Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force Feb.[February] 13, 1835.

AN ACT for the benefit of the Counties therein named.
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The sum appropriated to the improvement of the Kaskaskia river removed.

Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That the sum of two thousand dollars, appropriated to improve the navigation of the Kaskaskia river, by an act providing for the sale of the Vermilion Saline Reserve and appropriating the avails thereof, approved, January 19th, 1829,2 be, and the same is divided and appropriated as follows:

Randolph.

To the county of Randolph, the sum of three hundred dollars, to be expended in the erection of a bridge over Mary’s river, where the State road from Brownsville to Kaskaskia crosses the same.

Perry.

To the county of Perry, one hundred dollars, to be applied in building bridges, as the county commissioners’ court may direct.3

Monroe.

To the county of Monroe, the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars.

Washington.

To the county of Washington, two hundred and fifty dollars.

St. Clair.

To the county of St. Clair, three hundred dollars.

Clinton.

To the county of Clinton, four hundred dollars.

Fayette.

To the county of Fayette, three hundred dollars. 4

Marion.

To the county of Marion, one hundred dollars, to be applied to internal improvements.5

Bond.

To the county of Bond, one hundred dollars. 6

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Auditor to draw his warrant on the Treasury for the several sums hereby appropriated, in favor of the several counties.

Sec. 2. Whenever the money arising from the sales of the Vermilion Saline lands shall be received into the Treasury, as provided for by law, at the present session, it shall be the duty of the Auditor of public accounts, on the application of the county commissioners of the several counties aforesaid, or their authorized agent, to issue his warrant on the Treasurer for the several sums respectively hereby appropriated to the counties aforesaid, and which said money, when so received, shall be deposited in the several County Treasuries, for the use of the people of said counties: Provided, That said Auditor shall not issue said warrants for an amount exceeding that which would be payable for the improvement of the Kaskaskia river, under the laws now in force for the distribution of the proceeds of the Saline lands. So much of the act to which this is an amendment, as comes within the purview of this act, is hereby repealed.7

Approved, Feb. 13, 1835.

1John W. Vance introduced SB 109, originally titled “A Bill Making Certain Appropriations,” in the Senate on January 29, 1835. The Senate tabled the bill. On February 11, the Senate took up the bill and referred it to a select committee. On February 12, the select committee reported back the bill with an amendment, in which the Senate concurred. The Senate passed the bill, amending the title so as to read “A Bill for the Benefit of the Counties Therein Named.” On February 12, the House of Representatives referred the bill and amended title to a select committee. The select committee reported back the bill with amendments, and the House amended one amendment with a clause on Marion County. The House passed the bill as amended by a vote of 34 yeas to 8 nays, withAbraham Lincoln voting yea. The Senate concurred in the third amendment of the House, but did not concur in amendments related to Marion and Randolph counties. The Senate later re-considered its vote on the House amendments, amending the first so as to allow sums for Randolph and Perry counties, and the second so as to allow sums for Fayette and Marion counties. The Senate then concurred in the House amendments as amended. The House amended the Senate amendment by adding after the word “Marion” the words “And to the county of Bond the sum of one hundred dollars.” The House concurred in the Senate amendments as amended. On February 13, the Senate concurred with the House amendment to the Senate amendments. The Council of Revision approved the bill on the same day and the act became law.
Illinois House Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 543, 546, 551, 552, 558-59, 564, 568, 572; Illinois Senate Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 372, 494, 504, 513, 516, 522, 526, 531.

2Section 12 of the 1829 act determined the distribution of net proceeds from the sale of 10,000 acres of saline lands, most of which was earmarked for the improvement of navigation on Illinois rivers and the building of bridges over those waterways.
“An Act Providing for the Sale of the Vermilion Saline Reserve, and Appropriating the Avails Thereof,” 19 January 1929,” The Revised Code of Laws of the State of Illinois (1829), 143-49.

3On February 12, 1835, the Senate amended the bill by adding provisions for Randolph and Perry counties.
Illinois Senate Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 516.

4On February 12, 1835, the Senate amended the bill by adding provision for Fayette County. Journal of the Senate, of the Ninth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, 516.

5On February 12, 1835, the House of Representatives amended the bill by adding a clause on Marion Country. The Senate concurred with this amendment on February 12.
Illinois House Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 551; Illinois Senate Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 516.

6On February 12, 1835, the House of Representatives amended the bill by adding the provision for Bond County.
Illinois House Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 558.
The appropriations listed above, redistributing the $2,000 originally reserved for the improvement of the navigation of the Kaskaskia River, added up to $2,100 and not $2,000. The $2,100 was, possibly, a maximum budget of expenditures, and the legislature thought it likely that some of the various expenditures for internal improvements in individual counties would come in under their individual appropriations.

Just a few days prior to the passage of this act, Benjamin Bond, an Illinois senator from Monroe County, introduced a resolution asking their senators and representatives in Congress to seek federal funding for the Kaskaskia River from Vandalia, Illinois, to its confluence with Mississippi River. Bond and perhaps other members of the legislature may have thought that federal funding was possible and, thus, redistributed their own appropriation for that purpose. However, there was no Congressional act forthcoming and, ultimately, the Illinois legislature passed a stand-alone act to improve the navigation of the Kaskaskia River.

Resolution of Illinois General Assembly regarding the Improvement of Navigation of the Kaskaskia River; An Act to Improve the Navigation of the Kaskaskia River.

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