History of Springfield, Illinois, its attractions as a home and advantages for business, manufacturing, etc. Pub. under the auspices of the Springfield board of trade, by J. C. Power.

iTS ADVANTAGES FOR MANUFACTURING. 19
paid to the State of Illinois, and for the adelphia and New York. After waiting
further consideration that the city and three months they were to notify the
county cause to be conveyed to the State committees on public buildings as proa certain piece of land, described by vided by law, who were to unite with
metes and bounds, in the bill, and con- the commissioners in adopting a design.
taining between eight and nine acres, The commissioners were to be governed
upon which to erect the new State House. by the plan so adopted, and the total
This bill also provides that the State cost of the building was not to exceed
shall have the use of the old State House $3,000,000. March 5, 1867, they adveruntil the new one is completed. The tised "Notice to Architects," offering
land was secured at a cost to the city of $3,000 to the architect whose design
$70,000, and conveyed to the State; the should be' adopted for the new State
$200,000 was paid by the county, and House, and asking for plans and specifithat amount, with $250,000 more to be cations to be submitted for their inspecdrawn from the State treasury, making tion.
$450,000, was appropriated to commence EFFORTS TO NULLIFY THE LAW AND THEIR
the work.
It is proper here to state that the FAILURE.
$200,000, paid nominally for the old A writ of quo warranto-or an inState House, was really in consideration quiry as to their right or authority to act
that a new one was to be built. The -was issued against the commissioners,
people of Sangamon county would now from the Superior Court of Chicago, May
much prefer to re-convey it to the State, 13, 1867, on the relation of Mathew Lafif they could have refunded the $200,000, lin, and judgment of ouster was entered.
with the $80,000interest, that the money The commissioners appealed to the
has been worth during that time; then Supreme Court, and the decision was rethey could build a Court House much versed at Ottawa in September of that
more to their liking, for a much smaller year. The commissioners having adveramount of money. tised for proposals before the commenceIt is a matter in which the people have ment of the suit, and having named the
a right to feel an honest pride, that while 15th of July as the time for inspecting
other towns and cities in different parts the designs, and being deprived of the
of the State have made liberal offers to power to act by the decision of the
secure the location of some State institu- Superior Court of Chicago, placed both
tion, only to evade its provisions, and in themselves and architects in an awkward
the end leave the State to make up their position. The Supreme Court, however,
deficiencies, Springfield and Sangamon came to their relief by giving special percounty have redeemed every pledge they mission to the commissioners to call to
have made to the people of the State. their assistance the committees on public
Upon this subject they invite the closest buildings as provided by law, and the
scrutiny. inspection took place as previously inIn the law, seven men were named a tended, on the 15th of July, in the Sencommissioners, to superintend the erec- ate Chamber at Springfield. A large
tion of the -new State House, and dis- number of designs were submitted to
burse the funds appropriated for that their inspection, and after mature delibpurpose. They were instructed to adver- eration, that presented by J. C. Cochlrane
tise for plans and specifications, for thirty of Chicago, was adopted.
days, in two daily papers each, in Spring- The commissioners being compelled to
field and Chicago, and one each, in Phil- remain inactive until after the meeting