, 1873-04-09
THE STATE CAPITAL,
Tho Amended River Improvement
Bill Reported to tho
House.
Canal Earnings to be Devoted to the
Construction Of Copperao.
Creek Dam.
Tho Temperance Q,lestlon---Dc-
fcnt Of tho Tilson Olnfnn.

fcnt of tho Tilson Olni1n.
Special Dispatch to THE Chicago Tribune.
ILLINOIS RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.
spn1NoF1ELp, April 8.-Mr. Sherman, from tho
Appropriation Committee. reported tho House
Rivor Improvement bill. which waB amended by
Mr.. Starr, 80 as to, strlso out tho 820o,000, and
appropriate tho rcn1 earnings Of the canal to
constructing tho dun ut Copporas Crock, tho
money to DO invested in United stntos bonds
until 100000 shall bo accumulated, when tho
Commissioners aro authorized to begin tho work.
Mr. Walker, with tho bonign intention Of massa-
cring tho bill. moved to rofor 1t to the Commit
tco on Civil Borvico and notrouchment.. a1r.
stnrr moved to mike 1t tho special order for
Wednesday. hlr. nogora opposed tho reference.
Mr., Armstrong, Of Alexander, mado ono Of his
queer speeches, to provo that tho canal was not
tho river, nor tho rivor tho canal. IIe reilly do
sired to igo for that clause" Mr.. Swan wanted
to 60 homo on Wednesday, as the blue i, birds
Starr 81 "GneS moved Ns to lay Il the mot motion to
rcfer on tho table, which was carried-=4 to 40.
On the motion to order tho bill to third reading
cooling as extraordinary, and contonding that
tho rivor was not IN enlargement or extension Of
tho canal Mr.. Wicker made 2 legal argument
on tho conBtitntol,ality of tho bill, md Mr..
other spcochcs-the same old dish Of worda-
served up by several 1nombora but nothing now
or strange trnnspirod. Mr.. Jones, who cnn raiso
eats poes 0 onssssa ss nsr to tsn !s hS point bns S
ordered to L third reading until tho
ovorrued, and Mr.. Jacquoss apponloa,awthe first
appeal during tho sesaon,-brt tho Chair waB
opponents Of tho bill in making dilntory motions
boing exhausted, the bill WAS ordorcd to q third
reading. .-.-.--..--. ..-.---
The Penitentiary Committee, which is a nomnd-
io Committee took trip to the Pontiac Reform
School to-day, and II they get through will ro,
turn Tomorrow, Then it is supposed the report
on tho Ponttontinry will bo Forthcoming.
1t may Or not may not DO valuable. 4 nctnbor
of the Committee etatoB that tho report iB uuani-
nous; that it contemnR Commiasionor Rood for
approving certain punIahments doomed to bo
cruel. The samo authority thinks Commits
sionors Rowott and Bntz are not seriously i'm
plicatcd, except iii SO far they tacitly endorsed
certain purchases said to be e1travagant. No
recommendations aro indulged in, aud tho Gov
ernor will hayo to take tho report for whnt it is
worth and decide whether D chango in the
management Of tho prison is warranted.
Tho consideration Of tho resolutions fixing tho
timo Of adjournment WAS postponed until Friday
next, whom it may DO again postponed.
ANOTHER RAILROAD D1LL.
Mr.. Truitt handed in his contribution to tho
varied collection of railroad literature now in the
House, in the guiBe Of bill prohibiting extor-
tion and unjust discrimination. The author
triod to boil down the Donahuo and Hildrup
bills Into one, so as to mako It short and sweet.
T was committod to tho tender mercy Of The
Thirtoon.
AUDITOR AND sEoRETAn7 OF sTArE-A SLIGHT uN-
rLEAsANTNEs8.
The Senate bills revising tho 1tWB prescribing
the dutioB Of the Auditor and Secretary OF State
wore reported from the Judiciary Committee,
and ordered to third reading In tho House.
Mr. Rountreo took occasion to pitch into Mr.
Hurd, one Of the revisors, whom ho accused Of
drawing pay from tho State for the tno ho spent
lobbying for and against various measllreB Tho
Speaker called tho gentleman to order, but he
went on mud repeated the Rtatemont amid tho
not reply, not being . member, but when the
members began to assemble aftor dinner, before
the House, Alr. Hurl Won't up to Rountroe and
askcd him what bill he (Hurdl waa lobbying
against Roundtreo answered House bill 500.
!lurd said he was not. Rountree replied that
ho WAS 90 informed by Senators, which Hurd do.
nied, stating that nountroe could not lind
Senator TINT would eay Bo. Rountree probably
construed tis into tho lie Direct for he went for
Hurd catching him by the throat and bending
him buck over a deRk. Hurd being a weak, loli-
cate creaturo of slight franc, entirely at tho
mercy Of Rountreo who is big, hoavy, and equal
tho memhors; on recovering, ho callod Roun-
tree coward incoming that it was cowardly in
him to attack on the floor man who could not
defend himself orthat he was cowardly to strike
trco again. and Ito tried to got at Hurd, but was
prevented by the Intervention Of several men,
bora. Thus eudoa row i'll no way creditable.
W. Hurd may have made himsclf offensive, but
personal chastisoment Ia rather barbariau's
ocourse i'll this age Of civilization.
TIE LAKE. FRONT bill
'ame mp in tho Senate as tho special order this
woning on its thirl reading. fho Bill was road.
IT. Cumminge aaid, before voting for bill to
repeal an net that ha1 boon on the statue books
for years, he would like to SEQ q reason more
aofnito than tho Bweopipg Charge that tho net
bud been passed by corruption Ho knew Aomo
Of tho men who voted for the bill to he pure and
argument about voatod rights, and then said le
understood tho railroads wero opposed to the
repeal. They should meto out to corporations
the sumo Justice thoy demanded for themselves.
measure give somo reasons outside Of tho CRY Of
thlef or money corruption. II they passed tho
hl!l they would damn oyory man who voted for
tho oct as dishonest and corrupt. Would they
20 tl9t Tho people did not want tho act re-
pealod.
Mr. MoGrath read concise and carefully pro-
parod history Of tho ontire case, aud thon con-
tended that the railroads had acquired no
riglts, nor had tho State any right to
h,vade certain contracts made. When
the city gavo tho railroads tho right OF way on
the lako shore, tho people of Chicago had peti
tho present Council had unanimously asked the
Legislature to repeal it. II 1t was repealed the
railroad company could nevor deprive tho people
Of their park. 1Io thought Mi outer har6or
would deprociate tho prosont dock property. Tho
railroads wero making desperate efforts to ro-
poal the bill.
Mr. stoelo holieyod tho original net was con-
ceiyed In iniquity md brought forth in oorrup-
passage; but for MI that, ho beleyed tho net
could not bo repealed, US part Of the contract had
boon executed and rights had accrued. That
WAS tho substance Of IN hour and a halt talk, In
which the Senator did tho railroads yooman aor-
vico. As q result Of hia investigation Of tho
question, he should vote against tho bill. Nothing
would g'vo him moro pleasure than to yotc for