Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln to William Butler, 23 February 18391
Vandalia, Feb. 23^rd 1839Dear Butler:
Yours of the 16^th enclosing a note for my signature is duly received—2 I am much obliged to you for your attention to this matter— I had not myself forgotten it— Before this reaches you, you will have learned that I had already sent a blank note with my name to Stuart to fix this same bussiness—3 I now sign the note you sent me, and enclose it to you—4 We have got a provision through the House attaching that part of Shelby to Dane county which was first petitioned for, which provision, we think will pass the Senate, as the Shelby Senator goes for it—5 We will adjourn on the 4^th of March— I would rather you should not be at the trouble of sending me a horse, as you kindly offered to do, in one of your former letters— I will get your clerk fee bill through, unless it shall be lost for want of time, which I somewhat fear—6

No news—
Your friend as everA. Lincoln

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12½
VANDALIA ILL^s
FEB[February] 24M^r W^m ButlerSpringfieldIllinois

[ docketing ]
02/21/1839
Butler, William

A Lincoln
Vandalia
Feby 21^st 1839

1Abraham Lincoln wrote the body of the letter, his signature, and the address.” William Butler penned the docketing.

2Butler’s letter has not been located.

3Abraham Lincoln to John T. Stuart.

4Lincoln’s signed note is not enclosed.

5The Senate passed the bill as amended by the House on February 25, and the act became law on February 26. This was tangentially connected with the division of Sangamon County. See Abraham Lincoln to William Butler.

6Lincoln introduced HB 272 in the House of Representatives on February 6, and the House and Senate passed it and laid it before Council of Revision on March 2. The Council did not have time to act on the bill before the session ended in March 4, so it did not appear in the laws for first session of the Eleventh General Assembly. Lincoln queried Alexander P. Field, the secretary of state, about the disposition of the bill in a letter on May 11, and he received a reply on May 17 that the Council had tabled the bill. By law, ten days not having intervened before the adjournment of the 1st session, and the Council having no objections, the act became law on December 9, the first day of the special session.
Illinois House Journal. 1838. 11th G. A., 1st sess., 353, 410, 435, 492, 595, 597; Illinois Senate Journal. 1838. 11th G. A., 1st sess., 407, 485, 491-92, 498, 507; “An Act for the Relief of the Clerks of the Circuit Courts of Sangamon, Clinton, Fayette and Franklin counties,” 9 December 1839, Laws of Illinois (1840), 156.