be to furnish them to such persons as are herein required to make reports.

*10. Meetings of the board, etc. § 10. The first meeting of the board shall be within fifteen days after their appointment, and thereafter in January and June of each year, and at such other times as the board shall deem expedient. The meeting in January of each year shall be in Springfield. A majority shall constitute a quorum. They shall choose one of their number to be president, and they may adopt rules and by-laws for their government, subject to the provisions of this act. *11. Officers-compensation. 11. They shall elect a secretary who shall perform the duties prescribed by the board; and by this act, he shall receive a salary which shall be fixed by the board; he shall also receive his traveling and other expenses incurred in the performance of his official duties. The other members of the board shall receive no compensation for their services, but their traveling and other expenses, while employed on business of the board, shall be paid. The president of the board shall quarterly certify the amount due the secretary, and on presentation of his certificate, the auditor of State shall draw his warrant on the treasurer for the amount.

*12. Annual report. § 12. It shall be the duty of the board of health to make an annual report through their secretary, or otherwise, in writing to the governor of this State, on or before the first day of January of each year; and such report shall include so much of the proceedings of the board, and such information concerning vital statistics; such knowledge respecting diseases and such instruction on the subject of hygiene, as may be thought useful by the board, for dissemination among the people with such suggestions as to legislative action, as they may deem necessary.

*13. Appropriation. § 13. The sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000), or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to pay the salary of the secretary; meet the contingent expenses of the office of the secretary, and the expenses of the board, and all costs for printing, which together shall not exceed the sum hereby appropriated; said expenses shall be certified and paid in the same manner as the salary of the secretary.

*14. Rooms. § 14. The secretary of State shall provide rooms suit. able for the meetings of the board, and office room for the secretary.

AN ACT to revise the law in relation to State contracts. [Approved March 31, 1874. In force July 1, 1874.]

1. Commissioners-meetings-quorum, etc. SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That the attorney-general, secretary of State, the State treasurer, and the auditor of public accounts, shall be and are hereby declared to be (ex-officio) commissioners of State contracts. The officers above designated shall organize as the board of commissioners of State contracts, on the first Monday of July, A. D. 1874, by the election of one of their number as chairman; and thereafter they shall hold stated quarterly meetings at such place and time as they shall determine. At any time the chairman, or any two of the commissioners, may call a special meeting of the board. Three of the commissioners shall constitute a quorum, and may do and perform all the acts and duties required to be done and performed by them by this or any other act of the general assembly. The commissioners shall transact all business at stated or special meetings of the board, and shall cause to be [*994] kept a record of its proceedings.

2. What shall be let by contract. 2. The furnishing of all fuel, stationery and printing paper, for the use of the State, and the copying, printing, binding and distributing the laws and journals, reports, and all other printing and distributing ordered by the general assembly, shall be let by contract to the lowest responsible bidder, in the manner hereinafter provided. [See "Constitution, art. 4, § 25. 3. Commissioners to advertise for proposals. 3. Between the first Monday in July and the first Monday in August, A. D. 1878, the commissioners of State contracts shall advertise at Springfield in one of the daily papers published in that city, for proposals to furnish fuel to the State; and shall advertise at Springfield and Chicago in some one of the daily newspapers published in each of said cities, for proposals to furnish printing and other paper and stationery to the State; and shall advertise at Springfield, Chicago, Peoria, Quincy and Cairo, in some one of the daily newspapers published in each of said cities, for proposals to do the copying of the laws, journals, reports and other public documents of the State, and for the distribution of the same; for proposals to do the printing of the State, and for proposals to do the binding of the State. Each of said advertisements for proposals shall be published ten days from and including the date of its first publication, and shall give notice that sealed proposals, for furnishing the articles or performing the work required from the first Monday in November then next ensuing, until the thirtieth day of September, A. D. 1880, will be received at the office of the secretary of State, on or before the first Monday of September next after the date of said notice. The advertisement shall also set forth specifically what will be required of bidders

under this act, and such other particulars as the commissioners shall deem proper. Any advertisement may embrace propositions for bids for all or a part of the materials to be furnished and work to be done, but shall solicit separate bids for each class of articles to be furnished or work to be done, and each of such classes shall be let in a separate contract. In the month of July, 1880, and biennially thereafter, the said commissioners of State contracts shall advertise in the manner provided for, in this section, for proposals for furnishing the articles or performing the work herein specified, for the term of two years from the first day of October then next ensuing; and all contracts made and entered into under this act shall close on the thirtieth day of September of each second year after the time of taking effect. [As amended by act approved May 22, 1877. In force July 1, 1877. L. 1877, p. 207.

4. Bond of bidder. § 4. Each bid for each class shall be accompanied by a bond, in the sum of $5,000, as liquidated damages, payable to the people of the State of Illinois, conditioned that if such bid is accepted, the person making it will, within ten days after the award is made, enter into a contract as specified in the advertisement soliciting bids, and will execute a bond, conditioned for the faithful performance of such contract on his part, in such sum as the commissioners and governor shall determine. Each bidder shall file his bond and a copy of his bid with the governor when he files his bid with the secretary of State, and no bid shall be received until such bond shall have been deposited with the governor. The governor shall retain said bond until the award has been made, and then shall file in the office of the secretary of State the bond of the successful bidder.

5. Awarding contracts. § 5. At the time designated in the advertisement for opening bids, the commissioners, at a meeting called for the purpose, shall, in the presence of the governor, open the bids and proceed publicly to award the contract for each class of work to be done and materials to be furnished to the lowest bidder therefor, taking bond from him in an amount to be fixed by the board and the governor, but not to exceed $10,000, conditioned for the faithful performance of the contract, but for good cause the board may adjourn said meeting to any time within ten days, at which adjourned meeting said board shall make the award, as herein specified: Provided, that nothing in this act shall be construed so as to prevent the same person from bidding for more than one class of the work to be done or articles to be furnished. And that when any person, bidding for more than one class as aforesaid, shall be the lowest bidder for each class so bid for, to him shall be awarded the contract for all the classes for which he has bid: And, provided, further, that said commissioners, with the consent of the governor, may reject any or all bids, and that no contract shall be made without the written approval of the governor. If two or more [*995] persons bid the same price for either class of the work to be done or articles to be furnished, and said price is the lowest for that class, the commissioners shall award the contract to such one of said bidders as they shall decide by lot to award it to. In determining the lowest bid for printing, the commissioners shall call to their aid the printer expert herein provided for.

6. Other lettings. 6. If, for any reason, any contract required to be let shall not be let at the time contemplated by this act, and whenever on account of any contract being canceled, or for other cause, any contract is required to be let at any other time, the commissioners shall fix the time when they will receive bids therefor, and shall solicit and receive such bids and make awards as nearly as may be in the same manner and upon the same terms as hereinbefore provided.

7. Canceling contract. § 7. If a contractor shall fail to fulfill his contract the commissioners may cancel the contract, and having done so shall notify him in writing, spccifying their reasons for so doing.

8. No contract let to State officers, etc. § 8. No contract shall be let to any person holding any State office in this State or a seat in the general assembly, or to any person employed in either of the executive offices of the State, or to the wife of a State officer, member of the general assembly, or employee as aforesaid, nor shall any State officer, member of the general assembly, or wife or employee as aforesaid, become, directly or indirectly, interested in any such contract, under penalty of forfeiting such contract at the option of the commissioners, and being fined not exceeding $1,000. [See Const., art. 4,

15.

9. Preventing competition. 9. Any person who shall offer or pay to any person any money or other valuable thing, to induce such person to not bid for a State contract, or as a recompense to him for not having bid for such contract, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment in the penitentiary not longer than three years. Any person who shall accept any money or other valuable thing for not bidding for a State contract, or who shall withhold a bid in consideration of a promise for the payment of money or other valuable thing, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not longer than three years. [See "Criminal Code," ch. 38, § 46.

10. Failure to perform contract. 10. If any person making any bid under this act shall fail or refuse to enter into a contract pursuant to the terms of his bid within the time mentioned in his bond, and give bond as required, or if any contractor shall refuse or fail to fulfill his contract, it shall be the duty of the secretary of State, under the direction of the commissioners, to notify the attorney-general, who shall at once bring suit on the bond of such bidder or contractor against him and his sureties, and prosecute the same to judgment and final execution.

11. Settling accounts of contractor. § 11. Every bill for articles furnished, or work done by any contractor under this act, shall contain a detailed itemized account, in such form that the same may be readily compared with his contract, and shall also contain such other particulars as may be directed by the commissioners. Every bill shall first be presented to the secretary of State, who shall (except as provided in section 22 [23] of this act) carefully examine and compare the same with the vouchers and orders in his possession. If any error is found in any account, the secretary shall immediately correct the same and return the account to the contractor. When the account is found to be correct, or has been corrected and adjusted, the secretary shall certify the same, with