The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-02-17
ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE.
llOvERS.

ROvERs.
The business of the legislature has been
somewhat impeded during the past week by
so large proportion of the members being
absent as rowing committees, to look into the
Industrial University at Champaign, the Nor.
NAL school at Normal, the institutions at
Jacksonville, &c. So many members being
absent, both houses hesitate to bring impor-
tant measures to vote.
EDUCATION.
| 1t looks as if the subject of popular educa-
ton was to receive due attention from the pres
ent legislature. Mr.. Mitchell, of Mclean,
has introduced bill in the house which is
said to be the product of State Superintendent
Etter, and which proposes quite general re-
vision Of all the present school enactmenls of
the state and codifiy them into one intelligi-
BILE, systematic act Mr.. Washburn introduces
a separate bill, to pay county superintendent
s. a day during actual service; and Mr..
Hesler is pushing bill IN the house to pro-
vide for the compulsory education of all chill.
dren between and l4-that is, such children
shall. be sent to The public schools-where
there, are any-at least months In each
year.
THE PATENT MONOPOLY.
| Both houses have passed Mr.. Herringtons
resolution, instructing our senators and rep
resentatives in congress to vote for such re-
vision of the patent Jaws as shall secure the
following reforms:
| First-That any pers Onmay use any patent
ed invention upon executing bond In such
sum and with such security as the circuit
court of the United States for the district in
which such use is to be made shall direct and
approve, conditioned that he will pay to the
owners Of such invention proper license
fee for the use of the same, which bond shall
be filed in the Office of the clerk Of said court.
.SecOnd.-That in all cases the measure of
the license fee shall be such sum as will give
the inventor reasonable compensation for his
time, labor, ingenuity and expense, which
sum shall IN no case exceed the fee fixed for
such use in contracts made by the inventor
or owners; and such license tee shall be the
measure OF damages in all actions and pro
ceedings for the infringement of patents, and
no other recovery for damages ar profits shall
be allowed.
Old returning board Wells, who, Gen, Sher
dan says, has no friend that is not a thief, has
a friend In the Illinois leglslature-a Mr.,
Morrison, OF Morgan county. He offered a
resolution in the house on the 10Th protesting
against Wells i'll usage by the Washington
committees that are trying to squeeze some
truth out of his rotor old carcass. The house
referred the resolution to the committee on
federal relations.
REVENUE LAWS.
The two houses have agreed in the ap-
pointment of a committee consisting of two
senators and three representatives, to whom
is referred the whole subject Of revising the
revenue laws of the state, and TO report by
bill for legislative action. The committee
are expected not only 10 expunge all the cru
dities OF the present law and make its dark
passages ineligible, but also to make effect
i've provision for the collection of back taxes
- railroad, municipal, &C., which, by reason
of the defects of the present law, 1t has been
found impossible hitherto TO collect.
STATE HOUSE SITE
When the last appropriation tor the present
state house passed four years ago, the people
of Springfield signed bond agreeing to pur.
chase four additional acres of ground to be
added to the state house lot, without cost to
the state But they never did so. Therefore,
on Tuesday, Mr.. Lindsay offered a resolution
In the house recommending the condemnation
of SAID four acres, and that suit be commenc.
ed against Springfield for the pay The reso.
luton was adopted.
MEXICAN SOLDIERS.
Both houses have agreed TO resolution
asking congress to grant pension to surviv.
ing soldiers of the Mexican war, their wild
ows and orphans.
SPEAKER sHAw's PICTURE.
The house on Saturday voted $500 to be
paid for q portrait of Speaker Shaw, the first
speaker in the new state house, TO be hung
up as wall ornament!
MUNICIPAL DEBTS.
Senator Whiting, on Tuesday, offered his
scheme to the senate for law to fund all the
indebtedness of the cities, COUNTIES, towns,
&c. in the state in per cent. state bonds, a
sufficient tax Il, the same time being levied
upon said cities, towns, &c, to secure the
payment of the principal and interest of such
bonds,-lhe sole object of the measure being
to reduce the interest on said Indebtedness.
Mr. Castle proposed, while about it, also TO !
issue state bonds in like manner for the relief
of individual debtors. The whole subject
was referred TO the judiciary committee.
DOUGLAS MONUMENT.
Bills were introduced in both houses on
Wednesday, TO appropriate $4,000, to be ex-
pended under the direction of three commas !
toner's, consisting of Judge Cation, Judge
Trum bull and Joe Medill, TO complete the
present unsightly pile of stones in the south
ern limits Of Chicago, known as the Douglas