Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force March 3, 1837.

AN ACT to define the western boundary line of Adams, Hancock, Warren and Mercer counties.
1

Boundary of Adams county.

Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General Assembly, That all that district of country included within the following boundary, shall be attached to and compose a part of the county of Adams, to wit: commencing on the bank of the Mississippi river, where the township line between the townships three and four south touches the said river, thence due west to the middle of the main channel of said river, thence up said river in the middle of the main channel thereof, to a point due west of the place where the township line between

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townships two and three north touches the said Mississippi river, then east to the bank of said river, thence down said river following the meanderings of the same, to the place of beginning.

Boundary of Hancock county.

Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, that all that tract of country within the following boundary to wit: commencing at the point where the township line between townships two and three north touches the Mississippi river, thence due west to the main channel of said river, thence up the said river in the middle of the main channel thereof, to a place in the said river due west of where the township line between townships seven and eight north touches the said river, thence east to the bank of said river, thence down said river following the meanderings thereof, to the place of beginning, shall constitute and forever remain a part of the county of Hancock.

Boundary of Warren county

Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That all that tract of country within the following boundary to wit: commencing at a point where the township line between the townships numbered seven and eight north touches the Mississippi river, thence due west to the middle of the main channel of said river, thence up the said river in the middle of the main channel thereof, to a point due west of the place where the township line between townships twelve and thirteen north touches the said river, thence east to the bank of said river, thence down the said river, following the meanderings thereof, to the place of beginning, shall constitute and forever remain a part of the county of Warren.

Boundary of Mercer county.

Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, That all that tract of country within the following boundary to wit: beginning at the place where the line between townships twelve and thirteen north touches the Mississippi river, thence due west to the middle of the main channel of said river, thence up said river in the middle of the main channel thereof, to a point due west of the place where the line between townships fifteen and sixteen north touches the Mississippi river, thence east to the bank of said river, thence down said river, following the meanderings thereof, to the place of beginning, shall constitute and forever remain a part of the county of Mercer.2

Approved, March 3d, 1837.

1On January 16, 1837, James H. Ralston introduced HB 131, originally entitled "An Act to Define the Western Boundary Line of Adams County", in the House of Representatives. On January 30, a select committee suggested a substitute bill entitled, “A Bill to Define the Western Boundary Line of Adams, Hancock, Warren, and Mercer Counties,” to which the House concurred before sending it to a second select committee. On February 20, the select committee reported the bill back to the House with amendments, which the House again agreed to. That same day, the House passed the bill and referred it to the Senate. On February 28, the Senate passed the bill without amendment. On March 3, the Council of Revision approved the bill, and the act became law.
Illinois House Journal. 1836. 10th G. A., 1st sess., 187, 269, 400, 423, 583, 651, 772, 784, 815, 829; Illinois Senate Journal. 1836. 10th G. A., 1st sess., 471, 533-534, 559, 603.

2The act creating Adams, Hancock, Warren, and Mercer Counties in 1825 specified their western boundaries to be where the land touched the Mississippi River. This act extended the western boundaries of those counties to the center of the main channel of the Mississippi River.
“An Act Forming New Counties out of the Counties of Pike and Fulton, and the Attached Parts Thereof,” 13 January 1825, Laws Passed by the Fourth General Assembly of the State of Illinois at their First Session (1825), 92-96.