PEORIA AND THE State Capital, THE STATE CAPITAL. The proposed removal of the State Capital from Springfield to Peoria is one of the most important questions now before the people of Illinois. It is due, there- fore, that the people should be placed in possession of some of the steps taken in behalf of the removal and the reasons urged therefor. Dissatisfaction having been expressed with regard to the present location of the proposed new state house, the scanty amount of ground (wholly unsufficient) upon which it is being erected, and the questionable manner in which the appro- priations for its erection are being expended, the citizens of Peoria were induced to make a formal offer for the removal of the capital to the beautiful bluffs which overlook their place. The first public act of Peoria was the appointment, on the llth day of Mafch, 1871, of a committee of the Peoria Board of Trade to confer with the citizens and city council on the subject. On the following evening, Saturday, March 12, a public meeting was held at the courthouse, at which it was unanimously resolved that Peoria ought to offer a sum sufficient to indemnify the state against any loss from her present work, and to donate twenty acres of ground as an inducement for the removal of the capital to their city. On the evening of Tuesday, March 14, a meeting of the city council of Peoria was held, at which communications signed by several hundred citizens were read, offering if the city should make an offer for the capital, to enter into personal bond guaranteeing the fulfillment of any contract that might be made. The coun- cil thereupon unanimously adopted the following RESOLUTION AND MEMORIAL OF PEORIA. WHEREAS, There is good reason for believing that with proper inducements the capital of the state of Illinois can be permanently located at Peoria; and, WHEREAS, Such location is deemed of sufficient interest to said city to war- rant her in repaying the state for her present outlay for the unfinished state house at Springfield, and also the presentation of a site for said house upon our bluffs ; therefore, Be it Resolved by the city council of the city of Peoria that his honor, the mayor, be authorized and instructed in the name and upon the authority of the city to present the following memorial and proposition to the legislature of the state of Illinois now in session at Springfield, and ask for the acceptance of the same : THE STATE CAPITAL. To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Illinois in General Assembly Convened : The undersigned, acting in the name and behalf of the city of Peoria, by res- olution of the city council authorized and instructed, respectfully presents to your honorable body the following memorial and proposition : Believing it to be for the interests of the state of Illinois that its capital be transferred to Peoria, provided the same can be done without loss occurring to the state and the people thereof, and also believing that the city of Peoria can afford to remunerate the state for its present outlay on the unfinished state house at Springfield, the city of Peoria offers and agrees that in case said capital be perma- nently located at Peoria and a state house erected thereat similar to the one now in process of erection at Springfield, First, To pay to the state of Illinois in such manner and times as your hon- orable body may determine, a sum (not to exceed $805,203,08) sufficient to indem- nify the state for its outlay upon the present structure at Springfield. In case the offer be accepted, several hundred property holders of the city of Peoria are ready and pledged to enter into a good and sufficient bond that the city shall, in good faith, carry out its portion of the contract and pay over to the state such sum whenever called for ; Second, To also provide and convey to the state of Illinois, free of cost, such lands upon the bluffs of said city as may be selected by a committee of your hon- orable body, in quantity not less than ten acres, upon which said lands the state shall immediately proceed to erect a state house similar to the one now contem- plated to be erected in Springfield ; Third, That the city of Peoria will for the space of five years, if deemed neces- sary, beginning from and after the first day of January, 1872, provide free of cost Ib the state of Illinois halls for the assembling of the legislature in Peoria, and holding sessions therein, said halls to be equal in capacity and acceptability to those now used by the present legislature at Springfield ; In submitting these propositions, your memorialists would call attention to the superior advantages presented by Peoria for the capital of the state. She is nearer the centre of population and the geographical centre of the state, than any other city. She has competing railroads, diverging to every point of the compass. She wiU have four routes to Chicago, three to St. Louis and the southeast, two east, three west, and three northwest. Freights and fares to Peoria are now as low as to any other point in the state. The new state house can be erected at Peoria at from ten to fifteen per cent, cheaper than it can at Springfield. Fuel of excellent quality, and unlimited in abundance, can always be obtained at Peoria, at lower rates than elsewhere in Illinois. Her water supply is abundant and cheap, being fully equal to that of Chicago. Her magnificent bluffs present a site for the location of a state house unsurpassed by any other locality in the entire country. Abundant hotel and boarding house accommodations will be provided for the members of the legislature, at reasonable rates. Should this proposition be deemed worthy of serious attention, we hereby tender to the general assembly an invitation to visit the city of Peoria, either as a body or by committee, as it may deem proper, to examine the site proposed and offered to the state for the erection of its state house, and will for this purpose, upon reasonable notice, engage to provide, free of cost to the state, special trans- portation for your honorable body to and from the city, and also to entertain you while there. The foregoing memorial was presented to the Legislature by Hon. Gr. T. Barker, Mayor of Peoria, and the invitation to visit the city was accepted. On Thursday evening, March 23d, both houses embarked on a special train, arrived at Peoria THE STATE CAPITAL. the following morning, and spent the day in examining the locality and the site proposed for the new capitol building. KING'S BILL. On the 28th of March, Hon. K. A. King, of Jersey county, introduced a bill into the House of Representatives for submitting the question of removing the state capital to Peoria to a vote of the people. The bill is entitled, "A Bill for an act to permanently locate the Seat of Government of the State of Illinois at the city of Peoria." The preamble to the bill recites the propositions contained within the Peoria Memorial. The bill proper is as follows : SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the people of the state of Illinois represented in the general assembly, that from and after the first day of January, 1872, the seat of government of the state of Illinois shall be deemed and held to be at the city of Peoria, in the county of Peoria, and from and after said date all acts, judicial legislative or executive, required to be done or executed at the seat of Government, shall be done and executed at the city of Peoria, and all laws requir- ing any officer to reside at the seat of government, or requiring any matter or thing to be done and performed, or requiring action of any kind by officers or indi- viduals at the seat of government, are hereby made and declared applicable to the city of Peoria as the seat of government. All laws or enactments inconsistent Herewith are hereby repealed. SEC. 2. Section 1 of this act shall not go into effect or be in force until the city of Peoria shall substantially comply to the satisfaction of the general assembly with the terms of the preamble in this act. SEC. 3. At the election, to be held on Tuesday, the 7th day of November, 1871, at the usual places of holding elections, according to the laws of this state, the question whether or not the first section of this act shall go into effect or m any manner be in force, shall be submitted to a vote of the people, and if the same is approved by a majority of all the legal votes cast for or against the same, it shall go into effect and be in force, otherwise it shall not go into effect or in any manner be in force. Notices of said election shall be given, and said election shall be con- ducted according to the laws of this state regulating general elections. Each qual- ified elector voting at said election shall have the right to use a ticket with the words written or printed thereon : "For the permanent location of the seat of gov- ernment at Peoria." Each of said tickets shall be counted as a vote for the approval of the first section of this act, unless the same be erased with ink or pencil, and against said approval in case it is so cancelled. And the return of such votes shall be made accordingly by the judges of the election. SEC. 4. The return of the votes for and against the approval of the first sec- tion of this act shall be made by the several county clerks as is now provided by law, to the secretary of state within twenty days after the election, and said returns shall, within five days thereafter, be canvassed by the auditor, treasurer and secre- tary of state, or any two of them in the presence of the governor, and proclamation shall be made forthwith by the governor of the result of the canvass. SEC. 5. The secretary of state shall cause to be published, in pamphlet torm, 50,000 copies of this act, and shall distribute the same to the county clerks ot the several counties of this state, who shall distribute the same throughout their respective counties. The rules were suspended, the bill was read a first time and ordered to a sec- ond reading. On the 4th of April, Mr. Heafield, of Chicago, asked for a suspension ot the rules of the house, in order that he might introduce a series of resolutions pro- THE STATE CAPITAL. viding for a special committee to investigate the construction of the present unfinished state house at Springfield. A majority of the house voted for sus- pension, but as two-thirds are required to suspend the rules, the proposition failed. Subsequently a committee, without any power to compel the attendance of witnesses, and with no appropriation to pay the expense of their attendance, was raised ; and this committee, thus hampered, is now conducting its investigations. Hon. C. A. Roberts, of Tazewell county, is chairman. A report has been circulated that this committee has closed its labors, and found everything in the most satis- factory condition. The report is not true. Previous to the agitation of the removal of the capital to Peoria, the senate had passed a bill appropriating $600,000 for continuing the work on the Spring- field structure. This was amended in several particulars, and was passed to a third reading in the house, but a vote on its final passage was not reached before adjournment. Mr. King's bill was brought up several times, but as the rules had to be suspended for its consideration, a two-thirds vote could not be obtained. PROTEST OF THE HOUSE. On the 6th day of April, the bill appropriating $600,000 for continuing the work on the new state house was considered, when Mr. King, of Jersey, offered an amendment submitting that question to a vote of the people. The amendment was voted down, when the following protest of the minority was presented and ordered spread upon the journal : PROTEST. We, the undersigned, members of the house of representatives of the general assembly of the State of Illinois, do most respectfully dissent from and protest against the action of this house as follows, that is to say : On Thursday, the 6th instant, the following proposed additional section to senate bill No. 112, entitled "A bill for an act to provide for the early completion of the new state house," as an amendment thereto, was under consideration in this house as follows : SEC. 5. At a general election, to be held on Tuesday, the 7th day of Novem- ber, 1871, a t the usual places of holding elections in this state according to law, the question whether or not sections one, two, three and four of this act shall go into effect, shall be submitted to a vote of the people, and if said sections are ap- proved by a majority of the legal votes cast at said election, then the said sections shall be in full force and effect from and after January 1, 1872; but unless a majority of the legal voters voting at said election shall vote to approve said sec- tions, the same shall not be in force or of any effect, and the secretary of state is hereby required to notify the county clerks in this state of such submission, and said clerks shall cause notice of the same to be given in the usual manner, and the manner of voting shall be " For the appropriation of $600,000 to the new state house, in Springfield," or " against the appropriation of $600,000 to the new state house, in Springfield," and the returns of such votes for and against this law, shall be made by the several county clerks of this state within thirty days after said elections, and said returns shall, within five days thereafter, be canvassed by the auditor, treasurer and secretary of the state, or any two of them, in the pres- THE STATE CAPITAL. ence of the governor, and proclamation shall be forthwith made by the governor of the result of the canvass. . And the question being on a motion to lay said proposed additional section on the table, it was voted and decided that said proposed amendment he on the table, and said bill was thereupon ordered to a third reading without said amend- ment being a part thereof. The reasons for our dissent and protest are as follows . ^ 1 We believe that the location of the seat of government at Springfield has been, and still is, the cause of great dissatisfaction to a large number of the people of the state, and that the erection of the new state house, which has been com- menced in Springfield, will, if completed, fasten the location of the seat of govern- ment at Springfield against the will of the people. . 2 We believe that the grounds upon which the new state house is located are totally unfit for the site of so important a building, and that the constantly increasing dissatisfaction of the people therewith will ultimate y lead to the remo- val of the seat of government to some other and more desirable locality. 3 We believe that the new state house, now in process of construction, will require an expenditure of from six to eight millions of dollars to finish and furnish the same in a style in accordance with the original plan and design of the building, and, inasmuch as the constitution forbids the appropriation of more than W,WHV 000 without a vote of the people, we believe that a vote of the people will ulti- mately be required to authorize the necessary appropriation to be made. \\ therefore believe that before any further appropriations are made, a vote ot i people should be taken whether the building already commenced shall P6 Vebelieve that the appropriation of the sum of $600,000 in the manner proposed in said bill, without consulting the people, will not in any degree allay thereat and increasing dissatisfaction which exists in relation to the location o the MB* of government at Springfield, and the erection of the new state house on the site where it has been commenced, and in our judgment the public interest require that said appropriation be withheld or submitted to the people for approval TTwc : call attention to the fact that the city of Peoria, which is nearer the center of population, commerce and wealth of the state than the city of Springfield, has proposed to indemnify the state against loss in case the seat of government is removed to that city, and that a bill is now pending to submit the question of such removal to the people. We also call attention to the fact that a vote of the people has never been taken in regard to the location of their state capital which, in our opinion, ought to be done before any further appropriations are made. 6. We believe that, with the appropriation of $600,000, the new state house cannot be far enough advanced toward completion to accommodate the genera assembly at its next biennial session, and that a vote of the people can be upon the question of the re-location of the seat of government before the nnal adjournment of this general assembly, and that no serious detriment can accrue to the state from the postponement of such appropriation until after such vot have been taken. 7. We therefore, for the reasons stated, believe i to be our duty, as the rep- resentatives of the people, in our own names, and in the names of those whom we represent, to thus publicly protest, and we do hereby dissent from and protest against the action of this house in laying said amendment on the table,.and in that manner refusing to submit the question to the people of this state, whether or not the appropriation should be made, and we claim the right, under the constitu- tion, to have this, our protest, and the reasons of our dissent from the action oi this house, entered upon its journals. Dated at the hall of representatives, this 7th day of April, 1871. 3 THE STATE CAPITAL. C. A. Roberts, R. M. Pritchard, J. L. Campbell, J. H. Jones, Wm. Massenburg, R. H. Foss, T. M. Morse, J. S. Lee, P. F. Remsberg. A. M. Cavan, Greo. J. Richardson, J. W. Heafield, M. Langston, H. C. Senne, Wm. McElwee, Levi North, R. P. Derrickson, John Morris, Miles A. Fuller, John Humphrey. E. M. Haines, Greo. W. Herdman, James M. Rice, A. S. Rowley, 0. F. Price, W. A. M. Crouch. R. A. King, S. F. Fleharty, Wm. Vocke, Carlisle Mason, Robert Hunter, A. L. Morrison, W. K. Sullivan, J. W. Olson, A. H. Burley, J. F. Latimer, W. M. Whitney, J. Rheinhardt, Anson L. Clark. B. Edgcomb, Greo. W. Armstrong, J. N. McElwain. S. T. Shelton, L. Mussetter, D. S. Efner, W. S. Brooks, A. P. Rowley, James Manly, S. S. Benson, Nathan Williams, John W. Ross, Wm. B. Dodge, R. S. Williamson, Thomas J. Turner. Arthur Dixon, J. F. Latimer, James Shaw, Ira B. Hall, Samuel Caldwell, E. H. Johnson, J. Gf. Phillips, John T. Morgan, Norman H. Ryan, S. P. Cummings, Phillip Collins, M. J. Braiden, PEORIA GIVES BOND. The good faith of Peoria, in making her offer, having been questioned, one hun- dred and twenty-three of her citizens, representing some ten or twelve million dollars worth of property, subscribed to the following bond which was presented in the house on the 15th of April by Col. T. J. Turner, of Stephenson, and ordered to be filed in the office of the secretary of state : Know all men by these presents : That we who have signed our names hereto- being citizens of the city and county of Peoria, and state of Illinois, are held and firmly bound unto the people of the state of Illinois in the sum of eight hundred and five thousand dollars and eight cents, lawful money of the United States, for the payment of which, well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, and each of us himself, and each of our heirs, executors, administrators and assigns firmly by these presents. Dated this llth day of April, A. D., 1871. The condition of the above obligation is such that in the event that the said state of Illinois transfers the capital of said state to the city of Peoria, in the county of Peoria and state of Illinois, and permanently locates the same in said city, and erects a state house thereat similar to the one now in process of erection at Springfield, in said state, then the undersigned shall fully indemnify and remu- nerate the said people of the state of Illinois from all pecuniary loss caused to said people by such removal and location of the capital and erection of state house as aforesaid, and shall also furnish, provide and convey to the said people of the state of Illinois, free of cost, a suitable site for said capitol, in said city of Peoria, in quantity not less than ten acres, and such as shall be acceptable to the legislature of said state, then this bond to be null and void and of ^no effect, otherwise in full force and virtue. In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seal, on the day and year first above written. [Signed by one hundred and twenty-three names.] THE STATE CAPITAL. PEORIA COUNTY ENDOKSES THE BOND. At the April term of the Peoria county Board of Supervisors, the following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted : WHEREAS, The question of the removal of the seat of government of the state of Illinois from Springfield to Peoria is now agitating the public mind, and WHEREAS, The city of Peoria has made such proposition to the state as will fully protect the state against loss in case such removal is made, and WHEREAS, About one hundred and fifty of the most wealthy citizens of Peoria have also given bonds to the state to indemnify the state against loss in case such removal of the capital is made, therefore Resolved, By the board of supervisors of Peoria county, that the county of Peoria will and hereby does guarantee that the said proposition of the said city of Peoria to the state shall be faithfully performed and carried out by said city of Peoria. Resolved, That in our judgment the interests of the state demand and require that the question of the removal of the capital should be at once submitted to the people, and that we, as the representatives of the several towns of Peoria county, do hereby protest against more of the people's money being expended on the build- ing at Springfield until the question of the location of the capital has been decided by the people. Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted by the clerk to the honorable president of the senate and the honorable speaker of the house of repre- sentatives, at Springfield, at the special session shortly to convene in Springfield. It would seem from the above that if any reliability can be placed in the pledges of mankind, no fears need be entertained that Peoria will not in good faith carry out her agreement. The city, the county, and citizens worth twelve millions of dollars, have solemnly pledged themselves to its fulfillment. LOCALITY OF SPRINGFIELD & PEOKIA COMPARED. The following extract from a speech of Hon. S. D. Phelps, of Chicago, de- livered on the question of capital removal, strikingly shows the location of Peoria and Springfield with regard to the balance of the State : " South of an east and west line running through Springfield, you will dis- cover that there are 901,558 inhabitants, and north of that line 1,658,685 inhab- itants, according to the federal census for 1870. " You may well look surprised, gentlemen, only 35 per cent, of the population of the state south of Springfield, and 65 per cent, north of the place where we are now sitting. " How about taxable property ? The discrepancy is even greater. According to the last equalized valuation, we find south of an east and west line running through Springfield, $144,061,189.00, and north of Springfield property valued at $336,602,869.00, a percentage of taxable property of 30 per cent, south, and 70 per cent, north of Springfield. What do these figures indicate ? What momen- tous warning do they shadow forth ? " While I am considering this subject in view of centres of population, wealth and communication, permit me to submit a few deductions with reference to Peoria. " The population of the state south of an east and west line running through Peoria, is about 1,384,624, and north about 1,165,619, that is 54 per cent, south and 46 per cent, north. " The ratios of wealth are about the same, though more nearly equal. " You will, therefore, perceive that there is a decided advantage in favor of Peoria over Springfield in regard to wealth and population. But the discrepancy 10 THE STATE CAPITAL. between the two cities in the matter of communication by rail is even greater, and most decidedly in favor of Peoria. By careful computation it will be found that, pursuing the ordinary and most advantageous routes from their respective places of residences, the members of the general assembly would travel 8,000 miles less in- going to Peoria than they would by going to Springfield, and save the same num- ber of miles in returning, as also no considerable sum to the state in the way of mileage." THE FINANCIAL ABILITY OF PEOKIA. It has been represented that Peoria is financially unable to do what she pro- poses, that she is so heavily burdened with debt that she cannot if she would. Herewith is a statement of the financial condition of the city of Peoria as takeo from the records of the city clerk : Total railroad and other indebtedness of Peoria, (including school bonds,) January 1, 1871, $1,043,246 SG A8AINST WHICH THE CITY HOLDS : 1,000 shares of T. P. & W. R. R. stock, $25,000 00 783 shares of P. & B. V. R. R. stock, drawing 8 per cent, interest, 78'300 00 Bounty Bonds, 20,000 00 Water Bonds, ! 21,000 00 General Fund, 4,000 00 School Bonds, 19,000 00 Cash in Sinking Fund, 89,364 86 School lots owned in city and county of Peoria, for sale, valued at 72,000 00 Cash, School Fund, 12,000 00 Other Personal Property, 33,000 00 $373,664 86' Net indebtedness of Peoria, $669,582 3O To offset this indebtedness the city owns property as follows, (real estate being placed as assessor's valuation only) : City Water-Works, $435,000 00 Central Market, 15,000 00 City Hall, 12,000 00 City Hospital, 9,000 00 Block 85 Morton Square, 15,000 00 Central Hose House, 2,000 00 Engine House, No. 3, 2,000 00 Lot 12, block 64, Morton, Voris & Lavielle's addition, 310 00 Second District, lots 7, 8 and 9, block 47, occupied by school 50,000 00 High School and Lot, _ _ 20,000 00 Third District, 12,000 00 Fourth District, 12,000 00 Fifth District, 11,000 00 Sixth District, 14,000 00 Lots 2 and 3, block 1, Bradley's 2d Addition, 5,000 00 Seventh District, 2,000 00 Lots in Frye's Addition, 1,500 00 All the above described property is pledged by ordinance for the payment of the bonded debt of the city. The bounty, water and other bonds held by the city, form a portion of a sinking fund set apart for the extinction of the principal of the city's debt. THE STATE CAPITAL. VALUATION OF PEORIA. The following is the valuation of Peoria city (not including Township), a& returned by the assessors, April, 1871 : UPPER DISTRICT ASSESSMENT. Real Estate, ___________________________________ $5,780,570 00 Personal Property, ___ . __________________ L _____ 1,967,145 00 $7,747,715 OO LOWER DISTRICT ASSESSMENT. Real Estate, $4652,040 00 Personal Property, 113,275 00 $5,365,315 OO Total, $13,113,030 OO i PEORIA AND SPRINGFIELD COMPARED. From a tabular statement published March 1, 1871, by Elwood of Joliet, giv- ing the comparative taxation of cities in Illinois, the following is extracted : Annual interest paid by Springfield $100,000 00 Annual interest paid by Peoria 80,815 00 Difference in favor of Peoria $ 19,185 00 Tax per capita Springfield 12 97 " Peoria 7 77 Average tax on $100, Springfield .021 " " " Peoria .013 The cost of building at Peoria is at least fifteen per cent, cheaper than Springfield. The comparative cost of some of the main articles used in building may be stated as follows : Springfield. Peoria. Brick, per M ^^. $ 8.85 $6.00 Sand, per load _ _._. 1.25 16 Pine lumber, per M 22.00 19.00 Coal, per bu 12 6 It may be safely said that at least $250,000 can be saved by erecting the new eapitol at Peoria. Peoria has an unlimited supply of pure water from the most efficient water-works in the west. At the public meeting in Peoria on the llth of March, Mr. Valentine Jobstr architect, of Peoria, submitted the following rough estimate of the amount that eould have been saved on the new state house by building it at Peoria, over the cost of the structure at Springfield. It is due to Mr. Jobst to say that this esti- mate was hastily made, and might possibly need some revision. The quotation below is from the press report of the meeting : " Mr. Valentine Jobst followed Major Wells, making a practical speech. He- presented an estimate of the amount that might be saved by removing the eapitol here, owing to the difference in material in favor of Peoria. He estimated the brick required at 19,541,660. These cost $8.85 per thousand in Springfield, while- they could be procured for $6.00 per thousand in this city. The following exhibit, was read by him, as his estimate of the amount that could be saved the state by. building here : Saving on brick $ 48,966 78 Sand for brick at Springfield, per cubic yard, $1.50 ; the same at Peoria for 25 cents ; saved 1,300 00 Water free at Peoria ; saved 2,800 00 12 THE STATE CAPITAL. Sand for plastering ; saved . 1,500 00 Freight on cut stone to Springfield 22 cents ; to Peoria 10 cents per cubic foot ; saved 48,000 00 For general freight, less to Peoria 30,000 00 Ten percent, of cost of building 100,000 00 In favor of Peoria $232,766 73 HOW THE PKESENT STATE HOUSE AT SPKING- FIELD IS BEING BUILT. The following extract from the speech of Hon. R. A. King, of Jersey county, on his amendment submitting the State House appropriation to a vote of the people, throws light on the way the money of the people is being expended on the Springfield structure. Every tax-payer in the state should carefully peruse the same: ' MR. SPEAKER In discussing this question I wish to be brief. As the mover of the amendment to submit it to the people, I feel it was offered in sincer- ity and good faith, and propose now to show the facts that justify me in this course ; these, with the figures, I find to my hand in the reports by officers of this assembly. To bring out the facts and show why this appropriation should not be made, I must use the records of the state house commissioners. " The money thus far appropriated to this purpose, has in part been improp- erly expended. (; Sir. I wish to show by the report of our own house committee that of the sum of $805,000 only $465,000 have gone into the building. The remaining -$339,000 have gone elsewhere. I shall show from the same source where and in what way that $339,000 have been expended. Now I do not propose to say that anybody has stolen anything. il The report shows the amount improperly expended to November, 1868, was $329,329.42. It shows also the amount expended in the building in November, '68, to November, '69, was $197,330-23, and it shows the amount expended from November 30th, 1869, to November, 1870, was $278,543.43. The total, then, -expended up to November, 1870, was $805,203.08. Now, sir, as to the applica- tion of this money, the report shows that $465,686.67 had been expended upon the foundation. Gentlemen may claim that we have more than the mere foundation, but in my view we have not. What we have is merely the basement of the capi- tol, and of that, sir, simply the bare walls. Inside not a particle has been expended, nothing is done but the mere stone and brick work of the foundation of the capitol, for which already $805,000 are expended, of which sum, sir, but $465,- 00 has gone into the building, the balance having trickled out. $24,395 have gone to the commissioners in items as follows : PaidW. T. Vandever $2,235 00 Philip Wadsworth 2,240 00 W. L. Hambleton 2,305 00 J. W. Smith 2,395 00 J. C. Robinson 5,135 00 Jacob Bunn 4,99500 J. H. Beveridge 5,090 00 Total commissioners' pay $24,395 00 In '67, the law was passed appointing first seven commissioners with power to employ such mechanics, laborers, &c., as should be necessary, those commission- ers to receive for their services the sum of $5 per day for the time of actual ser- vice. The number of commissioners has since been reduced, but the terms of compensation remain the same. If you look at the items closely you will see that THE STATE CAPITAL. 13 they have received $5 a day for every month during the whole time, (seven com- missioners, afterwards the three,) $130 a month during the whole time of their appointment. I say, sir, that it is too much. I say $24,395 is too heavy a per- centage of expenditure upon $805,000 of the people's money merely for the ser- vice of commissioners. These commissioners wasted money on the architect, giving him a $3,000 premium and then awarding him a contract for erecting the building at 2J per cent, commission upon the sum of $3,000,000 to be expended. Then, sir, here are other items of leakage in the capitol fund : Paid J. C. Webber, secretary commissioners $3,14000 W. D. Clark, assistant superintendent 8,538 45 Willie Clark, rodman 1,493 00 David Doe, porter 2,050 50 Alexander Fender 1,252 70 Charles Brodie, at Joliet. A. R. Robinson, sand receiver. R. M. Robinson " ' 0. Marble, surveyor ._. man in lime house... 588 00 172 50 150 00 200 00 50 00 J. H. Beveridge, secretary of board 2,665 00 Total paid for salaries $20,100 15 "By their report, $71,000 have gone in three years in three items of percent- age upon the $805,000. You will readily see how only $465,000 have gone into the building, and $369,000 elsewhere. " Now, sir, being anxious to sift the thing, I took a pencil and reckoned on each page the number of items which actually went into the building of the state house, and then the items that went elsewhere, setting the sums at the bottom of the page. On the first page forty-eight items went in different ways, as here reported, and four only into the state house. That looks as if there was something wrong. For example, here is J. C. Cochrane, first item, $3,000 to the architect as a premium for a plan. That didn't go into the state house. Then, sir, here are various other items, as follows : I will show you the first page of their own report entire, as a specimen : Statement of Expenditures made by the Board of State House Commissioners, from March I3th, 1867, to November 30