Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force Feb.[February] 13, 1835.

AN ACT relating to the Superintendent of the Gallatin County Saline, and for other purposes.
1

Said superintendent authorized to settle with the auditor within two months.

Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That if the Superintendent of the Gallatin County Saline, the Commissioner for the sale of the Saline Reserve lands, or the Receiver of the Vermilion Saline Reserve lands,2 or either of them, shall fail or neglect for two months after the passage of this act, to settle their respective accounts with the Auditor of public accounts, it shall be the duty of the said Auditor to commence a suit or suits against them, or either of them, with-

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out delay; which suit or suits shall not be delayed or continued, except by affidavit or by the rules and proceedings of the court where the same may be instituted.

Suit to be bro’t[brought] against any former commissioner in arrears.

Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of the Auditor aforesaid, to cause a suit to be commenced against any former Commissioner for the sale of the Gallatin Saline lands, or Receiver of the Vermilion Saline lands, for any balance that may remain due and unpaid for two months after the passage of this act, which said suit or suits shall not be delayed or continued, except upon affidavit or by the rules and proceedings of the court where the same may be instituted.3

In case of a recovery.

Sec. 3. Should a recovery be had by the said Auditor, on behalf of the State, it shall be a part of the judgment of the court, that the said Auditor, on behalf of the State, shall recover, in addition to the amount due, and interest thereon, ten per centum by way of damages, and all costs.

Approved, Feb. 13, 1835.

1In response to a communication from the Auditor of Public Accounts, Conrad Will of the Committee on Salines made a report to the Senate on February 11, 1835. In the report, the Committee stated that the superintendent, receiver, and commissioner had not settled their accounts with the Auditor or conveyed the proceeds from rent and sales of the saline lands to the state. Because of these problems, the committee introduced SB 126, which dealt only with the superintendent. Earlier that month, the General Assembly had already passed an act requiring the receiver of the Vermilion Saline lands and the commissioner of the Gallatin Saline lands to pay all funds in their hands to the state treasury. The Senate referred the bill to a select committee. The select committee reported back the bill without amendment on February 12, recommending its rejection. The Senate did not concur, and passed the bill on February 13. The House of Representatives concurred the same day, and later that day, the Council of Revision approved the bill, and the act became law.
Illinois House Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 564, 565, 568, 572; Illinois Senate Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 488-90, 514, 524, 526, 527, 531.

2The General Assembly appointed the superintendent of the Gallatin County Saline lands, and he held the office for four years. The duties of the superintendent were to execute leases, collect rents, and manage the state’s property in the Gallatin Saline lands. In December each year, he was to settle accounts with the state auditor and pay any money belonging to the state into the state treasury. The General Assembly also appointed the commissioner for sales of the Gallatin Saline lands and the receiver of the Vermilion Saline lands. The commissioner for sales was responsible for settling accounts with the state auditor every six months and paying to the designated authorities and the state treasury all income from the sale of Gallatin Saline lands. Similarly, the receiver was responsible for settling accounts with the state auditor and for paying to the designated counties all income from the Vermilion Saline lands every six months.
“An Act concerning the Saline Reserves, a Penitentiary, and the improvement of certain Navigable Streams,” 15 February 1827, Revised Code of Laws of Illinois (1827), 353-60; “An Act Regulating the Gallatin County Saline,” 2 February 1827, Revised Code of Laws of Illinois (1827), 360-64; “An Act Providing for the Sale of the Vermilion Saline Reserve, and Appropriating the Avails Thereof,” 19 January 1829, Revised Code of Laws of Illinois (1829), 143-49.

3William J. Gatewood resigned as commissioner of sales of Gallatin Saline Lands in December 1834. On December 13, the General Assembly elected Tyler D. Hewitt by a near-unanimous vote, including Abraham Lincoln, to succeed Gatewood.
Illinois Senate Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 82, 90-91.