Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force, Feb.[February] 21, 1839.

AN ACT to regulate interest on Auditor’s warrants.
1

Duty of Auditor.

Proviso.

Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That hereafter, whenever the balance due the State Bank of Illinois, from the State of Illinois, shall exceed the sum of ten thousand dollars, it shall be the duty of the Auditor of Public Accounts, upon the return of the warrants paid by said bank, to issue his certificate, in favor of said bank, for the balance so due; which said certificate shall bear interest, at the rate of six per cent. per annum, from date until paid: Provided, That nothing in this act contained shall in any manner affect the provisions of “An act to provide for the safe-keeping and security of the public money,” approved March 4, 1837.

Aud. to issue certificate in favor of State Bank.

Sec. 2. The Auditor of Public Accounts shall, immediately after the passage of this act, issue his certificate, in favor of said bank, for the balance due said bank on the last quarterly settlement; which said certificate shall bear interest as provided for in the first section of this act.

Warrants to bear interest

Sec. 3. Auditor’s warrants, hereafter issued, shall bear interest, at the rate of six per centum per annum, from their date until paid; and the Bank of Illinois may pay any warrants issued upon the State Bank of Illinois.

Approved, February 21, 1839.

1On January 28, 1839, Representative Archibald Williams introduced HB 224 in the House of Representatives, and the House referred the bill to the Committee on Finance, which included Abraham Lincoln among its members. On January 31, Lincoln, on behalf of the Committee on Finance, reported in favor of the bill without amendment and recommended its passage. The House then agreed on a motion of William F. Elkin to amend the bill by striking out the third section. Hardy Foster then moved to amend the bill as follows: “Provided, That nothing in this act contained shall be so construed as to apply to warrants drawn for the appropriation for building the State house at Springfield.” Edward Smith then moved unsuccessfully to refer the bill and proposed amendment to a committee of the Whole House. Wyatt B. Stapp then made an unsuccessful motion to lay the bill on the table. The House then voted down Foster’s amendment by a vote of 30 yeas to 51 nays, with Lincoln voting nay. On February 9, the House passed the bill by a vote of 48 yeas to 32 nays, with Lincoln voting yea. On February 13, the Senate referred the bill to the Committee on Finance. On February 14, the Committee on Finance reported the bill with an amendment and the Senate passed the bill. On February 19, the House referred the bill as amended by the Senate to the Committee on Finance. On February 20, Archibald Williams of the Committee on Finance reported that the committee recommended that the House concur with the Senate’s amendment, which the House then voted to concur. On February 21, the Council on Revision approved the bill and the act became law.
Journal of the House of Representatives of the Eleventh General Assembly of the State of Illinois, at Their First Session, Begun and Held in the Town of Vandalia, December 3 1838 (Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1838), 300, 314-315, 323, 373, 399, 443, 455, 471, 475;Journal of the Senate of the Eleventh General Assembly of the State of Illinois, at Their First Session, Begun and Held in the Town of Vandalia, December 3, 1838 (Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1838), 308, 327, 331, 370, 381.