The Cairo bulletin., 1873-04-03
LEGISLATIVE NOTES.
RIVER IMPROVEMENT IN THE
HOUSE-ONE OF THE INTER
ESTING DEBATES OF THE
SESSION--THE MEM
BER FROM THE
CAIRO DISTRICT
"REVIEWED"


mouth Republican,
As We anticipated, the Illinois river I'M
/ provement bill has been ordered to q third
reading in tho house. which refused to
submit the question to the people, tho
vote on that proposition being o3 in the
affirmative and 10 In tho negative, and the
state will be committed TO the policy Of
river Improvement under the new censti-
tuition whether wisely or unwisely time
alon @ can tell
The debate upon tho question Of river
improvement was by far tho most intcr-
esting that has occurred during the ses-
sion. Mr.. Connolly made a strong speech
against the bill and in favor of his prop
osition to submit tho question TO the peo-
pie. Mr.. Jones, of 10 Davies county,
made speech in opposition to the bill,
styling it a grand scheme of corruption,
and again earning for himself the tito OF
swatch dog Of tho treasury" On a pre-
vious occasion, in speech about exlrava-
gance in public expenditures
and steals, he had called at
tention to the fact that the flag staff on the
capitol building had cost Si0U. This will
explain q reference in the speech of Mr..
Oberly, from which we propose TO give
your readers a few paragraphs. In reply
to Mr.. Jones, Mr.. Starr, Of Peora, "went
for him" vehemently, but il remained for
Oberly to impsle him alive in his own in-
imtblo way. Mr.. Oberly is gifted above
most men in the use of language. His clo-
| quence il of an original kind. We have
listened at times to the playful dsshing
Of waves upon the rocky shore, and pass
| ing from the scene the music OF tho waves
has fingered on our cars. Like this re-
nembored music, tho words OF this
speech came to us again and again long
alter the speaker had closed. We cannot
forbear making one or two extracts in
cluding his reference to MIR. Jones. Re.
ferring first to Mr. Connolly, no charac-
terized his proposition to submit the ques-
ton to tho people as "the attack Of Thug
who approaches his victim from behind
and strangles him before resistance
can DO made. 1t il the stilletto Of the
Spaniard, used by wary hand. striking
in the dark. The gentleman from 10
Davies Mr.. Jones) has resorted TO u
plan of attack altogether different. He
has raised the cry Of corruption, and in
this hall yesterday made a speech, the
burden and chorus of which
was stop thief stop theft
l sympathise with that gen.
eloquent mouth continually in denuneis-
ton of assaults upon tho treasury. The
luking devil Of dishonesty which his im-
aginatisn has introduced into this hall,
has become to him Banquos ghost which
plays hide and seek with him behind these
strong pillars, looks ut him with APP.
pealing eyes from behind tho speakers s
chair, and rises like q fury when the
chairman of the committee on appropria-
tions reports to tho house. This demon
will not be exercised; IL will not down ut
his bidding. 1t follows him from this
presence; goes with him TO his hotel eats
with him, drinks with him, sleeps with |
him, and the while walls in his ear the In |
vocation. Be steadfast, oh, Jones! Save |
tho state from my consuming hands
Referring next to bill which Mr..
Jones had introduced to obtain from the
treasury 800, in aid of an agricultural
society in opposition to the regular agri-
cultural society Of his county, he con-
tinued, ~ would rather, Mi. Speaker,
be guilty of the superb rascality
OF Credit Mobilierism and be
exposed, than of the littlcness of
making q hundred dollar grab at the
treasury, while distracting attention by
tho clamorous out-cry of Stop thief!
But 1 indulge in no astonish.
ment. He has risen to sublime
height Of economical honesty; has become
so intense in his devotion TO tho peoples
good tina. he has discovered
a grand robbery in the Job
which placed the flag stait upon
the dome Of this capitol at tho immense
price of Sl6o. shall expect, sir, to see
this model of economy, this exquisite speci-
men of honesty, climbing that flag star be-
fore tho conclusion of this session, crying
to all the people of the state, as ho ss.
cends Behold the guardian Of your
treasury Sir, having elevated the gen.
tlemsn to this height l leave him
there in the pure air of heaven never to DO
brought down again to the vile earth on |
which ho finds so much dishonesty"
Roars of laughter, the speaker participa- |
ting, but rapping vehemently TO bring tho
house TO order.
Turning next to the gentleman from
Clinton, Mr.. Loitso, who had made
he termed him the Goliath Of the opposi-
tion. lie had INDUCED in argument
spicod with a little sarcasm, "and," con-
tinued tho speaker, "l listened to him
with pleasure. He was almost as musical
as the violin Of Ole Bull, from which the
great master draws unexpected sounds |
that fall upon the ear, surprising it, and |
die into silence, leaving behind pleasure
ble memory If his accents had not be- |
trayod him, would have suspected that |
he, like my friend from Peoria here
Quinn had visited the groves of Blar-
ney and would have remembered that |
''Tbere is stone there,