The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-03-10
ILLINOIS LEGISLATURES.

six hundred already before them. Thus far
not single bill of importance has yet been
passed. The senate, however, has resolved
to receive no new bills after the Goth inst
Kehoes bill to fix the date OF all city and
town elections on the same day-6rst Tues
day in April-alter passing the senate, has
run against a snag in the house, and its final
passage may be defeated. The bill Is mainly
intended to remedy certain troubles in
Chicago.
Joslyn's bill to abolish the warehouse com
missioners, and to makeithe attorney general,
auditor and secretary Of state the commits
sioners was killed III the senate on the I'd.
The House, on the Cd, passed several little
bills of no great consequence; opc regulat-
ing the fees OF constables, and another
amending the insolvent debtors act. A res
olution offered by Mr., Armstrong was also
passed, with long whereas, reciting how
the state house commissioners have abused
their trust, and instructing the com mit,ee on
public buildings TO report as to the feasibili.
ty Of abolishing the office.
The house committee to examine the Cop
peras Creek dam reported in favor of the APP
preparation for its completion. A like favor
has voted in favor OF an appropriation Of
SOL 600 for that purpose.
The fish bill was ordered to q third reading
IN the senate on the 9th. 1t is not the house
bill, but like it. 1t interdicts the catching of
fish between the 18th OF February and the
18th OF June; provides for the appointment
of fish culturlst, and also constitutes the
attorney general, auditor and secretary of
state board of fish commissioners.
A resolution, which excited somewhat
interesting discussion, passed the house on the
9th, to abolish the Office of state swamp land
Inspector BY an act of congress some years
ago the government swamp lands were do
mated to the states in which they lie, and by
subsequent act, in cases where the govern
ment had sold such swamp lands after the
donation, the states were authorized to locate
ike number of acres on government lands
anywhere. This lead to the appointment of
Isaac r. HIT as inspector of this state, to see
what swamp lands had been thus sold, &c.
As the swamp lands OF this state were given
to the counties in which they lie, Mr.. Hit
has been around looking up the swamp land
business in the various counties and offering
to get the scrip Of the general government
to locate other government lands at 40 to so
per cent. Of said scrip, 1t looked like sharp
Practice on the part Of Hit and the house
voted to abolish the Office
A bill to extend the time for the payment
of the taxes now due was defeated in the
house on Wednesday.
After weeks of hard labor the joint com.
mittee Of the two houses to overhaul and
amend the revenue laws reported by bill on
Thursday. The Times report gives the fol.
lowing synopsis OF the bill:
1t provides for an assessor IN each county
10 place of township assessors; that real es
tate shall be assessed bur once in four years
instead OF every year, as at present 1t re-
peals the law making personal property re
sponsibe fol- real tax and realty for personal
tax. 1t provides for the liens to take place
on the iirst day vi January instead of on the
first day of May, as is now the practice. II
makes u tax deed conclusive evidence of the
! facts therein stated, instead of prima facie
evidence, as at present. 1t provides mode
for collecting tax judgments in cases which
have been appealed to the supreme court, the
present law being defective in enabling the
collection of judgments. 1t repeats all laws
foi the assessment of capital stock of incorpO
rated companies, and the revenue committee
h,a aJ cnh ftoa u, hro
entirely new law upon that subject. 1t pro-
vides that deeds of conveyance to real estate
or any instrument involving real estate shall
not be admitted to record until all county
and state taxes are paid. These are all the
radical changes contemplated by the new
! bill. OF course there are many minor ones
| of which more anon. The principal change
and the one which the friends of the bill hold
to be the most valuable, is the provision for
the election of an assessor for each county
and that which enjoins the assessment of real
estate every four years instead OF once year
These clauses of the act would have the eff
| feet Of completely doing away with the pres
ent system OF township collectors and town.
ship assessments, under which so many
grievous abuses have grown up and sue
ceeded.
The bill, which is very voluminOus, was
read once In the senate ami ordered 10 be
printed.
The house took up and postponed the fur.
Their consideration of the bill for a loan OF
100000 TO complete the state house until
after the committee on public buildings make
their report on that Job.
The bill to suppress quack doctors was or
dered IN a third reading in the house on the
Sth
On the same day the house passed bill to
amend sec. 1877 of the law for the assessment
of property as follows;
/ In all cases the warrant shall authorize The
town nr district collector, in case any person
named in such collectors books shall neglect
or refuse to pay his real or personal property
tax, To levy the same by distress and sale of
the goods and chattels of such persons, and
! il shall require all payments therein speci.