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ILLINOIS. 



ILLINOIS. The Illinois Legislature assem- 

 bled at Springfield, on the 4th of January, and 

 continued in session until the 17th of April. It 

 was composed of 32 Eepublicans and 18 Demo- 

 crats in the Senate, and 100 Republicans and 

 77 Democrats in the House. John A. Logan, 

 Republican, was elected United States Senator, 

 receiving 32 votes out of a total of 50, in the 

 Senate, and 99 out of 172 in the House. The 

 general business of the session was unusually 

 important, on account of the provisions neces- 

 sary to carry into full effect the requirements 

 of the new constitution. The proceedings, 

 were, however, taken up in a large measure 

 with the discussion of matters on which no 

 definite action was taken, and out of more 

 than 800 bills introduced only 50 passed, and 

 several of those were vetoed by the Governor. 

 A number of resolutions were presented which 

 indicate the prevailing sentiment on important 

 subjects. The following, relating to national 

 taxation, was adopted by a vote of 81 to 30 in 

 the House : 



Whereas, The interests of the people of the whole 

 country demand a reduction of taxation, both by in- 

 ternal revenue and tariffs : 



Resolved by this House, the Senate concurring, 

 That our Senators and Representatives in Congress 

 be instructed to fully recognize, in all legislation 

 upon the subject of revenue and taxation, the follow- 

 ing, to wit : " That as taxation is a pecuniary burden 

 imposed by public authority on the property of the 

 people, for the maintenance of the Government, the 

 payment of its debts, and the promotion of the gen- 

 eral welfare, Congress ought not to tax the substance 

 or the earnings of the citizen for any other purpose 

 than those above indicated, and it is wrongful and 

 oppressive to enact revenue laws for the special ad- 

 vantage of one branch of business at the expense of 

 another ; and that the best system of protection to 

 industry is that which imposes the lightest burdens 

 and the fewest restrictions on the property and busi- 

 ness of the people, and promotes the prosperity of 

 all." 



The following, on the policy of subsidizing 

 railroad and steamship companies, was also 

 adopted by a decisive vote: 



Whereas, Large subsidies have been voted by the 

 National Congress, and bills for the same object are 

 now pending upon the tables of both Houses 2 in 

 lands, bonds, and other aids to railroad corporation, 

 steamship companies, and other private interests ; 

 and 



Whereas, The present condition of the country de- 

 mands a return to a stricter economy ; and 



Whereas, Such grants in aid of private corporations 

 are of doubtful constitutionality and contrary to the 

 ancient policy of the country: therefore 



Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate 

 concurring herein, That our Senators in Congress be 

 instructed, and our Representatives be requested, to 

 use all their influence to prevent the passage of laws 

 giving frontier grants of land and other aids or sub- 

 sidies to railway, steamship companies or other pri- 

 vate corporations whatever; and that should any 

 such further land-grants, aids, or subsidies be here- 

 after voted by the National Congress, our said Sen- 



ators and Representatives are requested to ask to 

 have spread upon the records of the two Houses of 

 Congress this solemn protest of the people of the 

 State of Illinois against all such acts passed by the 

 Congress of the United States ; also, be it 



Resolved, That the Governor be requested to for- 

 ward a copy of this resolution to each of our said 

 Senators and Representatives. 



The following was referred to the Commit- 

 tee on Federal Relations, but never passed : 



Resolved ly the Senate, the House of Representatives 

 concurring herein, That our Representatives in Con- 

 gress be requested, and our Senators instructed, to 

 labor for the passage, by Congress, of a joint resolu- 

 tion submitting to the Legislatures of the several 

 States a sixteenth amendment to the Constitution 

 of the United States, substantially as follows : 



ARTICLE XVI. Section 1. Nothing in this Consti- 

 tution shall be so construed as to deny to any State 

 the right to tax the bonds, or other indebtedness of 

 the United States, held by persons or corporations, 

 in the same manner as other property is taxed in 

 such State. 



Sec, 2. Nothing in this Constitution shall operate 

 to deny to the Legislature of any State power to 

 regulate, limit, restrict, or control any corporation 

 created by, or doing business in such State, in such 

 manner as the public interests may require. 



Sec. 3. Corporations created by act of Congress 

 shall not be authorized to condemn private property, 

 or to transact business in any State without the 

 consent of the Legislature thereof, and Congress 

 shall not grant, loan, or extend the credit of the 

 United States to or in aid of any private corporation 

 or association. 



A resolution, declaring that the reading of 

 the Bible in the common schools of the State 

 should be discontinued, and instructing the 

 Committee on Education to report a bill to 

 secure that end, was discussed at some length, 

 and finally laid on the table. 



There were some important enactments re- 

 lating to railroads and warehouses. One act 

 has for its object the establishment of a reason- 

 able maximum rate of charges for transpor- 

 tation of passengers. It classifies all the rail- 

 roads in the State as follows: 



Class A shall include all railroads whose gross 

 annual earnings per mile shall be ten thousand dol- 

 lars or more. 



Class B shall include all railroads whose gross 

 annual earnings per mile shall be eight thousand 

 dollars, or any sum in excess thereof less than ten 

 thousand dollars. 



Class C shall include all railroads whose gross an- 

 nual earnings per mile shall be four thousand dol- 

 lars, or any sum in excess thereof less than eight 

 thousand dollars. 



Class D shall include all railroads whose gross 

 annual earnings per mile shall be any sum less than 

 four thousand" dollars. 



SECTION 3. All railroad corporations, according to 

 their classification as herein prescribed, shall be lim- 

 ited to compensation per mile for the transportation 

 of any person, with ordinary baggage, not exceeding 

 one hundred pounds in weight, as follows : 



Class A, two and one-half cents. 



Class B, three cents. 



Class C, four cents. 



