FREE SCHOOL BOOKS.
Mr. GILMAN offered a resolution that the Committee on Education be instructed to report to the House a bill providing that the school books to be used in our Common Schools shall be uniform throughout the State, and providing that their publication shall be free He said: Under the present law there has existed a monopoly on the sale of school books, and he thought the people would save more money than is asked for by all the Educational Institutions of the State each year. Publishers can charge any price for books and the people can not help themselves. By passing a bill of this kind it would break down these monopolies. He wanted no copyright to exist but have free publications, and after books are introduced, keep them in use for a specified period of time.
The resolution was adopted.
Mr. Wright's bill [H. R. 122] to amend Section 8 of an act prescribing certain duties of officers of elections, being read the third time--
Mr. Wright said this was a bill to amend Section 8 of the act of 1877, which requires incorporated towns of this State to hold the town elections in each Ward in the town.
Under the law of 1852, town elections were held at a single place of voting and it worked well. He thought it an advantage to towns to hold elections at a single place.
Mr. SMELZER entered a motion to reconsider the vote by which the bill [H. R. 252]--female suffrage--failed to pass.
By consent, Mr. AKIN introduced a bill [H. R. 411] for an act to amend Sections 1 and 2 of an act fixing the per diem and mileage of the members of the General Assembly, and providing that they shall provide their own stationery, approved June 9, 1872, and approved March 5, 1875.
The bill passed yeas, 75: nays, 0.
Mr. Ryan's bill [H. R. 191] to amend Section 120 of an act concerning Justices of the Peace; their general jurisdiction and mode of proceeding before them, approved June 9, 1852, was read the third time and passed--yeas, 79; nays, 0.
Mr. KERR'S bill [H. R. 192, see page 77] to amend Section 8 of an act concerning Justices of the Peace, was read the third time and passed--yeas, 75; nays, 0.
Mr. Gibson's bill [H. R. 194] to tax the ownership of property held for school purposes was read the third time and passed--yeas, 75; nays, 0.
Mr. Lindsay's bill [H. R. 198] to amend Section 8 of an act to enable trustees to receive lands and donations and convey the same for the use of Churches, schools and Religious Societies, etc of June 17, '52, being read the third time--
Mr. LINDSDAY said this bill makes no change in the old law except that a certificate to the Trustee elected shall Mnly be necessary when the Board is changed and no new Trustees are elected.
The bill passed--yeas, 70; nays, 1.
