The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-12-30
PROM SPRINGFIELD.

The people of the State Of Illinois. represent
ed in the General Assembly" are rather pecu-
liar people; but it occurs to your correspondent
that those remaining at home are the most pecu-
liar, and to illustrate this, it is only necessary
to say that just before the election the "people'
had made choice of tie very best men in the
state for the offices to which they were ,nomin-
ated and elected The papers especially, both
radical and democratic were loud in their praises
of their respective nominees. and that all the
honesty, ability, patriotism and integrity OF the
state would be "simmered down" in the General
Assembly. All this was very pretty, and divest-
eG of legislature "froth," in the main true; but
it will be recollected that very soon after the
meeting of the assembly last winter, these same
papers, and especially some in the Chicago dis
tricts, took up, as the burden of their song, tne
lazy, do.nothing indolent character of the assem-
bly,, and in some instances these formerly honest
men were called thieves by papers loud in the
praise Of the same men Just before election.
Now. it can be safely said that more indus.
trious body never before met in the state. Yet
because bills are not passed by the thousand
instead of by tens, it seems to be conclusive
testimony that the Representatives are fo.ling
away their time. More work is now necessary
on one bill, in many Instances, than on hun.
dred on the old plan, and to suppose that two
or three hundred men woald fool away their
time for the pitiful sum of five dollars day
hardly enough to pay board and travel-when
at their calling or profession at home they could
make three or four times as much, is too absurd
for a moments consideration
Quito a pleasant little episode occurred on
Monday afternoon, which for little while broke
the usual monoteny of legislative proceedings
The bill known as "bill to promote the science
Of medicine and surgery better known as the
"Pauper Butcher BILL" on account OF its provis.
iors which turn over to the dssceting knife Ger.
tain poor uniortunates who may happen to die
in poor house, was reported back with the re-
commentator that it be ordered forward in the
ordinary style of bills for Sd and final reading
Mr. Reddick, of La Sale, gaining the floor, Of
fered the following amendment: "Tha. the
list be extended so as to include hi. Excellency,
members and officers Of the General Assembly
He would prefer, personally, that the carving be
done after, rather than before he was dead and
submitted, as arguments in favor Of his amend
ment., the following considerations In ease OF
the Governor, the knife, in the hands Of science,
might possibly determine how the executive
could hold so much of honesty, integrity of pur-
pose, aud subscribe to 60 many cardinal demo-
cratic principles, and yet DO so closely allied to
the dominant party; and similar operation
might develope reason why the Lieuten4 mt
Governor became so staunch republican after
90 persistently advocating the claims OF Jeff Da-
Wis for the presidency in 1856 The cutting pro-
cess might also develope something of law-mak-
ing powers in the General Assem- bly--a quality
not now visible to the naked eye nor likely to
be from appearances, daughter, and the pro-
verbal cleverness of the officers TO democratic
members who did not vote for them, might be
accounted for under the knife, but at present the
only solution was, that the officers anticipated a
change OF administration, and were now paving
the way for democratic votes in the future"
ter, quite at variance with the usual decorous
order Of that august body.
Mr.. Reddick is managing the bill to make sell
ers of intoxicating liquors responsible for dam.
age done, to the satisfaction of the friends Of
that measure in the Senate, where it will pass in
good shape when reached in regular order.
A similar bill is running through the house,
and it is confidently expected that this assembly
will give the people the only practical legislation
ever brought to bear on this vexed subject. It
was up as special order on Tuesday afternoon,
and after being discussed at some length, and
after having various amendments offered and
suggested, it was continued in the same order
till Wednesday morning.
1t is worthy of remark that the friends of the
measure in tho Senate are not all on the republic
can side Of the house. p