In force March 4th 1837.
AN ACT for the relief of William Armstrong, Benjamin Chesney and William Henson.
1Allowed to peddle, traffic, at public auction goods &c[etc.]
Proviso.
Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That William Armstrong, Benjamin Chesney2, and William Henson be, and they are hereby authorised to vend, peddle, sell or traffic at public auction or private sale, in any part of
this State, any goods, wares, or merchandise, (clocks excepted) without being required to obtain
a licence as now required by law,3 Provided, nothing herein contained shall authorise the vending, peddling, selling, or trafficing aforesaid, unless he or they shall be the bona fide owner or owners of the goods,
wares, or merchandise thus to be disposed of, and provided this act shall not be in
force in any county in this State, unless the consent of the county commissioners of said county be first obtained for that purpose.4
The legislature reserves the right to alter or repeal this act, whenever the public good may require
the same.5
1On January 27, 1837, John D. Whiteside introduced SB 132 in the Senate. On February 2, the Senate passed the bill without amendment, and referred it to the House. On February 11, the House made several amendments to the bill, including inserting additional names and provisions,
which were accepted by a vote of 43 yeas to 29 nays, with Lincoln voting nay. On February 20, the House passed the bill as amended. On February 28, the Senate rejected the House amendments. In turn, on the same day, the House refused to recede from its amendments. On March 2, the Senate moved from its early position, and concurred with the House amendments. March 4, theCouncil of Revision approved the bill, and the act became law.
Illinois House Journal. 1836. 10th G. A., 1st sess., 453, 566, 652, 711, 762, 771, 805, 842; Illinois Senate
Journal. 1836. 10th G. A., 1st sess., 313, 328, 336, 470-471, 514, 575, 585-586, 625-626,
639-640.
2Benjamin Chesney’s name was added by the House on February 11, 1837.
Illinois House Journal. 1836. 10th G. A., 1st sess., 566.
3At this time, Illinois law required auctioneers, vendors, and merchants of all kind
to procure one-year licenses, for fees ranging from $5 to $50, from the county commissioners’
court of each county in which they operated. Licenses to sell clocks were regulated
separately from other kinds of licenses: they cost $50 each and lasted for three months.
“An Act Requiring Merchants, Auctioneers, Pedlars, and Others Engaged in the Sale
of Goods, Wares, and Merchandize in this State, to Procure a License for that Purpose,
under the Penalties therein Prescribed,” 1 March 1831, Laws of Illinois (1831), 89-92; An Act Regulating the Mode of Granting License to Clock Peddlers.
4This second, and last, proviso was added by the House on February 11, 1837.
Illinois House Journal. 1836. 10th G. A., 1st sess., 566.
5This last sentence was added by the House on February 11, 1837.
Illinois House Journal. 1836. 10th G. A., 1st sess., 566.
6In January 1836, the House of Representatives passed, but the Senate rejected, a bill with similar provisions.
Printed Document, 1 page(s), Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Tenth General Assembly (Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1837), 187, GA Session: 10-1