The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-04-21
ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE.

ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE.
The house on the 18th passed bill reduc
ing the fees OF county collectors, making the
ers one per cent, instead of ~ and ,, as
heretofore.
Also p bill authorizing railroad companies
to Increase their rate Of speed through cite,
from four to clrht miles an hour
Also the senate bill to punish conspiracies
which thus becomes Law.
/ Mr.. Armstrong; resolution, To purchase
portrait of the Indian chief ShObbona to be
hung up in the state house, was defeated.
The senate on the same day, passed half a
dozen of bills among which were
Bill providing for the election of Judges
and clerks of election, on the minority repre-
sentatlon plan.
Castles railroad bill, requiring all compa
MES owning railroads in the state to have
their principal Office in the state; and
Bill making warehouse receipts negotiable
On the 18th the senate tabled and killed
the house resolution to abolish the Office o.
state swamp land agent, held by Isaac r
| HIT
The House passed the bill making the usu
al appropriations to the state and county ag
ricultural boards. $4,000 are given to the state
board TO help pay premiums at the state fair
and 500 10 each county board that holds {
fair, for the same purpose.
/ leo tl,, I,, g
to six in all civil cases before the severa
county courts in the state.
In the senate on Thursday the peniten;iary
committee reported favorably en- the house
bill for the erection OF a southern peniten
tiary, as well as to build an addition to the
penitentlary at Joliet, and the bill was order
ed to a second reading.
Dearborn's bill regulating the manner OF
prosecuting suits against railroad companies
on behalf the state was passed 1t provides
that suits shall not be commenced against
any railroad company unless complaint in
writing under oath is first made to the rail
road commissioners, who shall, if they be
lleye the law has been violated, notify the
company If the complaint is not adjusted
within sixty days the papers shall be referred
to the attorney general who il he believes
the law has been violated, shall institute suit
against the company complained Of
Both houses have commenced vigorous &C
ton on the appropriation bills, of which
there are about dozen, before the passage OF
which it is considered impossible 10 fix day
for final adjournment
A week ago the governor appoiated the
Hons. Alex. Starne and o. II. Miner, of
Springfield, and Thomas Meredith, of Batavia
to make an inventory Of the property belong.
ing to and on hand of the Joliet Penitentary,
and TO report on its financial condition The
committee seem to have performed the work
very promptly, for on Tuesday they presented
a report to the legislature. They find the to.
tai Indebtedness to the Joliet prison to be
$1l0,73470, of which amount the sum of
$11O,61S rs Is for supplies of various kinds
purchased at different times from May, 1875
to March, 1877, together with the pay.rolls
for March, 1877, and amounts due convicts
for money in possession on arrival at the
prison, and for oyer-work; moneys due the
prison library and comm utations, of fur.
loughs of guards and keepers. Assuming
the number of convicts FOR the next two years
will average 1850, the cost of the next two
years Will be $513,9S7.5O, OF which sum it is
estimated that $685., 1888 will be earned by the
penitentiary, leaving deficit, including the
present indebtness, of S173, O2747 to be made
up by an appropriation out of the state treas
ury.