Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force, Jan.[January] 18, 1836.

AN ACT to locate a State Road from the termination of the Indiana State Road, to Ottowa.
1

Commissioners.

Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That Luther C. Chamberlain of Cook county, and William Stadden, and Daniel F. Hill of La Salle county, be, and they are hereby appointed commissioners, to view, survey, mark and locate a road from the termination of the Indiana state road, (which leads from Laporte in said state, to the line of this state in the direction of the Grand Rapids of the Illinois river,) to Ottowa in La Salle county, by the way of Marseilles, varying as little as practicable from a direct line, having in view the most eligible route, for its permanency, and a due regard to the public convenience.

When and where to meet.

Shall make a map.

Sec. 2. That said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall meet on the third Monday of May next, or as soon thereafter as may be, at the town of Juliet in Cook county; and being first 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 a map of the survey of said road, certified by them, and forward a copy thereof to the clerk of the county commissioners’ court, of each of the counties through which said road shall pass, which shall be by him filed in his office; and the 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.2

Compensation.

Sec. 3. The county commissioners of the several counties, shall allow said commissioners such compensation as to them shall appear reasonable and just, together with a reasonable compensation for one surveyor, two chain carriers, and one marker, which several sums shall be paid by the counties through which said road shall pass in proportion to the extent of said road in each.

Approved, Jan. 18, 1836.

1George W. P. Maxwell introduced SB 21 in the Senate on December 16, 1835. The Senate passed the bill unamended on December 21. On December 30, the House of Representatives referred the bill to a select committee. On December 31, the select committee reported back the bill with an amendment, which the House approved. The House passed the bill as amended on January 1, 1836. On January 15, the Senate made amendments to the amendments of the House. On January 16, the House approved the amendments of the Senate. On January 18, the Council of Revision approved the bill and the act became law.
Illinois House Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 2nd sess., 116, 139, 183, 191, 200, 347, 359, 369, 371; Illinois Senate Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 2nd sess., 47, 60, 82, 151, 263, 286, 288.

2State 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.
An Act concerning Public Roads, sec. 9; An Act Authorizing Commissioners’ Courts to Alter, Change, and Relocate State Roads; An Act concerning Public Roads.