The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-02-08
ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE.


As about all the reports of The dOings OF the
, legislature at Springfield relate thus far t'
r bills introduced and read Il first and second
time and referred and ninC'tcnths of the j0t
bills named will never again be heard of, 1t Is
unnecessary TO cucumber our columns with
ANY mention Of them until the house, 10y It's
final action, either passes or defeats them.
Thus far the only attention the canal has re-
ccivcd is embraced in the adoption OF Il reso
luton by both houses to raise II joint commit
tee to inquire into the cXpcdicncy and pracica,
billty of ccding the canal to the general gov.
eminent on condition that it he enlarged TO a
ship canal,
Both houses agreed 10 resolution asking
congress to make an appropriation for the i'm
proycment OF the harbor at Quincy. Also ask
ing congress to pension the soldiers Of tnc
Mexican, Blackhawk and certain other Indian
wars. Another joint resolution, proposed by
Senator Fuller, to ask congress to visit Spring
| field IN a body and receive Instructions gencr.
ally as to how to discharge their duty was
voted down
The house on Wednesday adopted a rcsou-
| ton, on motion Of Hopkins of Cook, with Il
whereas referring TO the order against the i'm
poration into Great Britain of American cat
! tie on account of the cattle disease, directing
the Secretary of the State Board Of Agriculture
to place before the house all the statistics with
in his reach touching the sanitary condition
of the cattle OF this state and the northwest,
with Il view Of disabusing the public mind Of
any untoundcd rumors on this subject
For several weeks the state printer has been
boring the two houses with petition to pur-
chase Of him, at S25 per day, 1000 copies Of a
daily report of the proceedings of the legisla-
turc he is printing. On his solemn avermcnt
that he could only furnish work at that price
because his wife employed no hired girl and
his hands only asked SO a week, the commit
tee agreed to take 1000 copies day on the
terms offered.
The house fish committee has reported IA.
vorably on bill making it unlawful to catch
any fish except with hook and line in any
Illinois waters, between the list OF March and
lst OF June. The penalty tOrv violating the law
to be not over so for first and not over 800
for second oilensc, non-payment Of fine to be
punished by imprisonment of "a hours for cv-
cry $500.
The house has ordered TO a second reading
Crooker's bill 10 give each city of over 5000 in
habItants court OF record, also bill fixing the
legal rate of interest at per cent and TIE high
est rate allowed by contract at s per cent.
\ senate committee spent Saturday Of last
week taking look at the new penitentiary
at Chester and came back on Monday denounc
ing the concern as Il gigantic and shameful
swindle. The place is 90m miles from anywhere
and the site the most iorbidding and irreclaim
able possible to have been chosen. The loca-
ton can only be reached by badly equipped
brancl. railroad, and is wholly beyond the
reach of contractors who would be likely to
employ convlcts There have been already
$500 spent on the concern, of which $40,
900 went for official salaries, and the commits
sioners now ask for 100000 more to be spent
in the next two years. When completed the
whole concern will hold but 1000 convcts,
while 100000 spent in charging the Joliet
penltentiary would make room there for 1900
more, leave the criminals in compact body,
and save salaries and steaings of extra officials
The swindlc they say was the result Of a bar
gain between the radicals of the north who
got the kankakee asylum steal by giving the
southern BOurbons ths Chester Job, and the
state Will be well of to drop the entire bust
ness though ii lose the $250O00 already eX
pended.
Both houses have divided themselves up in
to committees TO visit the different state chart
table and penal institutions and proposed on
Thursday to start on this annual jamboree at
the expense Of the state The state however,
tins year is asked only To furnish eatables and
to the members, allowing moth
ing for Expenses" Formerly the members
used to get IN bill for $50 to $50 each III adj
dition for "cXpcnscs" There are now about Il
dozen of these institutions To visit, from the
Eve and Ear Intirmary in Chicago to the State
Normal School at JonesborO and the visiting
business will occupy the members about al
week The different charitable institutions
have their request for money to run them for
the next two years already beio:e the legisla-
ture, asking for $l,42S,54l, while the State
board of charities thinks they ought to have
but Sl,112,SSS.
JUDGE BLODGETT.-A congressional com.
mittec has been at work at Chicago for week
past investigating Judge Blodgett, of one of
the [. :. Courts IN Chicago The chargesi
thus far presented against him were, l, thathc
had suppressed an Indictment found against
Hubbard, the register in bankruptcy, for per
jury in swearing to a false return Of fees col.
lcctcd by him: and , that he had borrowed
money from an assignee in bankruptcy which
.,..,..,. lii irnnn hnd nral rinht IN lrnh