ILLINOIS. 



489 



and 8 per cent. ; floating debt, $676,749.24 ; 

 cash in treasuries, $100,546.59 ; value of coun- 

 ty property, $326,512.28. 



ILLINOIS. State Government. The following 

 were the State officers during the year : Gov- 

 ernor, Richard J. Oglesby, Republican; Lieu- 

 tenant-Grovernor, John 0. Smith ; Secretary of 

 State, Henry D. Dement; Auditor, Charles P. 

 Swigert; Treasurer, Jacob Gross; Attorney- 

 General, George Hunt; Superintendent of Pub- 

 lic Instruction, Henry Eaab; Railroad and 

 Warehouse Commissioners, John J. Rinaker, 

 B. F. Marsh, and W. T. Johnson. Judiciary, 

 Supreme Court: Chief-Justice, Benjamin R. 

 Sheldon ; Associate Justices, Alfred M. Craig, 

 John M. Scholfield, T. Lyle Dickey, Pinkney 

 H. Walker, John H. Malkey, and John M. Scott. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature met on 

 the 7th of January and adjourned on the 26th 

 of June, after a session of 171 days, four days 

 longer than the next preceding session, which 

 was twenty days longer than its predecessor. 

 The first day of the session witnessed a dead- 

 lock in the election for Speaker of the House. 



The session began with 26 Republicans and 

 25 Democrats in the Senate, a relation which 

 was maintained to the end. The House met 

 with 76 Republicans, 76 Democrats, and 1 In- 

 dependent (Haines), and thus it continued until 

 Feb. 26, when Judge Robert E. Logan (Re- 

 publican) fell dead at the door of the House. 

 He was succeeded by D. S. Spafford, also a 

 Republican. The dead -lock was terminated 

 Jan. 29, by the election of Elijah M. Haines as 

 Speaker, the Democrats being compelled to 

 abandon their regular nominee. Haines there- 

 after acted with the Democrats. 



On the evening of Feb. 4 the Democratic 

 joint caucus nominated Congressman William 

 R. Morrison for United States Senator, and the 

 next evening the Republicans nominated Gen. 

 John A. Logan. Then began a remarkable 

 contest. Each party had 102 votes. The bal- 

 loting began Feb. 13, and ran on, day after day, 

 until May 19, when Gen. Logan was elected. 

 On the morning of April 12, Representative J. 

 Henry Shaw, Democrat, of the Thirty-fourth 

 District, was found dead in his bed at his hotel 

 in Springfield. This left the Democrats with 

 101 votes, and they refused to vote again till 

 the Shaw vacancy should be filled. The elec- 

 tion for that purpose was ordered for May 6, 

 and the Democrats nominated W. H. Leeper, 

 of Cass County. They estimated the district 

 to be Democratic by about 2,000 majority ; but 

 on the morning of May 7 the returns indicated 

 that W. H. Weaver (Republican), of Menard 

 County, had been chosen. Then followed en- 

 deavors on the part of the Democrats to delay 

 the seating of Weaver, and, in the mean time, 

 to secure the election of a Democrat as Senator. 

 In this effort it has been charged that corrupt 

 advances were made to at least two Republi- 

 cans. At last Morrison was withdrawn and 

 Judge Lambert Tree nominated in his stead ; 

 but only 101 votes were obtained for him. 



Finally, on the afternoon of Friday, May 15, 

 Weaver was admitted to his seat, and the Re- 

 publicans, for the first time, had 103 votes, 

 just enough to elect if they all voted together. 

 No attempt was made to reach a ballot till 

 May 19, when every member on each side was 

 in his seat, and the first ballot showed 103 for 

 Logan. The Republicans now had a majority 

 of one in each branch, and legislation pro- 

 ceeded. 



Among the more important acts of the ses- 

 sion were the following : 



To protect all citizens in civil and legal rights, and 

 fixing a penalty for violation of the same. This act 

 is equivalent to the United States law that was de- 

 clared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme 

 Court. 



To amend the law in relation to criminal jurispru- 

 dence, fixing the punishment for burglary at impris- 

 onment for life, in the discretion of the court, in cases 

 where a burglar enters the premises at night carrying 

 a deadly weapon, or anaesthetic, and making the mini- 

 mum confinement ten years. 



To amend sections 12 and 13 of an act entitled " An 

 act in relation to fencing and operating railroads," 

 approved March 31, 1874. It compels railroad com- 

 panies to stop trains within 800 feet of a railroad- 

 crossing, instead of 400 feet. 



Eeguiating the holding of elections, and declaring 

 the result thereof in cities ; villages, and incorporated 

 towns in this State. This is what is known as the 

 Citizens' Elections Bill, and is one of the most impor- 

 tant bills passed during the session. It provides that 

 no election district shall include more than 450 vot- 

 ers, and " that the polling-places shall, hi all cases, 

 be upon the ground-floor in the front room, the en- 

 trance to which is from a highway or a public street, 

 which is at least forty feet wide, and as near the 

 center of the voting population of the district as is 

 practicable, and for the convenience of the greatest 

 number of electors to vote thereat; and in no case 

 shall an election be held in any room used or occu- 

 pied as a saloon, dramshop, billiard-hall, bowling-al- 

 ley, or as a place of resort for idlers or disreputable 

 persons, or any room connected therewith by open 

 doors or hallways. No person shall be permitted to 

 vote at any election except in the district where he 

 resides. That every person elected or chosen judge 

 of elections shall be of fair character, approved integ- 

 rity, well-informed, who can read, write, and speak 

 the English language, and has resided in the election 

 district in which he is to serve for one year next pre- 

 ceding the election, and is entitled to vote therein at 

 such election." There are to be three clerks, not 

 more than two of whom are to belong to the same po- 

 litical party, and having the same qualifications as 

 the judges. Additional safeguards are enacted to se- 

 cure a fair and impartial canvass of the ballots. 



To regulate primary elections of voluntary political 

 associations, and to punish frauds therein. This bill 

 is designed to prevent frauds at primary elections, 

 and the provisions against such frauds are very simi- 

 lar to those in the ordinary election law. Voters at 

 a primary must have the same qualifications as at a 

 regular election, and additional requirements may be 

 imposed by the party or other political organization. 

 The bill provides also that the polls must be kept 

 open from 12 o'clock noon to 7 o'clock p. M. 



To amend certain sections of an act in regard to 

 elections, and to provide for filling vacancies in elect- 

 ive offices, approved April 3, 1872, and in force July 

 1. 1872. This provides that the election precincts 

 snail not contain more than 400 voters. 



To provide for the payment of fines in money, upon 

 all prosecutions for cruelty to animals or children ; to 

 the support of societies for the prevention of cruelty 

 to animals or children or humane societies. 



