In force Dec.[December] 24, 1834.
AN ACT for the relief of Douglass Merrill and William Gassaway.
1Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That the sum of seventy-five dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated to
Douglass Merrill; and William Gassaway twenty-five dollars, to be paid on the warrant of the Auditor, out of any moneys
in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, in full compensation for the apprehension,
by said Merrill, of Henry C. Shouse, since convicted of murder in the Pope county circuit court.
Approved, Dec. 24, 1835.
1On December 5, 1834, James Hampton presented the petition of Douglass Merrill asking compensation for returning Henry C. Shouse from Arkansas to stand trial in Gallatin County. The House of Representatives referred the petition to the Committee on Petitions. John T. Stuart, from that committee, introduced HB 10, originally entitled “A Bill for the Relief of Douglass Merrill,” on December 8. The following day, the House considered a motion to fill the blank
with $200, and the House referred the bill and proposed amendment to a select committee.
The select committee reported back the bill on December 10 with an amendment. The
House re-committed the bill to a select committee, together with instructions to inquire
whether the state had ever given any money to Merrill for this service. The select committee reported
back the bill in the afternoon session of December 10 with an amendment. The House
amended the select committee’s report by striking out “$25” as compensation for Merrill.
The House concurred with the report of the select committee as amended. On December
11, the House amended the bill by striking out “$100” and inserting “$75,” and by
adding “and to William Gassaway, the sum of Twenty-five dollars.” On December 12, the House passed the bill as amended,
amending the title so as to read “A Bill for the Relief of Douglass Merrill and William
Gassaway.” The Senate passed the bill on December 18. On December 24, the Council of Revision approved the bill, and the act became law.
Illinois House Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 62, 72, 90, 95, 96, 102, 112, 138, 143, 149, 161; Illinois
Senate Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 89, 101, 113, 122, 124, 135.
Printed Document, 1 page(s), Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at their First Session (Vandalia, IL:
J. Y. Sawyer, 1835), 72, GA Session: 9-1