Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1903 — ILLINOIS LAWMAKERS [ARTICLE]

ILLINOIS LAWMAKERS

The House was introduced to a new man Thursday morning in the person of Representative Frank W. Burton, of Carlinville. who can make liimself dear when he talks and make the House listen. Minority Loader Wilson, as a matter of form, moved reconsideration of the vote by which the rules wore adopted under the gavel Wednesday, and then yielded the floor to Mr. Burton. The motion to reconsider the adoption of the gavel rules was laid, upon the table. Representative Davies has introduced a toll regulating the employment of minors which has been indorsed by Factory Inspector Davies, the Chicago Federation of Labor, tlie compulsory education department of the Chicago public school system and many child-saving organizations. Representative A. \V. Noiie lias introduced a bill to authorize the County Board of Cook County to regulate the title, abstract and guarantee business in that county lin'd fixing maximum fees to he charged by persons engaged in the business as follows: For certificate of abstract, $3; for each instrument shown in abstract, $1; for each tax sale or judgment shown, $1; for each page of <ourt records, $1.50; for certified copies, 50 cents. Mr. Xohe also introduced a hill to give the general public access to all judgment dockets, tux sale hooks, abstract records, etc., in the Recorder's office during office hours. Speaker Miller announced the standing committees of the House Friday morning. The list contained no marked surprises. The members of the Sherman faction are quite effectually effaced from the important committees. At iliat, they confess, most of them have been ns well treated probably as the men (if the other faction would have been had Sherman been elected Speaker. Nearly every Shermahite is on at last one of the committees which are considered good. The introduction of two hills and reference of Senator Dunlap’s "great navy” joint resolution was nil the iiddUionuJ business done by the House. The Senate had only two members present. Templeton and Ree*, and did no business. The Senate went on record Tuesday in favor of the election of United States Senators by diyect vote of the people. Senator W. A. ltiley, of Chicago, recorded the only vote against it. The resolution passed calls upon the national Congress to call a constitutional convention for proposing amendments. Representative Oldum introduced a hill putting the County of Cook into business in competition with the title guaranty companies, and one designed to strengthen the Torrens law. The first bill provides that 5 per cent of all fees for abstracts shall he set aside by the Recorder as an indemnifying fund, until SIOO,000 shall he collected. Then 2'i per cent shall be collected, and this rate shall be maintained unless the fund falls below SIOO,OOO, when the 5 per cent shall he restored. The bill is recommended by the Cook County board. Mr. Oldam’s second hill requires all executors, administrators and trustees holding power of sale under wills admitted to probate, to register such lands under the law. It is estimated that under its provisions all the land in Cook County will have been registered in fifty years. The first bill other than an appropriation bill to go through either house passed the Senate —-Senator Berry’s bill requiring that demand upon an estate and will contests shall he filed within one year of decedent’s death, instead of two years. Senator Campbell's bill amending the anti-fusion law in the interest of nonpartisan judiciary nominations and amending a primary law to provide for a judiciary primary in advance of the .Tune election were both ordered by the Senate Elections Committee to be reported out with recommendation that they pass. The first named hill simply provides that a candidate for judge may have his name on the official ballot more than once—can he nominated on more than one party ticket. The other provides for a primary election in April or May for the election of delegates to nominate candidates for the bench. Both hills have emergency Clauses. Speaker Miller on Wednesday refused to let the House instruct its appropriations committee to exact from the .toads of State institutions itemized estimates of their expenses. A resolution so instructing the appropriations committee was referred to tlint committee under the gavel. The Democratic side, spread upon the records a constitutional protest against Speaker Miller's use of the gavel the previous week in denying roll calls on the rules even when roll calls were demanded by ten times the number of members who can, according to the constitution, secure a roll call for the asking. Speaker Miller and his followers interposed no objection to putting the protest on the record. The Sanitary District Trustees nre authorized to develop and make use of the Chicago drainage canal water power in a bill introduced by Representative Farley, of Cook. It provides that the power shall he made available by conversion into electrical energy for rnnstnission to the various cities, villages nnd towns In the sanitary district whose people have contributed to the expense of the district. To defray the ex•ponse it is provided the sanitary district may impose an additional tux 'of one-, half of 1 per cent per annum. Senator Campbell's hill amending the Australian ballot law by permitting candidates for officers of courts of record to have their names printed oil the ballot In more than one place, anil permitting separate primaries for the nomination of candidates for the judicial election in June, were advanced to third reading. The’ former was amended so as to make it apply to counties having a population of 125,000 or more, and the Intter was amended so as to give the executive or managing committee of a political party power to make the judiciary nominations, instead of holding a primary and a convention, when only candidates for the bench are to lie nominated.