The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-04-01
Yotlp Argns.
yFfICIAL CITY g. COUNTY PAPER
LEGISLATIVE CORRESPONDENTS.
spR1NoFIELD, H., March 81, 1871.


railroad commissioners. Tne programme t
will bo carried out beyond doubt. |
No law will DO passed and neither will
any action be taken in regard TO revenue
mill next winter. The legislature will no
doub. adjourn within the coming two weeks,
sud that time will be occupied in other
legislation.
The question ofrenoving the capital to Z
Peoria Is the most exciting one that has
vet come up. Mr. King, Of Jersey county,a
lev DAYS ago introduced bill providing for i
su5nlEsiug of the question to vote OF the ]
gsoole of the State next fall Springfield
!. rreatly excited about this matter, and has
already gotten down on her marrow bones
and offered the requisite amount OF addi.
tioaal land necessary for the State House
grounds. Before this excitement came up,
!: was claimed that the State needed no
more lsud for the State House, but now that
- mauy are IN favor of the removal of
tue Capital the Springfield city council
comes and offers TO purchase what
additional territory is necessary. Also, if
the two houses will not djourn to Chicago
next winter, this city offers TO furnish hall /
al committee rooms for the representa-
t,ves. This is some progress, at least, and |
tn. capital movement will thus iuure to the
b,oe6t of the State, even if it is not re-
novsl
The Governor has transmitted to the
House statement of the amount of gold
bought under the law passed by this Legis-
laturs. take the following extract
Amount purchased .$S, 100, 900 90
Premium paid......... 364o47 90
Commissions paid ......... ............- l,7Sl %
Cost Of gold, including premiums
and eOmmissio ions .......-.......-..S3,4 ,466,32S 70
Average coIt.........$ll1 Sl7-l000.
The Committee on Public Buildings have
made an elaborate report in regard to the
various public buildings in the State. They
report very favorably in regard to all OF
tnom except the Illinois Agricultural Col
lsgs located at Irvington. This institution
has oesn regular swindie from the first,
aud they recommend its sale.
There have been two reports from the
Peui:eu.iary Committee. From the minor
ity report take the following extracts,
which, though lengthy, will be of more i'm
p1rtauoe than anything could write
The property on hand, as appears from
the report of the com missioners, is valued
at S5O6, 1856 so. This, in the Judgment of
members Of the committee, is largely in ex.
cess of the real value.
The debts due TO the prison is stated in
the official report of the commissioners, to
he Sl55, ,289 SO. We find that the commits
siouers know but little of the solvency Of
the parties from whom the inde bGedness is
due.
"As an evidence of the reckless manner
in which the prison has been managed il
i.s financial concerns, we found that some
Of the commissioners had taken list of the
claims due the prison, with the names OF
ta5 parties from whom due, aud submitted
the same to q commercial agency In the Cit
Of Chicago, to get an opinion OF their solV
encg and from au examination of tn
report OF the agency, it appears that no
more than thirty-three per cent of them Il
even that amount) are good-some of then
hsiug totally unknown TO the agency ant
many reported as utterly worthless.
The expenditures, as shown By state
msnts submitted, amount to 81, ,552 ,607 IS
To this add the amount paid to former les
sees in 1867, 1868 and 1869, of$l77, ,l57 "a
and We have total of : l,729,764 So. o
this amount there has been appropriate
from the State Treasury, $604,00O, showing
$l,O35, ,764 63 20 have been received iron
property sold or other sources.
"The indebtedness, as reported by th'
commissioners. is 1922, ,S32 Is, which being
deducted from amount received from prop
ort7 sold, etc., shows $702,7 63 at tn
Uroduct of the labor of the oonvicss, from
July lat, 1867, to December lat, 1870.
Tine commissioners report OF Decem be-
1st, 1868, states that the average cost Q
feeding, clothing and guarding each convic
is about As cents per day. The same repor
states that the amount received from convic
labor from July lst, 1867, to December Isl
1868, is 1884, 4,37308. Average number c
oonvicts by report was over 1,IOO, whlc
gives the number of days 48l 800, or a
average earning, per day, per convict,
about SO oents; deduct cost OF keeping an
Guarding, As cents, and profit is show,
Der day, of "a cents on 45 | 800 days amour
ing to SIS, ,632 0G. This appears to yof
comm mittee should have been sufficient
have paid any Identical expenses OF Il
prison; ; ye. by the same report the expens
vera $463, ,j95, from which deduct receipt
S33L,373.08, leaving an excess Of expend
TIRES over receipts, $l20 ,22l.92
The average number of convicts, as p
report, is l,296-call it for the year IL
"a al average; this giver 37O, 800 days wor
at fraction over 80 cents per day, ?
convict, end if the average expense ofgua
ing, feeding, etc, though not reported, v
no more than during the year '67 and Z
there would be gain of Is cents per d,
on $40, 800 days, of $55,62O. Notwi
standing this apparent profit, the statem
shows an increase Of indebtedness over I
of December lst, 1863, of $l44, ,940.T3,
n loss on the years business of $54, HI
less amount of $5O,742.74, being net
of S,374 Al. The $50, ,742.74 is claimet
be debts paid which we're not shown BY
books as due or owing 10 December
1869.
We desire to call the attention of
House to the following statement, show
amount of indebtednss and assets, as ia
from the books of the prison:
STATEMENT SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF IND
EDNEss AND ASSETS.