Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-01-30
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP

Hon. John A. Barnes. representative
from the Forty.second Senatorial Dis
trlc.. was one Of the brightest members
Of the Thirty-ninth General Assembly.
and his constituents were 80 pleased by
the splendid record he made that they
reelected him to the FOrtieth General
Assembly by an Increased majority.
Mr.. Barnes is ono Of the best lawyers
in the state of Illinois. and an acknOwl.
edged leader In the House. He could
have been elected leader Of the minor
ity. hut declined to allow the use Of his
mn me In this connection. The business
men If Illinois. and especially the retail
druggists. will bc pleased to know that
Representative Barnes has introduced
u measure In the House TO regulate te!c.
phone charges ana provide for closer
supervision Of the companies Affairs
by public officials. The bill also pro-
poses to increase the amount Of taxes
paid by these corporations. The bill
was referred to the Committee on Cor
por,tiOns. Mr.. Barnes Ia an aggressive
fighter. and will get the I'LL reported
favOrably and to first reading Oh the
calendar soon after the committees IRE
named. While past attempts to secure
a reduction Of the highway robbery
rates Of the telephone company have
met with unvarying failure for rpa-
sons which The Eagle will give to its
readers later on. should II become nee
cssary to secure the passage Of this bin.
It is to bc hoped Mr. Barnes will expert.
cncc no great difficulty In getting his
bill reported. even though Frank Muir.
dock may happen to again l@ chairman
Of the important Committee on Cor
pOratiOns. The business mon Of Illinois
have too long been compelled to pay the
exOrbitant rates cxactcd Ivy the tclc-
phone octopus. AMI will send commit.
tee Of the best business men Of Chicago
| to the state capital To help Mr.. Barnes
hill become u law Oh our statute books.
The Eagle will keep the public posted
on the progress Of this bill. and should
II bc chung mp" or referred to u sub
committee. and thus meet the fate of
former lcgisla tiOn Of like character.
The Eagle will without fear or favor
place the responsibility where II lW-
longs. and give the reasons for any dc.
lny In tho progress Of this bill. Mr..
Barnes hns the opportunity Of his life.
time. and all that II necessary to bring
about this mucll.neetled reform In an
honest. aggressive fight all along the
line. and the Chicago telephone trust
will have to succumb ami bow to the
will OF the people.
Hon. Benjamin Mitchell. representing
the Nineteenth Senatorial District. In
said to be the champion civil service
refOrmcr Of the FOrtlcth General AZ.
sembly.
| Hon. John \. Barnes IL after the tcic.
phone trust with resl hot Iron. Now
lot us have some Legislation to regulate
the Edison Electric Company. who vii.
fully tear up the Chicago streets with.
out Offering any rccompensc to the city,
If Dave Rcvcll Ia looking for notOric.
~ In HIS effort to have the libel law
repealed he IL likely to get all he wants
The following members voted to have
Revcll's measure made a special order
and thus rush the repeal through: Bart
ling. BrlgnntlcllO, Buckner, Fred Bussc
Robert Bussc. CarmOdy. Cavanaugh
Eldrelge. Galllgan. Glade. KilcOurse
I.amOntc. I.aub. McDOnough. McGin
mis-, Miller, Nichols. NOhc. NOthnagle
NOvak, Olsen, Quanstrom. Revcll, Say,
Ter. Schubert. Walleck, Wathier, Weld
mailer. The Cook County men who Op
posed the Revell motion are: Hall. Nc
GOOrty. Powell. scliwnb, Sllanahan
sullivan. Boyd, Farrell, Thiemann
'rhlemann was among those who frs
voted for the motion ana then changed
from AYE" to mo" when 1t was seen Il
was defeated.
Representative Il. \. Rowe. of Cool
County. has prepared q joint resolution
calling for the submission to q vote O'
the people of an amendment to tn
Constitution. 1t calls for u change II
| Ss'''iou w "
ton, which relates to justices of til,
peace ana police magistrates courts il
towns Of $4,000 population and over
The resolution has been Endorsed b.!
the Bar Association of Chicago. 1t i
In full! rs follows:
"ResOlved, by the House of Repre-
scntatives, the Scnate cOncurring there
In, That there shall be- submitted to tn
voters of this State at the next election
ior members of the General Asscmbl.
II proposition to so amend section % q
article u of the Constitution that tn
same shall read ms follows:
"Instead of justices of peace ana po
lice magistrates in cities. villages am
incorporated towns containing 5000
or more inhabitants. there shall he Is
tnblishcd q convenient number of dis
trict courts. such courts ana the Judge
thereof shall have the same jurisdiction
and power rs may he prescribed by til
General Assembly. The Judges an
clerks of such courts shall he appOinte
or elected In such manner and for sue
term rs shall be provided by the Gen
eral Assembly.
IAN fees shall he accounted for b.
the respective clerks receiving the sam