The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-03-03
ILLINOIS LEGISLATURES.

ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE.
The copious memoranda we find in the
city dailies of the proceedings of the Illinois
legislature are made up almost entirely OF
synopses of bills introduced, most of which
will never again he heard of and to give
even the titles of which would be a useless
waste Of time and space. 1t is all our read.
ers can care about if we mention such meas.
ures as are acted upon and state what the
legislature is really dong.
On the 23d the House passed an amend
ment to the liquor law, 50 as to punish VIC
lations of the law by fine or Imprisonment
instead of by fine and Imprisonment, as the
law now stands. The vote was 100 for the
bill to 33 against it,
A resolution passed the house on the same
day proposing an amendment to the ccnstitI-
ton so as to allow the construction of drains
by one land owner across the lands of an
other.
In the contested election between Hopkins
and Flavln, from one of the Cook districts,
the seat was given to the sitting member,
Sol. Hopkins.
Schut's bill, which had previously passed
the house, to submit to the people the ques-
ton of loan of 100000 to finish the state
house, was taken up in the senate on We'd
nesday and passed by vote OF SO TO B. Mr.
Joslyn moved an amendment which seems
not to have been adopted, that none of the
present commissioners should have any hand
in spending this money, and he went for the
state house ring without gloves, showing that
they had violated the constitution IN spend
ing over So, SOC, 900 on the new state house,
and accusing them OF extravaganza and dis
honesty.
A bill passed the house on Saturday to
amend the criminal law for the severer pun
ishment of consplracies to commit offences
against the state, or to defraud any county,
city, town, &c. Also to amend sec. l6 of the
act IN regard to courts of record, in the mat
ter OF making up the docket, &c. The mat.
ter is of interest chiefly to lawyers
| On Monday the house spent most OF the
day In an angry discussion over Merritts
resolutions condemnlng the electoral COM
mission. OF course the resolutions were
finally tabled.
The senate on Tuesday passed bill TO
amend sec. of the homestead law, so that
said section shall read as follows:
| SEC. g. But no property real, personal, or
mixed, shall by virtue of this act, be exempt
from sale for non-payment of taxes or assess
ments, or for debt or liability incurred for
the purchase or improvement thereof. Pro-
oided That the court rendering judgment
on claims for the purchase money for person
al property, shall express the same In the re-
cord of said judgment, and indorse the same
upon the execution when issued.
The same body also passed bill to amend
sec. Al of the general school law, so as to
give the directors greater power In the matter
of borrowing money to build school houses.
Also Kehoe's bill for the maintenance of
married women compelled to live apart from
their husbands without their own fault
The Governor, on Wednesday, laid before
the house special report from the peniten-
tlary commissioners to the effect that an ad-
dition to the Joliet penltentiary, large enough
to make 600 additional cells, can be erected
at a cost of 1921 900. All the work can be
the penitentary for the work "alle same"
The report was referred to the penitentlary
committee.
Whites proposition to fund the local
county, city, township and village debts in
state bonds was postponed on Wednesday for
one week.
In the Chicago park controversy. which is
occupying Il large share of the attention OF
the legislature, one member stated that ne
had been approached with the offer OF q
bribe, upon which the house on Thursday
ordered committee To investigate the
matter.
There is committee investigating the
printing frauds, which is giving the repubii-
cons immense uneaslness, and several fruit
less attempts have been made in the house to
stop them.
The committee to examine the Copperas
creek dam have completed their work and
returned to Springfield. All the members
will earnestly support an appropriation OF
S5l 900 to complete the work.
NimbIe Fingers.
Burglars made a raid on the c., q. Il Q. ran
road depot in this city, but secured very light
spells, only little loose change.
i Fiske * BEEN have discovered upon opening
their boxes of new goods daily arriving from