In force Jan.[January] 24, 1835.
AN ACT defining the Duties of Public Printer and fixing the time and manner of performing
the same.
1All laws, journals, messages, blanks, circulars, advertisements, &c.[etc.], to be printed by public printer.
Prices to be allowed for printing for the State.
Proviso.
Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That hereafter, until the legislature shall otherwise direct, all laws, journals, bills, messages, advertisements, blanks,
certificates, circulars, or advertisements of any description, which shall be ordered
to be printed by the legislature of the State of Illinois, or by either branch thereof, or by the Governor, or by
either of the heads of departments, in pursuance of law and the discharge of their
official duties, shall be given to the public printer or printers, hereafter to be
elected by the joint ballot of the two houses of the legislature of this State, and said public printer or printers, shall receive for their services
the following prices, viz: For all laws, journals, bills, messages, reports and documents, or other printing
for the legislature, sixty-two and a half cents per thousand ems for composition, and sixty-two and a
half cents per token for press-work; for the first quire of blanks of any form, one
dollar and fifty cents, and for every subsequent quire of the same form ordered to
be printed at the same time, one dollar, except when said blanks contain so
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much rule and figure work, as that journeymen would make an extra charge, agreeably
to the rules of printing, in which case the public printer may make an advance of
fifty per cent. on the charge of the journeymen in composition and press-work: Provided, That the public printer or printers furnishes paper for printing said blanks, certificates
or circulars: And provided further, That if said blanks, certificates, or circulars, be badly or inaccurately printed,
or be printed on paper of an inferior quality, the officer ordering the same, may
refuse to receive the same; for advertising, the public printer or printers, shall
receive for every one hundred words, fifty cents the first insertion, and twenty-five
cents for every subsequent insertion that may be ordered by the officer of government
that directs the same to be published; and all other editors of papers who may publish
such advertisement by direction of the proper officer, shall receive for their services
the same as the public printer or printers for the same services.2Duty of public printer.
Sec. 2. That it shall be the duty of the public printer or printers, with the advice and concurrence
of the Secretary of State, to procure before the meeting of every legislature, on the best terms possible, paper of as good quality as is generally used in publishing
statute books, for the printing of laws, and suitable paper for all other printing
which will be wanting for the use of the legislature, and he or they shall be allowed by the State the full amount of the cost and carriage of the same, together with such reasonable
allowance for his or their trouble in providing the same; and such interest on the
money expended as may appear reasonable to the Auditor, Treasurer and Secretary of
State, subject to the supervision of the subsequent legislature. It shall be the duty of the public printer or printers, to publish the laws and
journals on long primer or small pica type, and to make the pages as large as the
paper will admit of, and leave a sufficient margin.
Shall give bond.
Sec. 3. That the public printer or printers, shall be required to give bond with sufficient
security to be approved of by the Governor, in the penal sum of two thousand dollars,
for the faithful performance of all printing and other services required to be done
by him or them, for the State or any of its officers, under the provisions of this act.
Laws and journals of the present session when to be completed.
Proviso.
Sec. 4. That the printing of the laws and journals of the present session of the legislature, shall be completed within three months after the public printer or printers, shall
have been furnished with a copy of the same; and at every succeeding session, printed
copies of the journals shall be furnished within twelve days after the adjournment
of the legislature: Provided, That the clerks of the two houses shall have furnished the public printer or printers,
every
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morning, with the proceedings of the preceding day; and the laws passed at each subsequent
session of the legislature, shall be printed within forty days after the adjournment of the legislature; and a failure on the part of the public printer or printers, shall subject him or
them to a forfeiture of six per cent. per week on the whole amount of their contract.3Compensation for binding.
Sec. 5. That the public printer or printers, shall procure the folding, stitching and binding
of all such laws and journals as may be folded, stitched and bound, and shall receive
such compensation as may be agreed upon by the Auditor, Treasurer and Secretary of
State, who shall be governed by the usages of the binders west of Cincinnati who carry on the book binding business.
Duty of Secretary of State in relation to printing laws.
Sec. 6. That it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to examine the printing of all
laws, and see that they be correctly done, and in a workman-like manner; and it shall be the duty of the Auditor, Treasurer and Secretary of State
to examine all accounts rendered by the public printer or printers, for work performed,
or materials furnished for the State, which officers shall4 call to their aid practical printers whenever they shall be satisfied that the charges
have not been correctly made.
When a contract of printing is completed, the amount to be certified by the Secretary
of State to the Auditor.
Sec. 7. That on the fulfilment of any order for printing, folding, stitching or binding, or
for paper furnished by the public printer or printers, and used in printing laws or
journals, or other work in which the State furnishes the paper, the Secretary of State shall certify the fact to the Auditor,
who shall issue his warrant on the Treasurer for the sum due such printer or printers,
which shall be paid out of any money not otherwise appropriated.
This act to take effect and be in force from its passage.
Approved, Jan. 24, 1835.
1Jesse B. Thomas, Jr. introduced HB 13 in the House of Representatives on December 8, 1834. On December 9, the House referred it to a select committee.
The select committee reported back the bill on December 16 with a substitute, in which
the House concurred. Representatives proposed amendments, and the House committed
the bill and proposed amendments to the Committee of the Whole. On December 19, the
House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole to consider the bill and proposed
amendments. The Committee of the Whole reported back the bill with various amendments,
in which the House concurred. On December 22, the House refused to strike out the
sixth section by a vote of 9 yeas to 42 nays, with Abraham Lincoln voting nay. The House also refused to table the bill until July 4 by a vote of 3
yeas to 49 nays, with Lincoln again voting nay. Representatives proposed additional
amendments, and the House referred the bill and proposed amendments to a select committee.
The select committee reported back the bill on December 23 with various amendments,
in which the House concurred. The House passed the bill as amended. On December
24, the Senate referred the bill to a select committee. The select committee reported back the
bill on December 29 without amendment. The Senate passed the bill on December 30.
The Senate re-considered this vote, and on December 31 committed the bill to the Committee
of the Whole. The Committee of the Whole reported back the bill with an amendment
striking out the second section, in which the Senate concurred. On January 12, 1835,
the Senate amended the bill by striking out the word “not” after the word “shall”
in the latter part of the sixth section. The Senate passed the bill as amended.
The House concurred in the Senate amendments on January 14. On January 24, the Council of Revision approved the bill, and the act became law.
Illinois House Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 73, 90, 124-25, 139-40, 144-45, 149, 280, 290, 360,
374, 375; Illinois Senate Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 127, 128, 131, 147, 154-55, 157, 161, 218, 253, 322.
2In 1837, the House of Representatives passed, but the Senate postponed consideration of, a bill that would have repealed parts of this section.
3In 1837, the House of Representatives passed, but the Senate postponed consideration of, a bill that would have repealed parts of this section.
4On January 12, 1835, the Senate amended the bill by removing the word “not” here after the word “shall.”
Illinois Senate Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 218.
Printed Document, 3 page(s), Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at their First Session (Vandalia, IL:
J. Y. Sawyer, 1835), 163-65, GA Session: 9-1