Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force March 3d, 1837

AN ACT to appoint an additional Notary Public and Justice of the Peace for the counties of Morgan and Greene.
1

Notary public in Beardstown

Term of service

Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General Assembly, That it shall be the duty of the Governor, by and with the consent of the Senate, to appoint one notary public in the town of Beardstown, in Morgan county, whose duty and term of service shall be the same as are now regulated by law, any law to the contrary notwithstanding.2

Additional Justice of peace in Carrollton and when

Sec. 2. That there shall be elected one additional justice of the peace in the town of Carrollton, in Greene county; said election shall be holden, on the first Monday in May next, at the court-house, in the town of Carrollton, and shall be conducted in all respects as other elections for justices of the peace, and shall be commissioned and qualified, and hold his office until the next regular election for justices of the peace in this State.3

Approved 3d March, 1837.

1On February 13, 1837, John S. Hacker introduced SB 200 in the Senate. On February 25, following the addition of sundry amendments by two select committees, the Senate passed the bill, and referred it to the House. On the suggestion of William Weatherford, the title was changed to “An act to appoint an additional Notary Public and Justice of the Peace for the counties of Morgan and Greene.” On February 28, the House passed the bill without further 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., 718, 763, 819; Illinois Senate Journal. 1836. 10th G.A., 1st sess., 403-404, 507-508, 509, 520, 582, 608-609, 611-612.

2An 1828 Illinois law provided for a notary public in each county and gave the governor power to appoint notaries in the event of vacancies. In 1839, the legislature passed a new law that allowed any town, village, or township with fifty legal voters to petition the governor to name a notary public to meet their growing local needs.
“An Act for the Appointment of Notaries Public,” approved 30 December 1828,” The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois (1839), 512; An Act to Provide for the Appointment of Notaries Public .

3Illinois law provided for the election of from two to eight justices of the peace in each district.
“An Act to Provide for the Election of Justices of the Peace and for Constables,” approved 30 December 1826, The Public and General Statute Laws of the State of Illinois (1839), 399-402.