The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-01-13
FROM SPRINGFIELD.

FROM SPRINGFIELD.
The Illinois legislature gets 10 work slow
Ily Friday of last week was spent by the
two houses in convention canyassing the vote
OF the state for governor and lieutenant gov
ernor, the speaker of the house opening the
returns, the clerk footing them up, and then
the speaker "declaring' who was elected, de-
Gliding as "out of ORDER all motions that the
declaration be made by the joint convention.
On the same dag bill was introduced IN the
senate to abolish the State Board of Equaliza-
ton The general sentiment seems 10 be tina,
this board Is a fraud, and there is little doubt
but it will be abolished.
On Monday both houses devoted the time
TO the ceremonies of inaugurating the new
| Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and again
no legislative business was done.
The inauguration ceremonies were made
quite imposing by the presence Of large
turnout of volunteer military companies, a
pompous procession, firing of cannon, &c
Gov. Beverdge made "a short valedictory
speech, and then Gov. Cullom delivered his
inaugural 1t is very tame document, re-
ferring generally to matters of state interest
putting in favorable word for the Illinois
river Improvement, and winding up with an
expression of the speakers belief that Hayes
= has been fairly elected president and hoping
that he will be peaceably inaugurated What
ever fraud may have been IN Louisiana OF
Florida is none of the nations business. 1--WE
claim the right as a state" says Mr.. Cullom
"to prescribe the manner in which our polls
shall be p1rged of fraudulent votes and how
and by whom the result of our elections shall
be ascertained and announced, - anC
when the result is so ascertaned and an
nounced we expect it to be respected rs wei
by our citizens as everywhere else Only
Mr.. Cullom is unwilling that this excellen
doctrine shall apply to Oregon.
Tuesdays proceedings in both houses o
the legislature were again unimportant. IL
the senate about a dozen Of bills were intro
chapter or other of the new revised statutes
In the house nearly the entire session wa
taken up in debating proposition to purchase
spittoOns and waste baskets tor the members
1t leaked out in the course of the debate tina
full set of these articles was purchased a
the beginning of each session, but Away.
disappeared before TIE next session. The
senate resolution providing for the printing o
the journals of the preceding day to be lac
upon the tables of members each morning
created some debate, several democrats &c
nouncing it as a big steal, but the republicans
voted for it, and the res 'lution passed.
Wednesday was spent by the senate in con
sldering and adopting rules for the govern
ment of that body. The house spent mos
of the day on rules, giving opportunity, how
ever, for the introduction of dozen of new
bills, the most notable of which was bill
directing boards of supervisors to pay 81
bounty on wolf scalps. As wolves by theil
ready hybrldization with the dog, are as easl
j ly raised in this state as sheep, and at mucl
less expense, this bill had better be entitled
"a bill to encourage the propagation o
wolves in Illinois"
Thursdays proceedings of both houses are
notable only for the number of new bills tha
were introduced, upon none of which any &C
ton was taken. The only one in the senate
worthy of making note of was bill to cree
a new penitentiary somewhere south o
springfield. Such an institution is doubtless
; mperously needed, the only question beng
whether the one at Joliet shall be enlarged OF
another built.
Among the numerous bills introduced in
the house was one by Mr.. Crooker-our Loosll
for the protection of fish in Illinois. Loosh
would blow every seine out of the river with
dynamite if necessary, and wants fish com
missioners appointed to look after the fish
and re-stock the waters of the state.