Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force Feb.[February] 11, 1835.

AN ACT to provide for building a Toll Bridge across the Little Calimic.
1

Persons authorized to build a toll bridge.

Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That Timothy R. Hale, John Mann, Nelson R. Norton, and James Kinzie of the county of Cook, be, and they are hereby authorized to erect a toll bridge across the Little Calimic in said county, at or near the place where the State road crosses the same leading from Chicago to La Porte in the State of Indiana.

Shall be kept in repair.

If left out of repair.

Proviso.

Sec. 2. The said Timothy R. Hale, John Mann, Nelson R. Norton and James Kinzie, their heirs and assigns, shall at all times after the completion of said bridge, keep the same in good repair, and allow at all times a speedy pas-

<Page 2>
sage to all persons and their property over it, upon the receipt of the toll, as hereinafter provided by this act; and if, at any time, the said bridge shall be left out of repair, so as the same shall be impassable for the space of six months at any one time, the said bridge shall accrue to the county of Cook: Provided, however, That the destruction of said bridge by fire, high water, or other unaccountable casualty, shall not operate as a forfeiture of the privileges hereby granted; but the said proprietors, their heirs and assigns, shall immediately proceed to rebuild said bridge or repair the damages.

When the same shall be commenced and completed.

Sec. 3. Said Hale, Mann, Norton and Kinzie, shall commence and complete the said bridge within eighteen months from the passage of this act, in a good and substantial manner for the safe crossing of persons, wagons, and droves of cattle over it; and when the said bridge is so completed, the owners or proprietors of the same shall have the right to place at either end of said bridge a toll gate, and they are hereby authorized to ask and demand from all persons crossing the same, such rates of toll as is hereinafter provided.

Rates of toll.

Sec. 4. The rates of toll for crossing over said bridge, shall be as follows: For each score of hogs, sheep or goats, twelve and a half cents; each mule, ass or horse, three cents; each head of cattle, three cents; each man and horse, six and a fourth cents; each one horse wagon or vehicle of any kind, twelve and a half cents; each wagon or other vehicle drawn by two horses or oxen, eighteen and three fourth cents; each wagon or other vehicle drawn by three horses or oxen, twenty-five cents; each wagon or other vehicle drawn by four or more horses or oxen, thirty-seven and a half cents: Provided, That persons traveling on foot shall not be required to pay toll: Provided, further, That all persons shall have a right to cross said bridge in going to and returning from any muster or election, and all grand and petit jurors in going to and returning from court, shall be permitted to cross said bridge free from toll for themselves and their horses.

Said bridge may be purchased by the county of Cook.

Sec. 5. Whenever the county commissioners’ court of the county of Cook shall deem it expedient to purchase out said bridge, and make it a free one, they shall have the right so to do, upon paying the said Hale, Mann, Norton and Kinzie, the original cost of said bridge, with ten per cent. interest on the same; and for the purpose of enabling said commissioners to know what the actual cost of said bridge was, the said proprietors shall, as soon as the said bridge is completed, make out and file with the clerk of the county commissioners’ court, an account of the actual expense of

<Page 3>
building the same, and make oath to it before said clerk or some justice of the peace of the county.

How constructed.

Sec. 6. That the said Hale, Mann, Norton and Kinzie, be, and they are hereby required to construct said bridge so that rafts of logs, lumber and plank, or either, may safely pass under the same; and if they should fail to comply with this requisition, all privileges and powers granted them by this act, shall be forfeited.

This act to be in force from and after its passage.

Approved, Feb. 11, 1835.

1On December 31, 1834, John Hamlin presented in the House of Representatives the petition of sundry citizens of Cook County asking for the passage of an act authorizing Timothy R. Hale to build a toll-bridge across theLittle Calimic River. The House referred the petition to a select committee. Hamlin from the select committee introduced HB 95 in the House on January 9, 1835. On January 13, the House referred it to a select committee. The select committee reported back the bill on January 17 with an amendment, in which the House concurred. The House passed the bill as amended on January 19. On January 21, the Senate referred the bill to a select committee. The select committee reported back the bill on January 28 with an amendment, in which the Senate concurred. The Senate passed the bill as amended on January 31. The House concurred in the Senate amendments on February 5. On February 11, the Council of Revision approved the bill and the act became law.
Journal of the House of Representatives of the Ninth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, at their First Session, Begun and Held in the Town of Vandalia, December 1, 1834 (Vandalia, IL: J. Y. Sawyer, 1835), 185, 254, 274, 288, 313, 329, 465, 525, 530, 532, 388; Journal of the Senate, of the Ninth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, at their First Session, Begun and Held in the Town of Vandalia, December 1, 1834 (Vandalia, IL: J. W. Sawyer, 1835), 282, 293, 357, 391-392, 443, 483, 486, 497;Journal of the House of Representatives of the Ninth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, at their Second Session, Begun and Held in Pursuance of the Proclamation of the Governor, in the Town of Vandalia, December 7, 1835 (Vandalia, IL: J. Y. Sawyer, 1835), 388.