The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-01-14
Illlnoas Isogislaturo,

line Work q OF te&11sAture mas tnus lar
bssa slmost entirely preliminary in it, chat
actes. The hsuse, which holds its sessions in
IN cid church, We notice has spent several
mornings IN discussing the question Of aeous-
tics, coming 10 the sage conclusion that,
owing to Tie peculiar structure of the church,
those menber Who speak loudest stand the
best cAaacs 10 BE- heard. Then more time has
been spsus in the matter of procuring rooms
for the committees.to meet in. 1t leaked out,
IN this discussion, that for the last two or
three sessions, the custom has been for the
committees to meet at the hotel rooms of the
chairmsn, and then to pay the hotel keeper
rent for the room, he being careful to include
in his bill for rent the board bill of the chair
men of the respective committees. This steal
the present legislature hopes to stop, and
committee rooms away from the hotels have
been rented at $40 month each.
Another preliminary difficulty the legisla
ture has found it necessary to dispose of is,
how to get along with what is called the
emergency clause of the new constitution.
This clause requires that all bills passed BY
the Legislature shall 60 into effect on the LIST
cfJuiy following their passage, except, in cases
Of emergency" when an additional section
may be attached requiring that they shall go
into effect Immediately, but this additional
section must be adopted by atwo-thirds vote.
Now it happens that bill often passes by q
bare majority, and u that defeats one of the
sections Of the bili, if it has the emergency
clause" the whole bill is defeated. The diff
fculty was got over BY the adoption of rule.
that when bill containing the emergency
clause.gets majority, but not q two-thirds
vote, the vote is to be considered as ordering
it to third reading. and the emergency clause
being stricken out, the bill can be passed
again. ,sg,.5aa sdf isga ~ ,5es.L ~
And another preliminary matter which has
taken up some time il the question Of employ
ing official reporters and having the proceed
ings, debates, &C., Of the two houses published
officially. Il is found that the bill for this sort
Of printing for the convention amounted to
$4,000, an item Of expense which the present
Legislature will probably not incur. lla'
Among che moro important bills already
introduced, We notice the following: ssl :. !
By Mr.. Starae-A bill to provide tor paying
the state debt Il requires all the available
lneosy In the Treasury to be ussd at once In
the extinguishnsnt u the state debt, and all
state fuads hereafter sccumulating before the
balance of the debt becomes due to be invest
ed in o. 8. bonds. The object is to give the
state the advantage Of the interest on large
sums lying in the treasury and which the state
officers are suspected Of having made steal
iugs Of heretofore by loaning out.
Senator Fuller has introduced railway
tariff bill, which be says is only one of series
which he ispreparing to regulate the railroads
Of this state. This bill fixes the maximum
rate of fare ct cents mile, aud declares that
any railway company that demands higher
faee shall forfeit i've times the sum received.
Thus, If you take'a ride from Ottawa to Mr.
settles and pay 80 cents, when the legal fart is
only "a cents, you can sue the company and
get back tl.50. Asa lawsuit would cost but
80 OF el5, of course every body would sue
the company when overchargsd!
The republicans have finally agreed to hold
their senatorial caucus on Friday Qast) even.
ing. There seems to be very little doubt
about Logau's nomination by the caucus for
the U. 8. senatorship.
The speaker of the house announced the
standing committees on Thursday. Cook
county gets the Craftsmanship of no less than
2 committees-Canals, Apportionment, Peni.
Tertiary, Fees and Salaries, sc. Most of the
committees consist Of Is members, of whom
s are democrats and the balance republicans
The democrats are allowed no charm snships.
From Washington.
The week, up to Thursday, was spent by
CONGRESS over the San DomiuUo resolut;o,s