A bill for an act, further to amend the act ^entitled an act.^ to maintaine a general System of Internal improement.
Sec[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the general assembly, That the 27th Section of the Act to which this is an amendment, shall be so construed as to authorise the owner or owners of lands[,] waters[,] or materials which shall have been taken for the purpose of any of the public works
mentioned in said Act, to have redress and remuneration for the injuries or supposed
injury, on his[,] her[,] or their application, in the maner prescribed and under the provisions of “An Act Concerning the right of way and for
other purposes,” Approved Feb[February] 28. 1833.
Sec 2 It shall be the duty of the fund Commissioners to purchase, and furnish the Iron,
machinery[,] and other materials for the use of the public works of this state upon the requisition of the board of public works, whose duty it shall be to furnish
the fund Commissioners with Orders from time to time, of the quantity, quality, Character
[,] and discription of the Iron, machinery[,] and other materials required, and upon the receipt of any such Iron, machinery[,] and materials, the said board of public works, shall furnish vouchers therefor, to
the said fund commissioners, and shall more over Charge each particular work under
their management, with the quantity of any such Iron, machinery[,] or materials used thereon.
Sec 3. It shall be the duty of the fund Commissioners to
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keep duplicate accounts, and vouchers for all costs of purchase and transportation
of any Iron, Machinery[,] or materials or of any other expenditure, one of which duplicate accounts and vouchers
shall be filed in their Office, and the other duplicate of Said accounts and vouchers
in the office of the board of public works, and the board of public works shall also,
furnish duplicate accounts and vouchers of all monies expended by them, one Copy of
which shall be left at their office, and the other Copy at the office of the fund
Commissioners.
Sec 4. It shall be the duty of the fund Commissioners and of the board of public works
respectively, to keep a Just and true inventory of all property, real or personal
which may be purchased for the use of the State, including instruments, and all other articles, and it shall be the duty of each
of said boards, to account for all such property by evidence of loss or distribution,
^destruction^ or by delivering the same or the proceeds thereof to the State.
Sec 5. The fund Commissioners shall not hereafter allow any credit to any Commissioner
of the board of public works, unless the voucher upon which such credit is allowed,
shall specify the particular work upon which the money paid by such Commissioner was
expended, and the use or purpose of such expenditure.
Sec 6 That the board of public ^works^ shall open and keep an
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account with each object of appropriation in such a manner as to show the items of
expenditure, upon each work under its charge, and shall also keep a distinct and accurate
account of all expenditures at and for the Central office, including all incidental
and necessary expenses for the same, specifying each item of expenditure.
Sec 7. No lettings shall at any time be made without the approbation of the board, Provided
always, That any two Commissioners may relet any Contract, which shall be declared
abandoned or forfeited.
Sec 8. No Commissioner of public works shall have at any one time, more than ten thousand
dollars in his hands.
Sec 9. Hereafter no lateral branch road of any main line shall be constructed by the
board of public works, until provision shall be made therefor by the general assembly.
Sec 10. The Commissioners of the board of public works, may draw special drafts for any
sum exceeding one thousand dollars, in the manner and under the restrictions set forth
in the twenty fifth section of the act to establish and maintain a general System
of Internal improvements.
Sec 11. 1 That it shall be the duty of the board of public works, to secure from loss or injury
so much of the northern cross Rail Road, as lies between Meredosia
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2 and Quincy as has been placed under Contract, and to suspend all further operations on that
portion of said road, until further directed ^by law.^Sec 12. That it shall be the duty of the board of public works, to Cause to be Surveyed, and to
locate the Rail Road from [...?] lower Alton via upper Alton and Hillsboro to the Central Rail Road, so as to make Carlinville in Macoupin County, a point on said Rail Road.
Sec 13. The sum of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars is hereby appropriated to the
improvement of the navigation of the little Wabash River, in addition to the Sum heretofore appropriated, and the fund Commissioners are hereby
required to furnish the funds for the same.
Sec 14. That the forty fifth Section of the act to establish and maintain a general System
of Internal improvements, be and the same is hereby repealed.
Sec 15. The Commissioners of public works in all future lettings shall have a general
view to the price of labor and cost of provisions in the State, and shall so conduct their operations as to best advance the interest of the State, and promote the progress of the works under their charge.
Sec 16.
That so much of the twenty first section of an act to which this is an amendment, as requires
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3 the auditor of public accounts to countersign the certificates of loans be and the
same is hereby repealed; and it shall hereafter be a sufficient execution of said
bonds and certificats on the part of the State for the fund Commissioners or a majority of them to sign the same.
Sec 17. It shall be the duty of the fund Commissioners within ten day^s^ after executing the delivering any bonds or certificates of Internal improvement
stock, to make out triplicate statements of the number and amount of bonds or certificates
of Stock so executed by them on the part of the State, to whom delivered, the amount of premiums received thereon, the rates of interest
agreed to be paid, and the time at which the principle of such bonds is reimbursable:
and shall forthwith transmit one of said Statements to the auditor of public accounts,
and one to the treasurer, to be by them registered ^(^of record^)^ in their respective offices; and the remaining Statement shall be preserved by the
said Commissioners to be handed over in person to the said Auditor of State, in case
of the non-reception of the Statements theretofore transmited by mail
Sec 18. In all cases where the State bonds or certificates of loans, for any purpose
are required by law; to have thereon the impress of the great seal of the State, the secretary of state shall and it is hereby made his duty, to put the same thereon,
without delay, and without charge for the same.
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sec 19. The board of Commissioners of public works, shall have power to remove their
Secretary from office for any neglect or omission of duty, incapacity to perform the
same, or want of faithfulness therein, and shall spread the causes of such removal
at large on their Journal, no secretary of the board shall be elected for a longer
time than two years, but may be reelected at the pleasure of the board.
Sec 20. The employment of Engineers and the appointment of agents shall be by the board,
but any acting Commissioner may dismiss any such persons and may employ others where
necessary, subject to the Confirmation or rejection of the board at their next meeting,
and in all cases of dismission Shall report the reasons therefor to the board at their
said meeting.
Sec 21. In case of difference of opinion the board Shall Cause the ayes and noes to be entered on their Journal on all questions involving
the appointment and removal of officers, the location of routes, the orders for letting
contracts and the expenditures of money.
Sec 22. All the lands and public works of this State Shall be exempt from taxation for State[,] County, Corporation[,] or other taxes.
Sec 23. The board of public works may when they deem it expedient so to do, to order
town plats
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to be laid out and recorded by the several acting Commissioners on lands belonging
to the State, at such suitable points as they may deem the best interest of the State to require, and to make sale of a portion of the lots therein on Such terms and under
such restrictions, and limitations as the board may adopt, but in all cases the lots
shall be valued under oath by two of the Commissioners of public works previous to
sale, and shall be sold at public sale at a price not less than such valuation.
Sec 24. It shall be the duty of the board of public works and of the acting Commissioner
in charge of any River improvements, to prsecute the same promptly and without delay, at all times, whenever the stage of water in
the River will admit thereof.
Sec 25. That the Commissioners of public works shall furnish to the fund Commissioners, a copy
of all contracts entered into by the board of public works within sixty days after
the signing of such Contracts.
Sec 26. 4
That any lands purchased or entered by any Commissioner of public works, under the provisions
of the twenty seventh Section of the act to establish and maintain a general system
of interal improvements, shall be charged to the particular work for the benefit of which the
same may have been entered or purchased.
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Sec 27. That any Commissioner of the board of public works who shall hereafter fail or refuse
to account for any and all public moneys in his hands, or who shall be guilty of any
palpable omission of duty, or of want of proper attention to his duty, or if from
his inability in any way the interest of the state is evidently suffering, the commissioners of the board of public works shall lay
the facts before the Governor, who on a full hearing and examination of the case may
remove such Commissioner, and appoint another in his place, who shall hold his office
until the end of the next Session of the general assembly.
Sec 28. If any Commissioner of the board of public works or any fund Commissioner, shall
loan or otherwise convert to his own private use any of the public funds comeing into his hands as Comissioner, he shall be Judged guilty of embezzlement, and on conviction thereof shall be punished
as in other cases of embezzlement.
Sec 29. The board of public works in its organization of the Engineer department of the
public works, shall consult the strictest econemy consistent with an efficient and correct prosecution of the several works in progress:
And shall require of each and evry person in their employ the most rigid accountability, in the discharge of their respective
duties; and shall hear, and
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promptly investigate, all charges and complaints against any such persons, for neglect
of duties, or otherwise.
Sec 30. Each and evry person in the service of the said board, or of any acting commissioner employed by
the day, month, year[,] or otherwise, as agent, engineer, Superintendant[,] or in any other capacity
5 shall receive a fixed and certain compensation for his services: and shall not be
allowed any sum, beyond such fixed compensation, for his personal, contingent or other
expenses, under any name or pretence whatever, nor shall any such person, be paid for any time for which he shall not
have been actually in the discharge of his duties.
Sec 31. A register of their names and rate of compensation of ev^e^ry agent, Engineer, Superintendent, Surveyor, clerk, draftsman, and Road man employed in each Circuit respectively, Shall be kept by the Secretary of the board,
in his office; Shewing also the Commencement and end of the term of service of each individual, which register
shall at all times be open during office hours, to the inspection of any person who
may wish to inspect the same; and whenever any acting Commissioner shall employ or
dismiss from service any person during the vacation of the meetings of the board,
he shall forthwith notify the secretary, in order that the entry thereof may be made
on said register.
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Sec 32 The per diem Compensation now allowed by law to the commissioners of the board
of public works and fund Commissioners Shall be in full for their Services, and no
allowance shall be made in addition thereto, for their personal, contingent, or traveling
or other expenses under any name whatever.
6 Sec 33. That so much of the Mount Carmel and Alton Rail Road as lyes between Carlyle and Edwardsville be permanently ^located^ so as to intersect the Shawneetown and Alton Rail Road at Lebanon.
Sec 34. That so much of the branch Rail Road from Bellville to Alton, and Mount Carmel Road as is located between Lebanon and said Rail Road near Sugar Creek, is hereby discontinued.
Sec 35. That a Rail Road shall be constructed from Rushville to Erie on the bank of the Illinois River and for the construction and completion of said Road, and appendages, the Sum of
One hundred thousand dollars is hereby appropriated for that purpose, and the fund
Commissioners are hereby required to furnish the funds for the same.
Sec 367 That the sum of five thousand dollars be and the Same is hereby appropriated to
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complete the northern Mail Rout near Maysville on the bottom of the little Wabash River.
Sec 37. That the further sum of dollars be and the same is hereby appropriated for the completion of that portion
of the northern mail Rout as lyes between Lawrenceville and Vincennes.
Sec 38. That the Commissioners of the board of public works are hereby authorised to change the rout of the Peoria branch of the Peoria[,] Pekin and Bloomington Rail Road so as to make the connexion of the two branches at the Town of Tremont, and the Commissioners are hereby authorised to construct the same according to the 25th section of the Act to which this is an amendment.
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[ docketing
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A Bill for an Act further to amend the act entitled an act to maintaine a General System of Internal Improvement.
Handwritten Document, 12 page(s), Folder 455, SB 151, GA Session 11-1, Illinois State Archives [Springfield, IL] ,