Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-03-27
MISSOURI LEGISLATURE.

House, lS.-A committee was appoint
ed by the lower house of the Legislature to-day
to frame articles of impeachment against State
Treasurer Gates. The House has passed a sub
stitute for Senate bill No. l25, which was IN
troduced by Senator Ballingal, and which al
| fects the public schools of Kansas City. 1t ia
entitled "An act to amend sections 2, 8, and
| 0 of au act entitled An act to revise and amend
the laws in relation to public schools in cities,
towns and villages, approved April z6, 1871.
SENATE, l9.-The Senate passed bills
revising the laws relating to fraudulent con-
veyances; habeas corpus trusts and trustees;
| frauds and perjuries. Senator Ballingal in
troduced bill amending the law relating to
| the settlement Of accounts of executors and
administrators. Nearly all the forenoon was
spent in committee of the whole on the re-
vised bills reported by the committee on banks
and corporations and internal improvements.
HousE.-Mr. Knight presented memorial
| from the GraDgers of Jackson county, praying
the legislature to give heed to the following
recommendations: For general reduction OF
all official salaries. For a reduction of the
legal rate of interest to per cent. or less. In
! favor of retrenchment in all the expenses of
the State government. Mr.. Mccormack of St.
Louis, to-day introduced an important bill re-
latng to slanderers and libellers. 1t is in the
form of an amendment to chapter 3Oj of the
general statutes by adding the following to-wit:
|. Any person above the aye of Is, VINO shall
either orally or in any written or printed
paper traduce or attempt to traduce or detame
another person by falsely accusing such other
person of having committed crime punisha-
BILE by imprisonment, or who, designating or
naming any person, shall falsely assert either
orally or in written or printed paper that such
NJ 10 Nu liar n
"scoundrel,' or "a cheat or "a dog" or who
shall 50 apply to such other person any scur-
rillous, degrading and opprobrious epithet, or
who shall falsely assert concerning any female
that such female is prostitute, or use con-
ccrning such female any such words synony-
nous with said term, shall be guilty of mis-
dcmeanOr, and upon conviction shall be pun
ishable by imprisonment in the county jail for
period not exceeding one year. The House
passed the bill reducing the salary of the clerk
of the supreme court from $4,000 to $4,000 per
annum.
SENATE, 20.-Mr. Reed introduced a
bill which is recommended by the committee on
education, in regard to supplying the public
schools with text books. 1t provides for the
appointment of a commission, to consist of the
State superintendent of Schools the principals
ofthree Normal schools, the president of the
State University, and the superintendents of
the public schools at st. Louis, 81. Joseph,
Kansas City and Springfield, who are to select
four series of text books, and then bids are to
he received for supplying them from the yari-
Gus publishers of the United States. No bids
are to be entertained that are higher than 60
per cent. of the present retail rates of such
books. The committee appointed to ascertain
what disposition had been made of the eagrlcul-
tural college lands and the proceeds arising
from the sale Of the same, submitted their re-
port. The books of the commissioner were
found in a very confused and unsatisfactory
condition, and after repeated efforts the com
mittee utterly failed to obtain any sstisfac-
tory explanation of the numerous errors and
discrepancies disclosed by an examination of
the accounts and books. The commissioner,
Judge Sutherland, of st. Louis, is over $4,000
in arrears in his accounts, and his bond is pro-
nounced worthless. More than 100000 acres Of
these lands are yet to be disposed Of.
IIoUsE.-An unusually large number of petit
tions were presented On the liquor question:
gambling, bawdy houses, etc. resolution
was offered that, on Monday next the general
assembly take n recess at 2 O'Clock. and the
members proceed to the depot to receive Gen.
James Shields on his return from Washington,
and conduct him to the hall of the House.
Adopted. The following were the new propo'
sitions introduced: An act to amend section
l. chapter 6S Of Wagners statutes, entitled
"Homcstcads.' An act for fixing the compen-
saton of the secretary Of the Senate and chief
clerk of the House of Representatives. An act
authorizing cOunte. which adopted the town
ship organization law, when The same was in
force, to provide for the payment of the debts
of such townships as left debts unpaid when
the law was repealed. An act defining the
Jurisdiction Of Common Pleas Courts. An act
to relieve the financial wants of the State. An
act to authorize the collection of fines and
costs from saloon and dram shop keepers.
SENATE, 21.-No business of importance
was transacted in the Senate to-day. Senator
Manning introduced resolutions in relation to
the finance of the country.
lIoUsE.-The speaker announced the follow
ing committe to visit various places in tho
State and select location for lunatic asylum
No. q: Messrs. Cox, Mackoy and Maynard. j.
II. Hawcy was official reporter in place Of
Tenny Mathews displaced. From the citizens
Of Jackson county, against the building of
barbed wire fence. From citizeTs of St. Joseph
against the bill relating to foreign insurance
From citizens of Atchison county
against the building of barbed wire fences.
From cities of Livingston county, in favor of
a stock law. From citizens of Mercer county,
in favor of the township organization law.
Mr.. Mccormack, from the special committee
appointed to investigate the amount of fees
received by certain officers in st. Louis sub
mitted a report, 1t says the city officers re-
tanned all the fees as perquisites. The record
pr of deeds forms an exception. His fees in
excess of salary are all turned over to the treas
rry. The city marshal gets n salary of $4,000.
The salary of his deputies, his own salary, and
the expenses of his office, arc paid by the city.
He received $500 in fees, all of which he re-
tanned in addition to his salary. The city reg
ster receives a salary of $4,000, His clerks
and all contingent expenses of his office are
betrayed by the city. Last year he received
q 100 in fees, all of which he claims as his
perquisites. The collector receives salary Of
$4,000 from the city and $1,000 from the State.
In addition lie receives and retains over Si0-
300 in fees. He is charged with many viola
tons of the law, such as receiving portion of
the pay of his clerks, with allowing double
rates for advertising in the st. Louis Journal
and with sharing in the profits of the same.