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HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
closed June 14, following. The political complexion of the Senate was-Republicans, thirty-three ; Democrats, eighteen; of the House, ninety-two Republicans and sixty-one Democrats. John Meyer, of Cook County, was elected Speaker of the House, and Charles Bogardus of Piatt County, President pro tern, of the Senate. Acts were passed making appropriations for improvement of the State Fair Grounds at Springfield; authorizing the establishment of a Western Hospital for the Insane ($100,000); appropriating $100,000 for a Western Hospital for the Insane; $65,000 for an Asylum for Incurable Insane; $50,-000, each, for two additional Normal Schools-one in Northern and the other in Eastern Illinois; $25,000 fora Soldiers' Widows' Home-all being new institutions-besides $15,000 for a State exhibition at the Atlanta Exposition; $65,000 to mark, by monuments, the position of Illinois troops on the battlefields of Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. Other acts passed fixed the salaries of members of the General Assembly at $1,000 each for each regular session; accepted the custody of the Lincoln monument at Springfield, authorized provision for the retirement and pensioning of teachers in public schools, and authorized the adoption of civil service rules for cities. The special session convened, pursuant to a call by the Governor, on June 25, 1895, took a recess, June 28 to July 9, re-assembled on the latter date, and adjourned, sine die, August 2. Outside of routine legislation, no laws were passed except one providing additional necessary revenue for State purposes and one creating a State Board of Arbitration. The regular session continued 157 days and the special twenty-nine-total 186.
FORTIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY met in regular session at Springfield, Jan. 6, 1897, and adjourned, sine die, June 4. The Republicans had a majority in both branches, the House standing eighty-eight Republicans to sixty-three Democrats and two Populists, and the Senate, thirty-nine Republicans to eleven Democrats and one Populist, giving the Republicans a majority on joint ballot of fifty votes. Both houses were promptly organized by the election of Republican officers, Edward C. Curtis of Kankakee County being chosen Speaker of the House, and Hendrick V. Fisher, of Henry County, President pro tern, of the Senate. Governo
