Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-04-23
SENATE AND CIVIL SERVICE
House Bill Killed and a New Measure
Adopted with Limited Application.

! House Bill Killed and a New Measure
Adopted with Limited Application.
Springfield, Ills. April 23.-The sen
| ing session yesterday in considering
the question of civil service The pend
ing question was the house bill on the
subject on the order of second read
ing. but when the smoke of battle had
cleared away it was found that the
house measure was dead beyond hope
of resurrection. while an entirely new
| bill had been substituted in the shape
of an amendment. All that is now left
of the house bill is its number and en-
| acting clause.
Immediately after the reading of the
journal Chairman Riley, of the civil
service committee. called up the house
bill and moved that the three amend
ments reported by the committee be
adopted. Burnett wanted division of
the amendments and it was so ordered.
The first amendment, striking out the
provision that all persons now in of
flee and holding positions for which
examinations for applicants are pro-
vided for shall within six months take
ficiency was adopted by n vote of %
to o. The second amendment, practi-
caily restoring the penalty clause which
was left in the bill as originally intro
duced in the house was also adopted.
The fight of the morning. so far as
the pending bill was concerned. was on
the adoption of the committee amend
ment striking out the referendum sec
ton of the house bill. After numerous
speeches on the subject the amendment
was lost on roll call of 20 yeas and
% nays. Dixon was against the ref
erendum section. He said there was n
ringing demand for civil service and
that the people have already answered
in the matter.
where" said Berry, 'did the people
pass on this bill. and when did they
by their votes make that ringing noise
that you speak, off,
Dixon replied that both parties in
their city and state conventions had
declared for civil service.
Then" retorted Berry, ''you mean
the ringing of the state conventions
and not the people. Hancock county
has never yelled very much for civil
service"
Whenthe roll was called on the adop-
ton of the committee amendment to
strike out the referendum section it
was lost by vote of 20 to %, the
ayes being in detail: Alden, Butler,
Campbell, Coleman. Dawson, Dixon,
Farrelly. Haas, Hall, Jandus, Juul
Lundberg. AIaher, Mueller. Parker,
Rainey, Rees, Riley, Stringer, Temple
ton-20.
Then Mckenzie offered an amend
ment striking out all after the enacting
clause and inserting an entirely new
bill, applying to the charitable institu-
tions of ting state only. Riley moved
to lay it on the table On this question
the vote was tie, and for the first
time during the session Lieutenant
Governor Northcott mad an opportunity
to vote. He voted against tabling the
amendment for the reason, as he said,
that the senate might further discuss
it. McKenzie's amendment was finally
adopted Berry then got in referen-
dunn amendment identical with that
adopted in the house. The bill was
then made special order on third lead-
ing for this morning.
Evans introduced a bill, 400, prOvid-
ing for the tax levy for the next two
years. 1t calls for 100000 for the
school fund.