The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-05-27

/ IN aumlSSl0n OF rlSnt IN the suLerer 10 ue-
mand compensation.
| The cases to which refer are those of in
juries inflicted upon the owners of property
by the construction of railways and other
public works, whereby the property is made
more difficult of access or rendered in some
other respect less convenient and its market
able value deprecated.
In these instances the property of the citi-
zen is not 'taken for public use," nor is it
damaged in any appreciable physical sense,
but it Is made less convenient and useful and
the owner Of such property is made poorer, by
the act of Others, done under public author
| lty; and yet 1t is probable that the judicial
tribunals, when called upon to interpret and
apply the language OF the 18th section Of the
Bill of Rights, will hold that the owners of
property thus affected are not entitled to COM
pensatiOn for injuries that will be adudged
merely consequential.
In the nature of things much must be left,
in the application of the laws, to the courts,
but the General Assembly will find it judcious
and proper to determine the true cOmprehen-
sion Of the word damages" as used in the
Constitution.
The constitution also secures to the owners Of
property taken for public uses. the right to de-
mand that the compensation to which they are
entitled shsll be aseertained by the verdict Of a
| jury, but this right cannot DO made effective
without fit and appropriate legislation.
VIII. IhAvs deemed it my duty to mention.
- ose of the subjects that demand immediate
legislative action, that of making further appro-
priations for the completion of the state house.
an aware Of the fact that. near the close of
the late ssssiOn OF the general assembly, con.
siderable degree OF opposition was manifested to
the farther prosecution of the work upon the
new state house in Springfield; but The fact that
sach opposition, however formidable exists, does
not relieve The governor from the obligation i'm.
posed upon him BY the constitution, of giving to
the general assembly information Of the condi-
tion Of the state, and to recommend such meas.
urss 40 he shall deem expedient
In my biennial message said that. "before
| the present session of the general assembly ex-
pires, it win be satisfied of the necessity Of the
early completion Of the new state house" and
apprehsnsvs that the inconvenience that would
be experienced by the members for want of
proper accommodations might influence them to
proper to add, "but it will also discover that the
appropriations demanded will swell to an amount
that will severely tax the patience of the people.
The only means for raising money, permitted by
the constitution, 10 taxation; and appropriations
for the new state house, whatever may be the
necessity for its early completion, ought to be
kept within such limits that they will not be
too bsrdsnsome to the tax payers of the state
When the general assembly convened, on the
4th day OF January 1871, no enc anticipated Op.
position to judicious appropriations fer rhs prose-
cution Of the work upon the now state house;
and the feeling that the public interests demsnd-
Cd such appropriations was 40 general. that bill
providing for the expenditure Of six hundred
thousand dollars in the prosecution of the work,
passed the senate BY u vote nearly unanimous,
WAS sent TO the house Ct representatives., where it
was approved BY m appropriate COMMITTEES and
its passage recommended.
an persuaded that no proportion i, clearer
| than that the public interests dem. and that an
appropriation Be made, and that the work upon
the new state houss be prosecuted with the ut
most vigor. Already nearly four years have
| elapsed since the work WAS commenced, and the
sum Of eleven hundred Thousand dollars has
been appropriated for its prosecution, Nv several
acts of she general assembly and, III addition TO
the value Of tho lands conveyed, withoa. cost. To
| the state, for y site, the sum OF nine hundred
and seventy thousand and thrty-fvs dollars has
| been expended upon the building in process Of
CONSTRUCTORS. If appropriations made by the
general assembly at the pressn. session. 10 carry
on the work, there is no doubt that in less time
than has been already expended in is constrsc-
ton the state house will be completed. and ample
accom- odAtions provided for al branches OF the
government.
DO not suppose that there is any disposition,
on the part of any considerable portion of toe
people Of the state 10 suspend the work upon the
new state house, TO await the result OF coate..
for the removal OF the sect Of government from
Springfield. The great body OF the people are
erninens,y practical, and feel but little interest
! in the dispntes that have arisen, or that may
here after arise between different cities and town,
~ to the location of the seat of government.
They understand very we'll that Springfield is
geographically very nearly the center of the
state; that with the rapid extension of the rail.
read system the facilities of travel are so increas.
ed and improved that many other towns and
cities, that are now or that will be railroad
centsrs, are quite easy OF access from all parts
OF tho state, and that Chicago, the great center
OF the whole railroad system of the northwest,
though upon the very extreme border Of the
state, is from the extent Of its railroad connec.
tions, most accessible Of ALL Indeed, while there
are many places in the state that offer nearly
| sQaAl advantages for the location of the seat of
government, it cannot be supposed that the PEG.
pie will consent to waste the million of dollars
already expended, and tho four years of time
already consumed in the prosecution OF the pres
ent building, without the slightest hope of ad-
vantage.
The general assembly, at the session OF 1867,
appropriated the sum of four hundred and fifty
thousand dollars, to be expended in the erection
Of the new state house, and the legislature OF
| 1869 appropriated tho further sum of six hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars for tho same OBJ.
| ject and the constitutional convention, by the
33d section of the 4th article of the constitution,
limited the appropriations on account OF the cap
itol grounds and the new state house, to three