SPRINGER, William McKendree, lawyer, born in New Lebanon, Sullivan County, Indiana, 30 May, 1836. His family removed to Jacksonville, Ii1., in 1848, and, after receiving his early education at the Illinois college, he was graduated at Indiana uni-versify in 1858, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1859, and practised in Springfield, Illinois, where he still resides, tie was secretary of the State constitutional convention of 1862, served in the legislature in 1871-'2, which was engaged in revising the laws of the state, and was elected to congress as a Democrat, serving since 4 March, 1875. On 15 December, 1875, he introduced in the house his resolution declaring the precedent of retiring from the presidential office after the second term has become a part of our republican system, and that any departure from this time-honored custom would be unwise, unpatriotic, and fraught with peril to our free institutions, which was adopted--yeas, 233, nays, 18. This large affirmative vote contributed materially to the defeat of President Grant for renomination in 1876 for a third term. In 1875 he was appointed chairman of the committee on expenditures in the state department, and has been a member of other important committees, including the Potter committee, which investigated the presidential election of 1876, and of the joint committee which reported the electoral commission bill of 1876-'7, and in 1882-'4 delivered numerous and exhaustive speeches in congress on the establishment of the tariff commission and the revision of the tariff. He has also introduced several notable bills, and his amendment to the bill granting $1,500,000 to the Centennial commissioners and his successful efforts in recovering the amount through the United States supreme court have won for him a wide reputation. During the 50th congress he secured favorable action in the committee on territories, of which he was chairman, on his bill to provide for the organization of the territory of Oklahoma, and on his bill to enable the people of Dakota, Montana, Washington, and New Mexico to form constitutions and state governments. In 1888 he was chairman of the committee of the whole house pending the protracted debate on the tariff bill. In May, 1888, he was renominated as a candidate for the 51st congress.--His wife, Rebecca Rater, author, born in Indianapolis, Indiana, 8 November, 1832, is the daughter of the Reverend Calvin W. Ruter, a clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1850 she was graduated at the Wesleyan female college, Cincinnati, and on 15 December, 1859, she married Mr. Springer. She is the author of numerous fugitive poems, and of two novels, "Beechwood" (Philadelphia, 1873), and "Self " (1881).