Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

Amendment to “A Bill for the Organization of the County of Van Buren,” [21 December 1836]1

A[dd] the following proviso at the end of the second se[cti]on.

Provided that unless the proprietors of the said village of Petersburg shall convey to the said county offor the purpose of the erection of public buildings, one fourth of all the lots of the said village, the seat of justice of said county shall not be located at the said village of Petersburg; but shall be located by [Com]missioners hereinafter named, at some point not more than one mile and a half from the geographical centre of said county

Insert the following section immediately after the the second section

Sec.[Section] 3. In case The county commissioners for said county, when elected under the provisions of this act, shall immediately appoint some suitable person, as agent, whose duty it shall be to call upon the proprietors of the said village of Petersburg or their agent, and notify them or him, that he is ready to make 2 the sele[cti]on of the lots afforesaid, on behalf of the county, and if the said proprietors or their agent agree to the said selection the said agent for the county, shall proceed to make the selection by choosing one lot, and allowing the said proprietors or their agent to choose three, and so proceed till the whole selection is made.

Sec, 4 If the said proprietors shall neglect or refuse, for a longer term than ten days after the said agent for the county has notified them that he is ready to make the selection as afforesaid to convey to the county commissioners for the use of said county the lots selected, or offered to be selected, by said3 agent, the said county commissioners shall give notice to John Henry of Morgan county, Benjamin Mitchell of Tazewell county, and Samuel Hackelton of Fulton county, that they are appointed commissioners to locate the seat of justice of said county, [whose?] duty it shall be to meet at the said to village of Petersburg [?] the second monday ofAugustnext, and after being duly [sworn?] by some Justice of the Peace, faithfully and impartially to discharge their duties, shall proceed to locate the seat of justice of said county according to the provisions of this act; which lo[cati]on shall be the permanent seat of justice of said county.

Sec 5 The county commissioners of said county, shall allow out of the county treasury, the sum of three dollars4 to each of said commissioners for each day they may have been necessarily employed in making said location.

Change the numbers of sections 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 to 6, 7, 85 9 & 10.

Fill the several blanks in the bill left for the insertion of the6 name of said county with the word “Marshall“ “Van Buren”

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Add the following sections

[section?] [?]It shall be the duty of the Judges [?] [several?] election precincts, in and for the county of Sangamon, to meet at the several places of holding elections on the day prescribed in the tenth section of this act and then and there proceed to open polls for the purpose contemplated [in?] ^the^ said tenth section, and in all respects conduct [?] make the returns, in the manner prescribed by [?] election laws of this state. The official certificate of the clerk [?] ^[?]Sangamon county shall be evidence of the result of said [?]^

Sec 12 The clerk of the county commissioners court for Sangamon county shall give notice of said voting in the [same?] [manner?], and for the same length of time that he is [required by law?] of general elections.

[Amend] further by striking out the word “April[”] where it [occurs?] in the ^now^ fifth section of the bill, and insert the word “July” and strike out the word “March” where it occurs in the ^[now?]^ tenth[?] and June”7

1On December 21, Abraham Lincoln, as part of the select committee to which had been referred the bill, reported back the bill with these proposed amendments in his own handwriting. The House amended the select committee’s proposed amendments by striking out “Marshall” and inserting “Van Buren”. Upon Lincoln’s motion, the House also amended the proposed amendment by filling in the blanks with “August.” The House then approved the amendments of the select committee.
Illinois House Journal. 1836. 10th G. A., 1st sess., 55, 82-83, 89-90.

2“2-” was written in the margin at this point by someone other than Lincoln.




6“6.” was written in the margin at this point by someone other than Lincoln.

7In 1836, Sangamon County encompassed parts of the present-day counties of Christian, Logan, Menard, and Mason. The new county proposed by this bill would have included present-day southern Mason County and most of present-day Menard County.