The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-01-24
From Springfield.
CANAL COMMISSIONERS

CANAL COMMISSIONERS.
The Governor on Monday sent to the senate
his appointment of new board of cana,
commissioners, as follows; Joseph Utley,
Horace g. Anderson, successor to Virgil
liickox, and W. N. Branard, successor to
Robert Milne, all for two years from April
LIST. inc nominations have not yet been con.
armed.
PROF. j. b. TURNER,
Of Jacksonville, whose name was sent j., .,
the same time as one Of the Trustees or ,ho
insane ASYLUM, was bitterly assailcd by Mr..
steele Tor uttcrances of his in the report Of
the State Board Of Agriculture, in contempt
of religion, priests, &c, and on mis- motion.
the nomination of Mr.. Turner was rejected
JOLIET.
Neither house is satisfied with the white.
washing report made last week by the peni.
tertiary committee in reference to the death
of Williams or the management of the peni.
tertiary generally, and new investigating
committee will probably be sent up. The
late committee examined no witnesses under
oath, and seemed to take the report of the
coroner's jury for granted as the truth Now
the theory of the coroner's jury is, that Will
liams died of heart disease or a rupture of
the heart, but DR.. Miller, sanitary superin.
tendent OF Chicago. and three other promi-
men, physicians Of the same city, declare that
they had examined Williams heart and
found it in healthy state and moreover,
that the opening which was said to be evi.
dence of rupture had the appearance Of being
MADE sc1h knife.
Another row has arisen about the appoint
ment of chaplain to the penitentiary. The
late, and indeed all the preceding chaplains
have been protestants, while large proper
ton of the convicts are catholics. A motion
was therefore made that the chaplain should
be appointed on the recommendation of the
bishop of Chicago. This raised a tremendous
row, but was finally composed by a provision
that restores the late chaplain, Parson 10,
as he is called to his former position, and
permits any regularly ordained parson of any
persuasion, to enter the prison at any time
and administer spiritual consolation.
EDUCATION.
The House on Tuesday, in considering that
portion of the revised laws relating to educa-
ton, took the bold step Of Incorporating a
provision providing for compulsory educa-
ton. According to its provisions childrea
between the age Of 0 and IA must be sent TO
school for three months Of the year, and six
weeks of this schooling must be continuous.
Poverty cannot be pleaded as an excuse for
failure to comply with the law, as all the
books necessary will be supplied by the
State, and clothes Will be given to destitute
children Parents or guardians who neglect
to obey the law will subject themselves to
prosecution and to fines for thirteen weeks,
rising from 81 to So for each week Of such
neglect
ANOTHER TEMPERANCE LAW.
A resolution was adopted in the house on
Monday, on motion CT Mr.. Freeman, order
ing a select committee on temperance, to be
appointed by the chair, whose duty it shall
be 10 investigate, as far a possible, into the
practice SO generally prevalent Of violating
our liquor laws, by selling poor whskeys,
etc, under guse Of medicines. This practice
should be aOollSheu' anu inc COM
mittee are Instructed to propose Dill Win
this object.
HOW THE GRAB,LAw or 1869 HAS WORKED.
In answer to Mr. Starne's resolution adopt
ed by the senate last week, me state auul'oi
on the 25th furnished the senate with some
al. nj. Of
very extensive tables showing 'he enec's VI
what is known as the grab-law OF 1863. Inc
number of miles OF road butt through aiu OIL
this law is $500.
The amount Of registered bonds i'-ied IN
such aid is Sl2'oot'o49
The assessed value Of track AN cling
stock of The roads thus built in 1S,: SO
sS3,49i.