A Bill for an act to create the County of Coffee

Section 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General Assembly, That all that tract of Country lying within the folowing boundaries towit: Begining on the north boundary line of Peoria County, at the south East corner of Township Twelve north, range seven East of the fourth principal meridian, running thence West with the line dividing Townships eleven and twelve^8^ north to the “middle of Range six, thence south two miles, ^9^ thence west to the Knox County line,” Thence north along said line “and the line” dividing ranges four and five East to the line dividing Townships fourteen and fifteen north thence East with said line to the line dividing range Seven& eight East. Thence South with said line to the place of begining shall constitute a new County to be called the County of Coffee.

Section 2. That Benjamin Mitchell of Tazwell County^ 2 ^3^ ^ Samuel Hackelton of Fulton County and Richard N. Cullom of Tazwell County be and are ^2^ hereby appointed commissioners to locate the Seat of Justice for said new County ^[...?]^ Said commissioners or a majority of them Shall meet at the House of Elijah M^cClanahan Senior, on the first Monday in may next, or as soon thereafter as may be, and after being duly qualified before Some Justice of the peace faithfully to perform the duties required of them by this act, shall proceed to locate and establish the permanent Seat of Justice of said County having due regard to the Geographical Situation, the Settlements, and the convenience of the present and future population of Said County. If Said County Seat shall be located on private property, The owners of the Same shall donate and convey not less than forty nor more than one hundred and Sixty acres of land to the County commissioners of such County for the use and benefit of Such County, on

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which the public buildings shall be erected, and if on Congress land, then said Commissioners shall secure the title to the Same for the use and benefit of said County and the public buildings shall be erected thereon, and when the County seat shall be so located, it shall be and remain the permanent seat of Justice for said County, and if Said County seat shall be located on land not heretofore laid out in a Town the name of said seat of Justice thus located, shall be Ripley.

Section 3. That the citizens of said County hereby created, are and shall be entitled in all respects to the Same rights and privileges as are allowed in general to the citizens of other counties of this State, and until public buildings shall be erected for that purpose the courts shall be held at the house of Elijah M^cClanahan Senior, or at any other place which may be designated by the county commissioners

Section 4. That the qualified voters of Said County shall meet at the several places of holding elections on the first Monday in June next and proceed to elect County officers and returns of Said elections shall be made by the Judges and Clerk of Said election to the Justices, said Justices Shall meet at the house of Elijah M^cClanahan Senior within Seven days after Said election, and proceed to open Said returns and in all things perform the duties required by law of the Clerks of County commissioners Courts and Justices of the peace in like cases. And Said officers thus elected in accordance with the provisions of this act shall hold their offices until the next General elelction and until their Successors are elected and qualified

Section 5. That after the election of County officers as herein provided the persons electedCounty commissioners

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are hereby authorised to administer individually the oaths of office to each other, and all other officers of Said county, Said commissioners shall within Ten days after their election meet together, as a court appoint a clerk, and lay off their county into Justice[’]s District, and order elections to be held for additional Justices of the peace, and constables at a time to be fixed by them, which officers So elected shall hold their offices until others are elected and qualified, Provided However That nothing in this act shall be so construed as to repeal out of office any Justice of the peace or constable that was elected to Said offices in either of the counties from which Said new County was created, and now reside withing the limits of Said new County.

Section 6. The County of Coffee in all respects elections except for County officers shall be attached to the County of Putnam, and shall make his returns accordingly. Said County shall constitute a part of the sixth Judicial Circuit, and a Circuit Court shall be held for said County twice a year at Such times as may be fixed upon by the Judge of Said Circuit.

Section 7. The Commissioners appointed to locate the County seat, shall be entitled to each receive the Sum of three dollars per day for the time they are employed in locating the the Same to be paid out of the County Treasury.

This act to take effect from and after its passage.