Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force, Mar.[March] 2, 1839.

AN ACT to authorize the sale of the saline lands in Bond county.
1

Com’rs[Commissioners] of saline lands.

Lands may be sold on credit.

Proviso.

Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That Thomas Keys and Jacob Drake, of Bond county, are hereby constituted commissioners of the saline lands lying within the county of Bond, in the State of Illinois; and the said Thomas Keys and Jacob Drake, commissioners as aforesaid, are hereby authorized to make sale, on a credit of one and two years, of all or any part

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of said saline lands lying within the county aforesaid, and belonging to the State of Illinois: Provided, however, They shall first cause notice to be given through some one of the public newspapers printed in this State, and by posting up written or printed notices in three of the most public places in the county aforesaid, for six weeks successively prior to the day of sale, setting forth in said notices the terms, time, manner, and place of such sale.

Length of credit.

No. of acres in lots sold.

Sec. 2. Said sale shall be between the hours of nine of the clock in the morning and six of the clock in the evening, and on a credit of one year for one-half, and two years for the balance, the purchaser entering into bond, with approved security, payable to Thomas Keys and Jacob Drake, commissioners as aforesaid, for the use of the State of Illinois, for the payment of the purchase money; the said lands to be sold in lots not to exceed forty acres each, and may be sold in lots containing a less number of acres, should said commissioners think advisable. In no case shall any of said saline lands be sold for a less sum than one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre.

Appropriation of funds raised from salines.

Sec. 3. The funds that may be raised by the sale of said saline lands aforesaid shall go into and form a part of the common school fund of this State; and when the same is realized, or any part thereof, the commissioners aforesaid shall pay the same over to the school commissioners for the State of Illinois.

Com’rs to give ond.

Sec. 4. The said Thomas Keys and Jacob Drake, commissioners as aforesaid, shall, before entering upon the duties of their office, enter into bond, in the penal sum of three thousand dollars, payable to the Governor, for the use of the People of the State of Illinois, conditioned for the faithful performance and discharge of their duties as commissioners aforesaid, and for the payment and delivery promptly of all funds arising from the sale of the saline lands aforesaid to the school commissioners aforesaid.

Certificate of purchase.

Sec. 5. In every case of the sale of any tract or tracts of land aforesaid by the commissioners aforesaid, the terms of sale having been first complied with, a certificate of purchase shall be given by the commissioners to the purchaser in the same manner as now are given by school commissioners in the several counties of this State upon the sale of any of the school lands; and the said commissioners shall forthwith notify the proper department of State of any such sale, and a patent shall issue to the purchaser in the same manner as patents are now issued for school lands sold under the existing laws in relation thereto.

Pay of com’rs.

Sec. 6. The said commissioners may, and they are hereby authorized to retain out of the amount [for which said lands may sell, the amount] of four [per]cent. as a compensation for their services as commissioners, including the trouble and expense of advertising.

Sec. 7. This act to take effect from and after its passage.

Approved, March 2, 1839.

1On February 20, 1839, Benjamin Johnson introduced HB 370 in the House. On February 27, following the addition of sundry amendments by the Committee on Saline Lands, the House passed the bill, and referred it to the Senate. On March 1, the Senate passed the bill without amendment. On March 2, theCouncil of Revision approved the bill, and the act became law.
Illinois House Journal. 1838. 11th G. A., 1st sess., 460, 507, 522, 542, 580, 598, 603; Illinois Senate Journal. 1838. 11th G. A., 1st sess., 452, 486, 502.