The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-02-13
From Springfield.

From Springfield.
Since the republicans have concluded M
longer to prosecute their petty war on Speak
er Haines, the legislature has got down t
busiaess and is beginning to accomplish som,
work, 80 that almost every day one reads il
, the telegraph reports of bills passing one
house or the other. Thus on Monday two
bills passed the house, one, bearing the hea(
, of IAN act to provide for the appointment
qualifications and duties OF notaries public,
provides that females may be appointed by
: the governor to the office of notary; anG the
other provides for an easy mode of changing
the venue from one justice to another to hear
examinations on criminal charge We have
also the titles of half dozen Of bills tina,
have passed the senate, Of which the follow.
ing only need be named Making an appro
pration for the care of patients in the south
wing of the Northern Insane Asylum, and for
additional furniture; appropriation for the
payment of the principal and interest of the
state Indebtedness due and falling due
Amending section s of the law regarding in.
crest; approp.riia'ing $4,000 to complete
the new state house ..
Senator Casey' bill ID repeal the regis,..yy
Ian Vas laid over to yesterday, as WAS also
d, lis bill TO abolish the board of railroad com
'missiCners, ON account Of the senator's alb.
sencc. There is tair prospect that both
bills will pass.
! OHair, of Edgar has Introduced bill
proposing somewhat sweeping reform" of
our state common school system. He pro
poses to fix the maximum cost of any school
building in the state at $4,000 and to limit.the
studies in the schools to autobiography read
ing in English, writing, history arithmetic,
English grammar and geography. The bill
also abolishes the Office of county supcrin
tendent. The same statesman has also intro
duced bill to make ii n criminal ofense for
lonc man to ask another to take drink
Both bills are in the hands of appropriate
committees.
On motion of Cummings, the revenue com
: mittee Of the house have been instructed tO
report to the house u complete revision OF
the present revenue law.
An Incident in the senate on Tuesday indi
Gates that the railroad monopolists have con
troll of that body. Mr. Plumb, from the rall
road committee, reported adversely to two
propositions, favored by the monopolists
|, one, to abolish the board of railroad commits
sioners, and the other to repeal that portion
Of the railroad law that defines what shall be
preparation of schedules of rates. In spite OF
the adverse recommendation of the commit.
tee, however, the senate ordered both these
measures to a second reading
The bill to appropriate $4,000 for the com
pletion of the Douglas monument passed the
senate on Thursday, and has progressed so far
in thc:house as to show that if passed there at
all, it will be by very close vote. In case
the present bill is defeated, however, another
will be pressed, with a surer prospect of pass
ing, TO remove the monument from its present
location to the grounds of the Chicago Uni
versity, and 20 sell the present grounds and
Fuse the proceeds to complete the monument.
The latter proposition s favored by the for
mcr wife OF Judge Douglas and by his two
surviving sons.
Dunno from the committee on canal and
river improvements, has submitted favor
able report on the bill, making appropriations
for the completion of the Copperas creek
lock and dam, on the Illinois river. The bill
calls tor IN appropriation of $4,000 IN addi-
ton to the earnings of 1875, which are csti-
mated at $4,000
! The Governor on Wednesday sent mes
sage to the house asking for an appropriation
of $4,000 to enable him to send sufficient
force TO Williamson county and arrest the
outlaws there who have for year past been
committing numerous murders, and generally
been a terror to all law-abiding people Mr..
Nelson, the representative from Williamson,
though he might be risking his life by doing
so, made an earnest speech in favor Of the ap.
propriation. The local authorities, he said,
we're helpless, and lac hoped the Governor
would be clothed with power to bring 10
Justice those desperadoes who, in his bleed
ing county, were committing unparalleled
ouirases. The bill to make the appropria.
ton was ordered 60 a third reading