Sec[Section] 1st Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois Represented in the General Assembly, That William F. Thornton, William Prentiss[,] and John Hendrix of Shelby County and Charles Emmerson and William Riddick of Macon County be and they are hereby appointed commissioners to relocate the seat of Justice of
Clark county
Sec. 2. Said commissioners or a majority of them shall meet in Darwin on the third Monday in February 1836 or within eight days thereafter, and after taking
and subscribing an oath before some Justice of the Peace of said county faithfully and impartially without fear[,] favor[,] or affection to discharge the duties assigned them by this act, shall proceed to
the discharge of the same as is hereinafter directed.
Sec. 3. It shall be the duty of said commissioners or a majority of them to relocate
the seat of Justice of said county, at such suitable point on the national Road in said county as to them shall seem most conducive to the present and future interests[,] wants[,] convenience, and prosperity of the people of said county taking in view its nearness to the center of the present and probible future population of the county, its nearness to the geographical centre of the county, the timber, water, soil,
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and health of the adjacent country, as well as the donations that may be proposed
Sec. 4. said commissioners may ask and receive from the person or persons on whose Land
they may Locate the Seat of Justice of said county a quantity of Land as a donation of not Less thanFiftyAcres Lying on boath Sides of the National Road, or if they shall deem it most conducive to the interest of the county they may receive a Donation of not Less than five Acres in Such a Shape as may be
agreed upon by the owner or owners thereof and said commissioners provided the person
or persons making such Donation in Land will Secure to be paid to the country of clark, an additional donation of one thousand five hundred dollars one half whereof to
be paid on the first day of January 1837 and the other half on the first day of September
1837.
Sec. 5 Said commissioners Shall demand a Bond for a Deed with covenants of general warranty
to the county of clark for the Lands on which they shall make such Location, which bond together with the
securities1 for the money, and a full report of their proceedings they shall return to the clerk
of the County Commissioners Court of said County to be by said Clerk Laid before his court at its next regular or Special Term, thereafter
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Sec. 6. Should the Seat of Justice when Located under this act be removed therefrom2 previous to the year one thousand eight hundred and forty six the donor or donors
of the Land on which such Location shall be made shall have and receive from the county
of clark the sum of Two Hundred dollars.
Sec. 7. It shall be the duty of the County Commissioners of said county as soon as they shall have received the report aforesaid, to cause said Donation
to be Laid off into Lots, and to dispose of the same at such times and places, and
upon such terms as they shall deem best provided, the proceeds thereof and the money
that may be donated under this, together with the Court-House and Jail in Darwin shall go to constitute a fund for the erection of a courthouse at the new county
seat, and to be applied to no other purpose whatever.
Sec. 8. Said commissioners shall receive for their services the sum of three dollars
per day each for each day they may be necessarially employed in the discharge of the duties herein required of them to be paid out of
the County Treasury of Clark County.
Sec. 9. It shall be the duty of said commissioners to examine as far as practicable the
whole [county] and to be governed in all things by the true [interests] of the same and they shall also receive sealed
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proposals of donations of Land and money or either, and the County Commissioners of Clark County shall as soon as th[ey] receive the report of the commissioners aforesaid give a name to the place that has
been selected as the county seat; and cause a plat thereof to be recorded.
Sec. 10. All Courts that now are required by Law to be held at Darwin shall from and after the first day of June 1836 be held at the place selected under
this act.
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[ docketing
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19.
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[12]/[23]/[1835]
[12]/[23]/[1835]
Engrossed
Handwritten Document, 6 page(s), Folder 58, HB 59, GA Session: 9-2,
Illinois State Archives (Springfield, IL) ,