The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-12-02
Illinois Legislature.


The legislature has done better the present
week than heretofore in the matter of quo
rum, sufficient number to Go business hay
ing been present in both houses on Tuesday
and Wednesday but though there was no ad-
journment even over thanksgiving Gay, no
quorum is counted on for Thursday, Friday
or Saturday.
A Rev. MIR. Pierce who opened the house
with prayer on Saturday, rather startled the
radical members by praying that Gov. Palmer
might be aided from on high in maintaining
his noble position in favor of the rights of the
state, &c. Had he prayed, as the Iowa chap
Lain, and the congressional chaplains occa-
sionally do, tor radical victories, it would
have been all right; but to pray for state
rights was very henous, of course.
Mr.. Jones kicked up breeze in the house
on Saturday by asking the committee On fees
and salaries why they don't report. Mr..
King, chairman, said the committee had no
room to meet in, and therefore had done
nothing. The "cat in the meal tub is, that the
Office holders don't want bill passed on the
subject, as it will cut down their present
enormous fees, and they have bought up the
committee
One Of the "tool Bills introduced in the
house claims Mr.. Hurdman for paternity, and
proposes to legaIize political caucusses and
punish fraudulent voting, &C., at such gather
lngs.
MIR. Barr caused cOmmOtion in the house
by introducing resolution asking Cook
County to pay, out of the $3,OOOOOO voted at
the extra session, the sum Of $129.O24 she
owes the state for back taxes. Two years
ago, when the state board of equalization in
creased the assessment Of Cook County, the
virtuous Solomon, County Clerk, refused to
extend the increased taxation on the Col.
lector's books, and the state was swindled out
of the sum named. Bars reaolut,on was
referred.
A resolution was offered in the house On
Monday asking congress to repeal the tariff
on lumber. The republicans, as usual, pre-.
tended to favor the resolution, but were too
cowardly to vote on it, and so it was referred
and thus killed.
bill passed the house on Wednesday
providing for the appointment of guardians
for habitual drunkards.
The following blll in which Ottawa has
just now considerable interest, passed the
senate on Monday:
BE At enacted, de-, That any city of this
State, having population not exceeding fiji
teen Thousand inhabitants, shall have power,
where 1t does not already exist, to levy and
collect, Tor corporate purposes, in the manner
provided by its charter, an annual tax upon
AL taxable property, real and personal, with.
IN Its corporate limits, not exceeding one per
centum OF the value of such property. as as.
sessed by the corporate authorities OF such
city.
Also the following bill
SECTION |. BE II enacte2, de-, That the
jurisdiction of justices of thc peace and police
magistrates bc and is hereby increased to two
hundred dollars, in all civil causes IN which
they now have or may hereafter have iuris.
diction.
SEC. 2. All justices of the peace, police
magistrates and constables in this State. shall.
within twenty days after this act shall take
elect, execute Office bonds conditioned us
now required by law, in twice the amount of
'he'r former bonds, to be approved and filed
~ lNelr former office bonds. And all justices
o' the peace, police magistrates and constahlc.,
hereafter elected shall be required to give
Dohds III twice the amount now required BIZ
law.