1
A Bill
For an act relating to the residuum of the Vermilion Saline Lands.
Sect.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the state of Illinois represented in the General Assembly, That the balance of the Sali Vermilion Saline lands authorized to be sold and disposed of by this state by act of Congress, shall be distributed and divided among the following Counties in the following proportion
viz: To the County of Vermilion two sections thereof to be selected by the County Commissioners of ^in^ said County who have been appointed to superintend the building of a bridge around the Big Vermilion River2
Sect. 2. The proceeds of said sections shall be employed in the creation of said bridge
under the superintendence of said commissioners, and all deeds of conveyance made by them for the sale and conveyance of said sections
or any part thereof, shall be valid in law and confer such title as the state has, upon the purchaser or purchasers thereof.
Sect. 3. There shall be granted of said lands to the County of Lawrence one section to be
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selected by the County Commissioners of said County who are required to expend the proceeds thereof in the improvement of that road part of the state road3 leading from Vincennes to St Louis as passes through the Purgatory Swamp; and all sales and conveyances made by said
commissioners of said land or any part thereof for such purpose shall be good and valid in law,
and confer to upon the purchaser or purchasers thereof, such title as the state may have to said land.
Sect. 4. There4 County Commissioners of ^shall be granted of said land to^ Jackson County one ^half^ section ^and one half section to Alexander County^ to be selected by the County Commissioners of ^said^ that counties5, who are required to expend the proceeds thereof in work of internal improvement
in said Counties6, and all Sales and conveyances made by said Commissioners of said land or any part thereof for such purposes shall be good and valid in
law and confer such title as the state may have, upon the purchaser or purchasers thereof.
Sect. 5. There shall be granted of said
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land to the County of Union, to be selected in the same manner, one half section ^the proceeds of which^ to be expended by the supervisor or his successor of the road leading from Golconda to Jonseboro’ in digging down and repairing the Hill at the East end of Main Cross Street in the
said town of Jonesboro’; and all sales and conveyances made by said County Commissioners of the whole or any part of said land, shall be valid in law and confer such the title as the state has, upon the purchaser or purchasers thereof.
Sect. 6. There shall be granted ^of said land^ to the County of Franklin one half section to be selected in the same manner the proceeds of which shall be
expended by the said County Commissioners of said County in completing the bridge across the Big Muddy River on the road leading from Frankfort to St Louis; and all sales and Conveyances made by said County commissioners, of the whole or any part of
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said land shall be valid in law, and confer such title as the state has, upon the purchaser or purchasers thereof.
Sect. 7. There shall be granted to the county of McLean, of said land, one half section to be selected in the same manner, the proceeds of
which shall be expended by the said county Commissioners in works of internal improvement in said county; and all sales and conveyances of the whole or any part of said land by the said
county Commissioners^for such purpose^ shall be valid in law and shall confer such title as the state has upon the purchaser or purchasers thereof.
Sect. 8. There shall be granted to the county of Macon, of said land, one half section to be selected in the same manner, the proceeds of
which shall be expended by the said county commissioners in works of internal improvement in said county; and all sales and conveyances of said land or any part
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thereof by said County Commissioners, for that purpose shall be valid in law, and shall confer such title as the state has, upon the purchaser or purchasers thereof.
Sect. 9. There shall be granted of said land to the County of Coles ^of said land, ^ one half section to be selected in the same manner, the proceeds of which shall be
expended by the said County Commissioners in works of internal improvement in said County; and all sales and conveyances of said land or any part thereof by said County Commissioners, for such purpose, shall be valid in law, and shall confer such title as the state has, upon the purcha[ser] or purchasers thereof.
Sect. 10. There shall be granted to the County of Shelby, of said land, one half section to be selected in the same manner, the proceeds of
which shall be expended by the said County Commissioners in works of internal improvement in said County; and all sales and conveyances of said land or any part thereof shall for such purpose, shall be valid in law and shall confer such title as the state has, upon the purchaser or purchasers thereof.
Sect. 11. There shall be granted to the County
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of Iroquois, of said land, one half section to be selected in the same manner, the proceeds of
which shall be expended by the said County Commissioners in works of internal improvement ^in building a bridge or bridges across [?] Creek^ ^on the state road where it crosses the same^ in said County, and all sales and conveyances of said land or any part thereof by the said County Commissioners for such purpose, shall be valid in law, and shall confer such title as the state has, upon the purchaser or purchasers thereof.
Sect. 12. There shall be granted to the county of Washington, of said land, one half section to be selected in the same manner, the proceeds of
which shall be expended by the said County Commissioners in works of internal improvement in Said County; and all sales and Conveyances of said land or any part thereof by the said County Commissioners, for such purpose, shall be valid in law; and shall Confer such title as the state has, upon the purchaser or purchasers thereof.
This act to be in force and after it passage.7
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A Bill For an act relating to the Residuum of the Vermilion Saline Lands.
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[02]/[11]/[1835]
[02]/[11]/[1835]
(2)
1On January 29, 1835, the Senate adopted a resolution instructing the Committee on Salines to report on the condition
of Saline Reserve Lands, including the number of acres sold, the amount realized from the sale thereof,
and the quantity of acres unsold. In response to this resolution, Conrad Will of the Committee on Salines introduced the committee’s report on February 11, together
with SB 124 and three other bills. The Senate referred it to a select committee.
The select committee reported back the bill with an amendment, in which the Senate
concurred. The Senate passed the bill as amended on February 12. On February 12,
members of the House of Representatives proposed several amendments to the bill, and the House referred the bill and proposed
amendments to a select committee. The select committee reported back the bill on
February 13 without amendment, recommending its rejection. The House refused to read
the bill a third time.
Illinois House Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 558, 559-60, 565-66, 572; Illinois Senate Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 365-66, 491, 492, 516.
2Selling portions of the Saline Reserve Lands and appropriating the proceeds for public works was part of the Illinois Internal Improvement System. In 1827, the General Assembly petitioned Congress for permission to sell 30,000 acres in either Gallatin County or Vermilion County. An area on the Vermilion River in Vermilion County was eventually selected for sale, and the General Assembly, anticipating
congressional approval, enacted a law in 1829 establishing the mechanism for the sale
and appropriating the revenue received therefrom. Sections ten, eleven, twelve, and
thirteen appropriated the proceeds to various counties. Section thirteen authorized
the receiver appointed by the act to make the appropriations.
“An Act concerning the Saline Reserves, a Penitentiary, and the Improvement of Certain
Navigable Streams,” 15 February 1827, The Revised Code of Laws, of Illinois (1827),
353-60; “An Act Providing for the Sale of the Vermilion Saline Reserve, and Appropriating
the Avails Thereof,” 19 January 1829, The Revised Code of Laws, of Illinois (1829), 143-49.
3State roads were those public roads established or designated by the General Assembly and usually crossed county lines. Only the General Assembly could establish, alter,
or abandon state roads, until 1840 and 1841, when the General Assembly gave counties
the authority to alter or to abandon state roads upon petition by a majority of voters
in the area of the change.
7The Senate Committee on Salines reported to the Senate that the commissioner appointed to sell the Vermilion Saline Reserve had sold 20,013 acres, realizing $25,340. Having disposed of a large portion of
the land, the committee believed that the commissioner’s office should be abolished,
and the county commissioners courts of the counties most entitled to appropriations out of the residuum should be permitted
to select portions thereof for public works. In the next session, the Senate debated
and rejected a similar bill.
Illinois Senate Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 488-90;
Illinois Senate Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 2nd sess., 275.
Handwritten Document, 6 page(s), Folder 271, SB 124, GA Session: 9-1,
Illinois State Archives (Springfield, IL)