Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force Feb.[February] 9, 1835.

AN ACT to locate a State Road from Rushville in Schuyler County, to the Town of Commerce in Hancock County.
1

Commissioners appointed to locate said road.

Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That Alexander Hollingsworth of Schuyler county, and James Miller of Hancock county, be, and they are hereby appointed commissioners to view, mark and locate a road from Rushville in Schuyler county, the nearest and best route, running into Hancock county at or near the south east corner of township four north, five west, thence to Carthage the seat of justice of Hancock county, thence to the town of Commerce on the Mississippi river, having in view its permanency and a due regard to the public convenience and private interest.2

When and where to meet.

Shall make report.

Declared a state road.

Sec. 2. The said commissioners shall meet on the first Monday in June next, or within two months thereafter, at Rushville in Schuyler county, and after being duly sworn before some justice of the peace faithfully to discharge the duties required of them by this act, shall proceed to view, mark and locate said road, and as soon as practicable thereafter, cause to be made out a report of the location of said road, designating the most noted points thereon, and return a copy of the same to the clerk of the county commission

<Page 2>
ers’ court of each of said counties, which shall be by him filed in his office, and said road thus laid out, shall be, and is hereby declared a public State road, and shall be opened and kept in repair in the same manner as other public roads are.

Compensation.

Sec. 3. The said commissioners are authorized to employ one person as a marker to assist in locating said road, and the county commissioners of said counties, shall allow said commissioners and marker, a sum not exceeding one dollar and fifty cents each for every day necessarily employed in locating and marking said road, to be paid equally out of the County Treasury of each of said counties when said commissioners shall have filed a copy of the report as recited in this act, duly certified and attested by them.

Approved, Feb. 9, 1835.

1On January 5, 1835, the Senate received a petition of sundry citizens of Hancock County praying for the establishment of a certain state road. The Senate referred the petition to the Committee on Petitions. Henry J. Mills from the Committee on Petitions introduced SB 45, originally titled “A Bill concerning a State Road Therein Named,” in the Senate on January 6. The Senate passed the bill on January 12. On January 15, the House of Representatives referred the bill to a select committee. The select committee reported back the bill on January 20 with a substitute, in which the House concurred. On January 22, the House passed the substitute bill. The House amended the title of the bill so as to read “A Bill to Locate a State Road from Rushville in Schuyler County, to the Town of Commerce in Hancock County.” On January 27, the Senate amended the House version by striking out the word “injury” in the first section, and inserting in lieu thereof the word “interest.” The Senate referred the bill and proposed amendment to a select committee. The select committee reported back the bill on January 28 without amendment, and the Senate concurred in the House substitute and title as amended. The House concurred in the Senate amendment on February 5. On February 9, 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, Ill.: J. Y. Sawyer, 1835), 280, 296, 334, 353, 504, 507, 513; 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, Ill.: J. W. Sawyer, 1835), 176, 189, 199, 218, 313, 346, 357, 443, 467, 471-472, 473; 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, Ill.: J. Y. Sawyer, 1835), 386.

2On January 22, the House of Representatives passed a substitute to the original Senate bill and amended the title. On January 27, the Senate amended the bill text by striking out the word “injury” and inserting in lieu thereof “interest.” 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, Ill.: J. Y. Sawyer, 1835), 353; 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, Ill.: J. W. Sawyer, 1835), 346.