The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-25
NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
The Harper Bill Ehectuallv Killed by
a Fatal Mistake.
The Friends OF the Bill DiseoBsOIate--.
Major Beardsley Jumps into
N0tOriety.

is The Springfield correspondent of th
es Chicsgo Times, on Wednesday, says tn,
al high-licens bin was expected to come t.
~ the front to-day. Harper and the othe
e friends of the measure have been tele
er graphing for the iaggard adherents to the
re bill There are quite a number absent
II from the city, but everything looked as
t, If the bin would be called up and passed
ii ier Speaker Collins ruling When
c ever seventy-seven friends were present
r at one time in the House, a motion
e would be made to suspend the further
II consideration of the order of bills on
d second reading, and this would at once
|, force the order of bills on third reading,
s and the Harper bill would be put on its
. passage 1t was observed to-day how
g ever, that the friends of the Harper bill
e were in some little 1tronble They held a
: quiet caucus and discussed the situation
Ii was evident something was wrong, and
= the reportorial pump failed to bring OUT
r the reasons for the sorrow depicted on
|
: the reason has been ascertained, and. if
the story hereinafter given is true, the
Harper bill is dead and gone for this ses-
sion without hope of resurrection. In
order that there may be no mistake about
the matter, the Times correspondent pro-
poses to give his authorities for the state
ments give They are James Beardsley
of Rock Island, and Joseph c. Mackin,
OF Chicago. to whom reference is made
for further particulars. Tt will be re
membered that Beardsley who is law
| yer and postmaster at Rock Island has
been here as the paid attorney of the |
Liquor Dealers association, watching the |
Harper bill Mackin has found it to his |
interest to keep him company, and these
two worthless are jubilant over
the result of the springing of a trap
which they artfully baited and |
set Who they have caught
remains to be seen. Everyone who has
paid the least attention 10 the bill will
remember that Gregg. of Saline, on Nav
ii offered an amendment, which was on
May 10 adopted and the bill afterward
sent TO third reading. The Gregg amend I
ment seeks to amend the dram shop act <
OF the state according to the printed | /
journal of May II, and the bill as printed
refers TO the dram shop act as 'shnact toj
provide for the licensing of and against R
The evils resulting from the sale of intoxi-
eating liquors. approved" etc The
iram-shop act is entitled. An act to a
provide for the licensing and against the A
wis arising from the sale of Intoxicating E
liquors. approved" etc. The journal of r
lay 10 uses the word or ,sultine'' in G
Getting the adoption of the printed JC
mendment Beardsley and Mackin u
eclare that the regular written journal 70
f the house used the word "resultino" 10
1stead of arising in reciting the !
aPtion OF the dram-shop act in the
regg amendment These two gentle
zen let the bill go to third rca ling with
IL raising the point. The question was
lbmitted to some of the best legal talent
! the state. who uuhesitatineIy declare
&c Harper bill null and void If it ever An
'comes law, on account of mislsino P Pos
e title OF the dram-shop act. and the On.
.ehis OF the opposition to the bill were Da'
ilsied and let The matter rest. How Da'
er after day or two, they returned To P Fa'
to watch developments. They For
q carefully preserved printed copies of Gel
bill and all the amendments and Gifi
lrnals of May II and 10 respectively. H Hea
icy DOW say that they have the most Hin
1vincing testimony that the journals Jacl
the horso of ara14 Mel
~ mousse VI hifty II ana 10, wherein Kur
erences are made to the Gregg amend k keli
mt, have been tempered with since the
went 10 third reading and the word Ably
snitlng either erased or pasted over q,
the word arising substituted, thus VERT
king the journals give direct contra
hon to the real record of May II and
and making the Gregg amend a,
~ conform to the title of the aso
m shop act, without which it would papt
'unt to nothing. even if it became a with
Nor is this all The anraItoa .s dow
,,,se.1 t,;,t is o
- Inv "oeh mace hapf
se the word arising instead of re men
ing. ID direct variance with the GreepI IT
ndment This statement will give the
TO great row in the house when il -.
'mes generally known, and it is al lated
t a certainly that committee win be Bein!
1inted to investigate the matter and ne 10
VINO, II anyone, is guilty of the offense naa.e,
i""Si1S tue record OF the house with when
he authority of that body therefor On
ng IA dozen members it is the sensa- had I
OF the day, and Beardsley is watching - !.
orners to see if any other changes ale didn't
;. 1t may be possible that an effort and "
De made to put the records back into on the
original shape, in which event the - :
er Dill viii have to be recalled from from /
rider OF third readiug and amended on the ed
d reading The matter leaked ON, and al
lsly enough After the bill went to ~. =
reading, it was. under the rule of war w
o'lse, sent to the enrolling and en- into hi
ng clerk 10 be redrawn with the IN sc
iments. One of the employees of &c ~
ouse got copy of tine Revised clinch.
es of the state to see If the title to / furnitr
am-shop act was correctly recited to whe
!, in from