Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force, Feb. 12, 1839.

AN ACT to authorize the county commissioners’ court of Randolph county to change and alter State roads in said county.
1

Power of commissioners.

Proviso.

Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That the county commissioners’ court of Randolph county is hereby authorized to change the location of any State road2 in said county: Provided, That no change shall be made at the points where such roads enter other counties, without the consent of the county commissioners’ courts of such counties.

Approved, February 12, 1839.

1Richard B. Servant introduced a petition from the citizens of Randolph County to the Senate on December 4, 1838, requesting a portion of a road from Salem to Chester be repealed. On December 8, Servant introduced SB 2. The Senate laid it on the table on December 10 and referred it to the Committee on Roads on December 12. The committee reported back on January 15, 1839, recommending an amendment, to which the Senate concurred. The Senate passed the bill on January 17, changing the title from “An Act to Vacate and Change a Part of the State Road from Salem to Chester.” The House passed the bill on February 9. The Council of Revision approved the bill on February 12 and the act became law.
Illinios House Journal. 1838. 11th G. A., 1st sess., 233, 281, 288, 370, 386; Illinois Senate Journal. 1838. 11th G.A., 1st sess., 5, 22, 35, 41, 172, 184, 306, 313, 323.

2State roads were those public roads established or designated by the General Assembly and usually crossed county lines. Only the General Assembly could establish, alter, or abandon state roads, until 1840 and 1841, when the General Assembly gave counties the authority to alter or to abandon state roads upon petition by a majority of voters in the area of the change.
An Act concerning Public Roads, sec. 9; An Act Authorizing Commissioners’ Courts to Alter, Change, and Relocate State Roads; An Act concerning Public Roads.