Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-04-24
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP

hpih thN
House to-day Fred A. Bisse. by unani.
nous consent. introduced bill to au.
thOrize the Governor to appoint two
additional Lincoln Park commission.
crs. II was advanced to second read.
Ing without reference. This bill will
surely pass and the names most prom.
inently mentioned here as the coming
men as additional park commissioners
are james J. Casey and Lloyd J. Smith.
In the House Mr.. NOl,c. by unnni-
nous consent. Introduced bill npprU-
priatinv $75.OOO for two years to the
Illinois Industrial Home for the Blind
at Chicago. This bill will he beaten. as
the majority Of the members are not
satisfied about the way the money an.
prOpriated before has been expended.
A special committee Of the Senate
will investigate the alleged misappro.
prlatiOn of the funds of the University
of Illinois by ex.1'rcasurer Spaliing.
This II the outcome Of resolutions In
PRODUCED by Senator Dunlap. The res.
OlutiOns were as follows:
whereas. II II currently reported
that the treasurer Of the University OF
Illinois has misippropriated large
amount Of funds belonging to said uni.
versIty. and the true facts concerning
the same should he nsccrtained; there.
fore
Resolved. That special committee
Of Aye members Of the Senate bc mp.
pointed. with full power to send for
persons and papers and to administer
Oatls. for the purpose Of ascertnining
ninl reporting to this Senate the facts
In the case: and
"ltcsolvc,l. That the president Of thu
SENATE designate stenOgrTpher to re-.
port the proceedings Of the committee"
| The special committee which will
have charge Of the investigation IL ~
follows: Senators Dunlap. chairman;
Fisher. Asi,inwall, Berry and McKin
lay.
The bill introduced by Hon. Chas. II
Crawford to-day to enable the gas
companies to consolidate will surely
pnss the SENATE and House with votes
to spare. Notwithstanding the fact that
Tom Gahan and Roger sullivan nrt
here opposing the measure. their lnbOrs
Will amount to naught. az the bill II q
just measure ana there can bc no rea
sonnble objections offered against II
senator Crawford has In his pos
session n number Of legal opinions rem
dcred by John II. Hamline. l.. g. Col
Inns, John =. Miller. John 4. Wilson
james l.. High and John J. Herrlcl
regarding the constitutiOnality of tn,
bin. All Of these attorneys say they
believe the bill ~ drafted II valid nnt
the law resulting would bc cOnstitu
tlOnal. The opinions offered by Mcssrs
llnmline. Hcrrick. Wilson and Mille
are brief ana siinply state that the,
have examined the bill and reached tn.
conclusion It II not In cOntrnventiOn o.
any provision Of the Constitution
james l.. High goes further ana say
he believes "the rights Of the public aiy
sufficiently protected by the propose,
act" Ex-Judge Collins takes the sam,
view Of the bill.
No brllnier or more honorable MAJ
than David 7. Littler ever representa-,
II district In the Illinois State Senate
senator Llttler believes the Humphre!
bills to be good measures and predict,
that they will pass the House. Whc,
the bills were up In the Senate Mr.. Lit
tier made the following able and IN
answeiMble argument In behalf Of TIN
measures: Some Of my friends ar
trying to apologize for my support o
this bill on the ground that the Chicag,
delegation held mo up. no to speak. Oh
the passage of the I'LL to consolidate
the Supreme Court. and TINT am I'M
der pledges to support this bill becaus
they voted for the consolidation OF tn,
supreme Court. ] hope no friend o
mine will offer any apology for my SUI
port of this bill. In the first place. til,
statement II wholly untrue. ! liav,
not been held mp, and Il requires NOR
force thnn You eau Imagine to hold M
up when get started.
! listened with great care to tn,
arguments presented against this fran
chise extension Till by its opponents
who appeared here ana discussed It A.,
few days ago. or the objections tlos,
men made only two are worthy to b,
considered. The first objection the!
urge Is that this bill takes from til,
Council Of Chicago the powers whlcl
properly belong to II. The next IL tia
this 5-cent fare IL likely to become
burden on the people of Chicago.
Attention II called to the fact thu
there IL not II line In this bill whicl
makes these companies n monopoly
II IL true that the charters OF u mum
her Of roads nre extended by the ter'h
Of the bill for nifty years, but your ut
tentlOn II called to the fact that thi
BILL by Its terms. does not appropriate
one rod of street railway In Chicago
This bill refers entirely to the coMdl
tlOn of Chicago ana It's railroads a
they now exist. This bill simply pro
poses, In consideration of valuable
grants to Chicago. to extend the char
tered rights of these companies To-