Bill for an act to organise Henry County and establish the county seat thereof
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Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General assembly, that the County of Henry, shall be organised in the following manner to wit: for the purpose of fixing the permanent seat of Justice of said county, the following persons are appointed commis- sioners. v.i.z. Jonas Rawalt of Fulton county, Charles S. Boyd of Putnam county and Abner Edes of Jo. Daviess County, who, or a majority of whom, being duly sworn before some jus- tice of the Peace of this State, faithfully to take into view the con- venience of the people, the situation of the settlements, with an eye to the future population and eligibility of the place, shall meet at the house of Doctor Thomas Baker in said county on the first ^third^ Monday of July ^June^ or as soon thereafter as may be, and proceed to examine and determine on a place for the per- manent seat of justice of said county, and designate the same. Provided, that the said county seat shall be located on lands belong- ing to the United States, if a site for said county seat on such lands can be found equally eligible, or upon lands owned by citizens of said county: but if the said location be made upon land owned by any individual of said county, the owner or owners thereof |
shall make a deed in fee simple, to twenty acres of said land to the said county: and the proceeds of such quarter sections, if the said county seat shall be located
on government lands, or the proceeds of such twenty acres of land, if it be located
on the property of individual or individuals, shall be appropriated to the erection
of a sufficient court house and jail.
Sec. 2. An election shall be holden at the House of George Brandenburg, in said county on the third monday of June next, for one sheriff, one coroner, one recorder one
county surveyor, and three county commissioners, who shall hold their offices until
the next general election, and until their successors are qualified: which said election
shall be conducted in all respects agreeably to the Law of elections: Provided, that
the qualified voters present, may elect from their own number, three qualified electo ^voters^ to act as Judges of said election, who shall appoint two qualified voters to act
as clerks.
Sec. 3. Until public buildings shall be erected for the purpose, the courts shall be held
at the house of said George Brandenburg, or, at the school house in Morristown, as the county commissioners may direct.
Sec. 4. It shall be the duty of the Clerk of the county commissioners court of Knox County to give at least ten day’s notice of the first election of county officers in said
Henry County and shall cause the same to be posted up at three of the most public places in said
county.
Sec. 5. The commissioners appointed to locate said county
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seat, shall receive the sum of three dollars for each day by them necessarily spent
in discharging the duties imposed on them by this act, to be to be allowed by the
county commissioner’s court of said county and to be paid out of the county Treasury.
Sec. 6. After the election of county officers, as herein provided, the persons elected
county commissioners, are hereby authorised to administer the oaths of office to each other; and they are severally authorised to administer the oaths of office to all other county officers. And 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 districts, and order elections
for Justices of Peace and constables, at a time to be fixed by them: and the said
Justices of the Peace and constables so elected, shall hold their offices, until others
are elected, and qualified under the Law providing for the election of Justices of
the Peace. The Clerk of the County commissioners’ court shall deliver to each person elected Justice of the Peace and constable, a certificate
of such election; and each person elected Justice of the Peace is hereby authorised, upon executing bonds as required by law, to enter upon the duties of his office,
and to exercise and perform all the duties of Justice of the Peace, as fully as though
such power had received a commission from the Governor.
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To be engrossed
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Handwritten Document, 4 page(s), Folder 326, SB 64, GA Session 10-1, Illinois State Archives (Springfield, IL) ,