The Ottawa free trader., 1877-04-07
ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE.

The senate, on the 30th, passed Krone S
bill amending the law in relation TO courts OF
record in cities The bill provides that the
Judges of such courts shall be elected in the
same manner, but not at the same time, as
city officers, and shall have the same powers
ss circuit Judges. Also that there shall be
three or more regular terms of such courts,
except in Chicago, where there shall be held
term every month should such court be
established there.
The senate, on same day, also passed bill
to amend Sec II of the law IN relation to
township insurance companies, so as to pro-
vide that the president and secretary of such
companies shall adjast all losses less than
$50, but shall in cases where the loss is great.
er convene the directors, who shall appoint a
committee to ascertain the amount of loss.
Should the parties fail to agree, the claimant
may appeal to the judge Of the county court,
who shall appoint committee of reference,
whose award shall be final.
Also joint resolution to have the portrait
of Gov. Beveridge painted to ornament the
gallery of the new state house at an expense
of not to exceed $500
The house on the 30th discharged about a
dozen OF committee cerks-gentlemen who
have been loating around Springfield at a
cost of s. a day each to the people, With
nothing to do Some of them, 1t is said, had
bamboozled the treasurer into paying them IN
advance for month or two, and now the
treasurer is worried blythe prospect of having
quite sum paid out in this way to make
good to the state.
Both houses adjourned over from Flday
of last to Wednesday of this week. to enable
the members to go home and attend to their
local township elections; but on Wednesday
so few members had got back that no business
was done on that day and an adjournment took
place to Thursday. AS Friday was set aside
tor an excursion to Jacksonville, it looks as
if about the whole week was wasted. StA
the per diem goes on, all the sames
Five members, comprising majority of
the committee appointed by the house to con-
slider the necessity of increased penitentiary
accommodations, are understood to have pre-.
pared and signed report recommending the
of the Joliet penltentiary The
minority comprising tour members, are pre-.
pairing report recommending the cOnstruc.
tion of II southern penitentiary. Both re-
ports were ready to be presented On WedEes.
day What disposition the assembly will
make of the reports cannot be contemplated.
There is strong tendency toward the con-
structlon of a southern prison, and a deter.
minatlon to enter upon such building
scheme is by no means impossible. Many
have been heard to express their
opinion in favor of the southern scheme.
The bill to create a board OF pardons has
been killed in the senate. The only appar-
ent reason for it was the expense involved in
the establishment of another "board" There
are, doubtless, plenty of other objections that
could be started against parceling out duties
that beleng peculiarly to executive and other
officers among irresponsible "boards," to say
nothing of taking from the governor the "per.
quisites" that are alleged occasionally to at
tach to The granting of pardons yet it is un-
on the face of il to impose upon
the governor the onerous duty of carefully !
annually some i've hundred ap-
plcations for pardon which 1t is said are pre-
sented to him, some of which take up a whole
day or more of time for careful consideration
Gov. Beveridge was severely censured for
his carelessness in granting pardons, but now
can governor be expected to act wisely and
under such load of business?
THE internal prejudice of caste" manifest
ed itself cOnspicuously and heartlessly at the