The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-02-17
The New State House at Springfield.

The following, from Springfield cores
pondent to the Chicago Times, in relation TO
the condition of the new State house at Spring
field, will be OF interest to the taxpayers OF
the State. 1t is a concise statement Of the
facts, and shows how the peoples money has
been squandered In local enterprise, where.
IN the people of the State at large have really
bu. little interest
Up to Nov. 80, 1876, the commissioners of
the new State house have expended $3,427,-
2lGG3 on the construction and furnishing Of
the building, and the work now contracted
for will leave the building very incomplete,
while practically exhaustlng the $3,5OO,OOO
which the Constitution provides shall be ex-
pended in completing the building, in furn-
ishing it, and in fencing and ornamenting the
grounds. The plans have been reduced in
some particulars from those originally decid-
ed upon-as, for instance, ii was intended
that the towers should be surmounted by
statutes of Lincoln, Douglass, and two others
of Illinois great men; but this must be aban.
doned for all time, as il is said the roofs OF
these towers are not SO constructed as to ad-
mt of any statutes being placed on them, ev-
en- if the funds were at hand for the purpose.
Just how much will be required to furnish
the building it is difficult TO understand, as
there is unfinished work all about, while the
finishing is only partial, and part of this is
unpaid for, and must remain so until the leg
islature makes an appropriation. There are
three porticoes, south, east, and west, still 10
be built, and on the north porch was pro-
yided for. On the east the main entrance
steps are built, but there IS 70 covering pro-
vided tor them II is estimated that these
porches will cost about 100000 each. No
work has been done on the grounds except
some grading, and none at all OF The fencing.
j. G. Cochrane, the architect Is now making
an estimate as to the cost of completing the
building according to the revised plan, but IT
is impossible To get at any figures. Some
persons estimate the cost of completing the
building, furnishing it, and Ornameniing the
grounds, as high rs 81 100000, while others
place the cost AT about one-third that amount.
The interior decoration Of the building has
been greatly criticised as gaudy and giaring,
but, as this Is matter OF taste, 1t is not nee
essary 10 be discussed until the more practl-
cal question, how much 1t viii cost the State
to &c; ont of the scrape, Is settled. 1t Is GER
tain that when the General Assembly meets,
the commissioners will be severely attacked,
and il is not certain but that some illnatured
persons NAV insist that the whole thing has
been fraud from the start and is a sham
now. but no rea sonable opinion can be given
on this until the commissioners report Is
made up, and until the necessary investiga-
lions have been made by the legislature. One
thing is. however, certain, and that is, that
ater the constitutional limits of expenditure
Is reached, there can be no more money spent
on the building, furniture or grounds until
the question is submitted to the people at a
general election.