$38,585 26 48,500 00 26,800 00 83,750 00

24,500 00 $172,135 26

$10,000 00 .$1,251,944 40

A bill to appropriate funds to complete the State-house at Springfield occasioned a vast deal of discussion, and was complicated and embarrassed by a proposition to remove the capital to Peoria. The amount already expended on the new State-house was $883,121.87, and it was estimated that nearly $2,000,000 more would be necessary to finish it. A bill appropriating a considerable portion of this sum was under discussion, when a memorial was received from the City Council of Peoria praying for the removal of the capital to that city, pledging indemnity to the State for any loss on account of work already done on the building at Springfield, offering ten acres of land for the site, and inviting the members of the Legislature to visit the city. A number of citizens of Peoria pledged themselves, under a bond duly drawn, to repay the amount expended on the State-house at Springfield, in case the change was made. The proposition created quite a stir not only in the Legislature, but throughout the State, and the discussions and deliberations were drawn out at great length. Charges were made to the effect that the work was not well done at Springfield, but commissioners, appointed to make investigations, reported that these charges were unfounded. The invitation to Peoria was accepted. The members enjoyed the entertainment furnished by the citizens, and the bill for the removal of the capital was kept under debate until the adjournment; but no provision had then been made either for the removal or for the completion of the buildings at Springfield.

The adjournment, which took place on the 17th of April, was not final. Much important legislation still remained to be done, no provision having been made even for raising revenue for the ordinary expenses of the government. A petition had been received from the corporate authorities and many citizens of Chicago, asking that an adjourned session of the Legislature be held in that city, and guaranteeing that ample and suitable provision should be made for their accommodation without expense to the State. A resolution was immediately offered proposing to accept this invitation. It occasioned considerable debate, many being of opinion that the Legislature had no power to hold its sessions elsewhere than at the capital. The resolution was, nevertheless, adopted, and the Legislature voted

66

Immediately after the adjournment of the Legislature, the question arose as to whether the Governor had authority to call an extra session during what was nominally only a recess in the regular session. Governor Palmer practically solved this question by issuing his proclamation on the 3d of May, directing the members to assemble on the 24th of the same month at the capital, to attend to certain legislation which seemed to him imperatively to require their attention. In the first place, no provision had been made for the payment of the current expenses of the government. The management of the penitentiary, which had been the subject of much discussion, had been left without change, and required attention; provision should be made for the completion of the new State-house, and various other matters ought to be disposed of without furter delay. The Governor submitted a message at the opening of the new session, urging these matters upon the attention of the Legislature. An attempt was made, at first, to carry through a joint resolution declaring that no extraordinary occasion had arisen" to justify the gov ernor in convening an extra session, but it met with little support. Measures were immediately set on foot to provide for the expenses of the different departments of the govern ment, and the necessary bills were passed. The bill providing for the continuance of the work on the new State-house was referred to the Finance Committee, and two reports were made, the majority of the committee recommending that the bill pass. A good deal of discussion followed, but the bill finally became a law, and virtually settled the question of removing the capital. It appropriates $600,000 to continue the work of building the new State-house at Springfield. An act was passed providing for an investigation of the discipline, management, and financial condition of the State Penitentiary, and various other bills were considered, but none of special importance were carried through. The session came to an end on the 21st of June, nothing further being done with regard to the Chicago meeting. Among the measures urged upon the attention of the Legislature by the Governor, but not acted upon, were those "to fix the compensation of officers of the Executive Department;" "to fix the fees, salaries, and compensation of all State, county, and township officers, and to regulate the costs and expenses of parties in courts of justice; ""to regulate the exercise of eminent domain; "to amend the laws for the assessment and collection of the revenue, and to provide for the sale of real estate for non-payment of taxes," etc. There was such a conflict of views among the members on these subjects, that they could not be

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reconciled, and it was finally deemed best to let them go over until the adjourned session.

The Republican State Convention met at Springfield on the 20th of September, for the purpose of nominating a member of Congress at large, and declaring the sentiments of the party on the prominent political issues of the day. General John L. Beveridge was nominated by a very large majority for a member of Congress, and the following resolutions were unanimously adopted by the convention:

Resolved, That the party which preserved the Union from dismemberment, abolishing slavery and establishing the civil and political equality of men before the law, is entitled to the thanks of patriots, the confidence of the nation, and the gratitude of mankind, and, while the measures by which these noble results were rightfully accomplished must be sacredly maintained, the time has come when the enmities engendered by the war should yield to the friendship of peace.

Resolved, That the continuance of the political disabilities imposed for participation in the rebellion longer than the safety of the republic requires, not only tends to perpetuate feelings of unkindness among the people, but it is incompatible with that principle of political equality which lies at the basis of the Republican creed; and the members of the House of Representatives from this State deserve the thanks of its people for their unanimous support of the bill for the general removal of political disabilities which passed that body at its recent session by a vote of three-fourths of its members.

Resolved, That, as it will be necessary and desirable to obtain from duties on imports a large portion of the revenue needed to defray the expenses of the Government, to pay interest on the national debt and the principal as it matures, such duties should be so adjusted as not to prejudice, but promote the interests of every section and branch of industry as far as may be possible.

Resolved, That the large surplus remaining in the national Treasury after the payment of all the expenses of the Government, including the interest on its public debt, calls for a still further reduction of the public burdens; and in effecting that reduction regard should be had to relief from that species of taxation which, while it adds but slightly to the revenue of the country, taxes heavily its labor and productive interests; and we heartily approve the bills repealing the duty on coal and salt, which have already passed the House of Representatives.

Resolved, That we refer with pride and admiration to the eminently wise, patriotic, honest, and economical administration of President Grant, and we confidently commend it to the approbation of the entire country.

Resolved, That we congratulate the Administration of the General Government on the reduction of taxes and the public debt at the same time; a result which could only have been accomplished by an honest and efficient collection and disbursement of the public revenues; that we indorse and approve the general policy of the national Administration and of our State government in the conduct of public affairs; and that the Republican party, without any new departures, is equal to the correcting of existing abuses, and the perfecting of needed reforms, and its mission will not have ended till they are accomplished.

Resolved, That the recent exposures of frauds in the government of the city of New York, unparalleled in the history of civilized communities, prove that it is as unsafe to trust the Democratic party with the practical administration of public affairs as it would be to follow their political principles; and the recent elections in California and Maine show that the American people are generally of this opinion.

Several speeches were made in the cor vention, Senator Trumbull and Governor Palmer being among the speakers in favor of civil service and revenue reform, and general amnesty for political offenders.

The delegates of the Democratic party assembled at Springfield, on the 4th of October, and nominated S. S. Hayes, of Cook County, for Congressman at large. The following platform was adopted:

Whereas, The Democracy of this State, reposing their trust, under Providence, upon the patriotism and intelligence of the American people, have at all times in good faith endeavored to uphold, preserve, and maintain the great work of the republican fathers, the American Union, and the Constitution of the United States; and

Whereas, Amid the general, open, and startling corruptions which, in the highest places of patronage and power under the Government, now threaten the complete subversion of our republican framework, a recurrence to first principles, according to the advice of Jefferson, is rendered more than ever necessary: therefore

Resolved, That the Democratic party of this State hereby reaffirms its entire faith in the wisdom and efficacy of the great fundamental truths of government as held and applied to the working of our national and State systems of government by Thomas Jefferson, the illustrious founder of the Democratic party; and that the Democratic party having maintained the same great principles for upward of threequarters of a century, while it managed the affairs of the Government, advancing the progress and preserving the rights of the whole people, it has now no new principles to put forward or advocate.

Resolved, That the manifest necessity for a declaration of our adherence to these truths now is the more obvious, as the danger to the liberty of the people is the more imminent. The wilful and open disregard by General Grant of the political independence and equality of the respective States, and the violent military methods to which his adminstration has resorted to destroy their freedom; the calling in of the military under the command of United States officers, as in Louisiana and other States, against the will of the people; the breaking down by Congress of the only safeguard of personal libertythe writ of habeas corpus in the States; the destroying of all freedom of State and individual action, and, in certain cases, vesting the whole power of the General Government in the President, to be exercised at his pleasure within the States, in utter disregard of all State authority-manifest a rising spirit of despotism and a centralization of power in the hands of a single chief, which leaves nothing unaccomplished to make his will absolute, his rule perpetual, and the masses of the people slaves.

Resolved, That the General Government is, as it ought to be, a Government of limited powers; that these powers are prescribed in and enumerated by the Constitution of the United States; that according to the letter of that instrument it is expressly declared that all powers not conferred upon the Congress and Government of the United States are reserved to the States respectively or to the people; that this distinction in the spheres of action assigned to the General and State Governments is important to the harmonious cooperation of both, to the preservation of local independence, to the universal diffusion of political validity, to the prevention of military despotism, the security of individual rights, and the perpetuity of our free institutions; but that the usurpations of the present Administration directly involve the destruction of all these republican guarantees.

Resolved, That the Democratic party of the State

of Illinois regards the Constitution, with its amendments, as the supreme law of the Union, to be respected and obeyed in all its parts; and the political distinctions founded on race and color being now abolished, we pledge ourselves in the future, as in the past, to maintain at all times the constitutional rights and franchises of all men, without regard to previous condition.

Resolved, That taxes should be levied solely for the support of the Government and the maintenance of its credit, and that the imposition of taxes having for their object the transfer of capital from one class, section, or individual to another, without the consent of the owners, is unjust, delusive, impolitic, and opposed to all the principles of republican government. Resolved, That commerce, trade, and industry, are founded upon the mutual exchange of services among men, and that whatever operates to cripple or obstruct such exchange can only be productive of loss to the whole community. Resolved, That the present tariff has destroyed the ship-building industry, and almost annihilated the foreign commercial marine of the United States; that it has prohibited the construction, on our lakes and rivers, of iron vessels with increased carrying capacity in proportion to tonnage and draught of water, with greater durability and diminished outlay for repairs and insurance-all which tend to materially cheapen the transport of products; that while this tariff is unnecessarily increasing the profits of the iron-producer, it is crippling the ship-building and ship-owning interests of the great lakes and rivers, so that, as respects competition with our Canadian rivals, these interests are placed by the General Government at a great disadvantage-and this in the face of the most abundant natural resources for shipbuilding and navigation.

Resolved, That to the same unwise policy is chargeable, in a large degree, the heavy cost of railroad transportation, the cost of such transportation being always in proportion to the cost of iron; and that it is idle for the Western farmer, notwithstanding his superior advantages of soil and climate, to expect to compete with agriculturists in other parts of the world, when his products are conveyed to market over rails which cost seventy per cent, more than they cost elsewhere.

Resolved, That our system of taxation should be readjusted and simplified, with a view to raising the necessary amount of revenue from the smallest number of articles, to the end that the cost of collection may be decreased and a fruitful source of corruption removed.

Additional resolutions were offered, declaring more directly in favor of "full and absolute free trade;" recommending the establishment of a Department of Labor in the national Government; denouncing "all combinations or rings-Tammany or otherwise-for political or partisan purposes; " demanding full amnesty for past political offences; insisting that American citizens should be protected by the Government in every part of the world; favoring a recognition of the rights of labor; arging a return to specie payments; calling on the Legislature to pass laws for the protection of miners; demanding that public lands be hereafter held for the benefit and use of actual settlers only; declaring in favor of an honest payment of the public debt, but against any special favor to creditors not warranted by the acts creating the debt; demanding retrenchment and reform in the Federal Government, and denouncing the "corruption of the warmaking power of General Grant in the San

Domingo question as a gross violation of the Constitution." These resolutions provoked some discussion, but were finally adopted. The election took place on the 8th of November, and resulted in the choice of John L. Beveridge, the Republican candidate. The total vote was 253,263, of which Beveridge received 137,926, and Hayes 115,357, making the majority of the former 22,589.

In October the city of Chicago was the scene of one of the most terrible conflagrations of modern times. There had been several unusually destructive fires on previous days, but on the evening of Sunday, the 8th of that month, the main conflagration commenced, having its origin in a small wooden barn on De Koven Street, in the Western District of the city. The buildings in that quarter were mostly of wood, and there were several lumber-yards along the margin of the river. Through these the flames raged with great fury, and were carried across the stream by the strong westerly wind which was prevailing at the time, and thence swept up into the Southern Division, which was closely built up with stores, warehouses, and public buildings, of stone, brick, and iron, many of them supposed to be fire-proof. The fire raged all day channel of the Chicago River, sweeping all beon Monday, the 9th, and crossed the main fore it in the Northern District, which was occupied mostly by dwelling-houses.

In the Western Division, where the fire originated, about 194 acres were burned over, including sixteen acres swept by the fire of Saturday evening, October 7th. This section contained, besides several lumber-yards and planing-mills, and numerous wooden structures of an inferior sort, the Union Depot of the St. Louis and the Pittsburg & Fort Wayne Railroads.-500 buildings were destroyed in all, and 2,250 persons rendered homeless. In the South Division the burnt district comprised about 460 acres. It extended from a line running diagonally from the corner of Michigan Avenue and Congress Street, west-southwest to the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Polk Street, up to the main channel of the river on the north, and filled the whole space between the southern branch of the river to the lake, one block only remaining unburnt in all that area. This district contained the greater part of the most expensive structures in the city-all the wholesale stores, all the newspaper-offices, all the principal banks, and insurance and law offices, many coal-yards, nearly all the hotels, and many factories, the Court-house, Customhouse, Chamber of Commerce, etc. number of buildings destroyed in this division was about 3,650, which included 1,600 stores, 28 hotels, and 60 manufacturing establishments. About 21,800 persons were rendered homeless. In the North Division the devastation was the most wide-spread, fully 1,470 acres being burned over out of the 2,5881

The