause to think there had been enough in th
past.
Mr. Medill said tha. if the section Wa
sub mitted to the people, not ten thousan
votes would be cast against it. He consit
cred If live coal to the conscience, and
safeg uard to all men.
The discussion was participated in /
Mr.. Goodhue, Mr.. Cummings, Mr.. Haye
and Mr.. Hawkins, at some length.
The suestion being on NJ. Bayne
amendment, it was lost by 80 to 81.
An amendment by Mr.. Buxton, addinI
2 i have received no bribe for any vote
, may influence" was accepted, and the Sc
ton adopted
Mr.. Hayes offered an additional sectio,
tha, no person holding free pass or graf
, ity from any railroad, express or teleg ral
company shall have a seat in the Legisl
8 ture, which was lost by 81 to q.
, Pending decision the commi ttee sro'
J and the Convention adjourned until tv
o'clock.
WAsHrSGroN, Feb, l / "A delegation o
whisky manufacturers was before the Way
end Means Committee, asking that the tim
for taking fine whisky out of bond be exte
Q ded from one to three years.
t Gen. Horace Porter, the President
! private secretary, testified to-day bsio
Garfelds committee on the gold lnvestig
ton, relative to certain presents OF picture
e statuary and other articles said to have be-
/ received at the White House last Septemo
from New York, amounting in all to sor
6 500. 900 in value.
- The Territorial Committee examined L
Bea.e to day, concerning the Mormon 0
now before the committee Thus far all q
e witnesses examined are Gentiles and I
's testimony is all one way. Hooper, deiega
. from Utah, as requested, sent Culiom
). summon some prominent Mormon.
The Committee on Public Lands had
y discussion on the proposed bill forbiddil
' the granting of land subsidies to railroa
10 but came to no conclusion.
At The House is engaged on the Fenian n
: olution. Wood, of New York, made b
'' ter speeck against the foreign policy of I
administration.
N General Porter, the Presidents Priva
10 Secretary, and Cstherwood, Corbin's SOM
ilav ware examined by the Banking O