A Bill For an act to distribute the School fund to the several Counties in this state.

sec[Section]. 1. Be it enacted by the People of the state of Illinois represented in the General Assembly, That the commissioners of the school fund, be and they are hereby required and directed to draw so much of the School fund of this state as may [be?] deposited in Banks, and place the same in the Treasury of the state

Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of the [?] certain the amount of principal and [?] the state is indebted to the School Fund [?] borrowed thereof, so soon as the [?] done, and upon receipt of such [information the] Governor is hereby authorized and required to negotiate a loan on the best terms for the State he possibly can, for such sum of money as will be sufficient to reimburse the said fund for the principal and interest due the same [?] the state, payable at any time after twenty years from the time of effecting said loan.

sec 3 Upon the payment into the State [?] money aforesaid, and also upon the receipt of other moneys from the Treasury of the United States belonging to the School Fund, it shall be the duty of the State Treasurer to give notice thereof for three weeks in the news paper printed by the public printer.

sec. 4 It shall be the duty of the State Treasurer on the first Monday of [?] the same day [?] ^on the^ [?]

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on application, [ ?] each and every county in the state [?] shares to be ascertained by them, of the said fund in proportion to the number of ^white^ children in each and every county under twenty years of age, as enumerated in the official returns of the census as [ ?] after provided for, and the said school [commissioners?] shall severally receipt to the state Treasurer for the sum of money so received.

sec. 5 It shall be the duty of the school commissioners ^in each^ of the several counties, upon the receipt of any moneys under this Act to give ^fifteen days^ notice in two of the most public places in each Township in his county, that he will loan so much of the school Fund as may be in his hands, stating the day the amount ^of funds on hand^ which money shall be loaned in sums not less than fifty nor more than three hundred dollars, for the term of twelve months, with interest at the rate of twelve per cent per annum payable in advance, and the [?] shall be loaned at the County seats of the [several] Counties

Sec 6. It shall be the duty of the said school Commissioners to report their proceedings every [?] months to the county commissioners court, and to submit their books papers, bonds notes and mortgages, and other securities for loans, at the [?] periods, to the said court, and to permit the said court at any time to inspect and examine the same, and upon refusal thereof, to be removed by said court. The said court shall have power, if in their opinion the public interests require the same to remove the said school commissioner at any [time] and appoint others; and the said court is [hereby] authorised to require, from time to time [such?] additional sureties from the said school com-

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misioners, now or hereafter to be appointed [?] may deem necessary for the safety of the money [?] may be in their hands

Sec 7. It shall be the duty of the school commissioners of the several counties when they shall have received money as aforesaid to ascertain the amount due to each Township and in loaning the same to give a preference to the citizens of the Township to which said money belongs if they shall make application to borrow the same. ^and can & will make it entirely secure^ And on all sums of one hundred dollars and under, it shall be the duty of [?] school commissioners to take a note in [?] freehold sureties, the principal and ^in all cases in ^ . . . be regarded as principals; And all . . . one hundred dollars shall be [secured?] . . . by mortgage on real estate, as by a note . . . and sufficient sureties, so that the [commissioners?] . . . the same may be satisfied that there is no [?]

Provided ^always^ that if any school commissioner [shall?] negligently or wilfully loan any money, so that the same be lost, he and his sureties shall be [liable?] for such deficit by action of assumpsit ^in^ the name of the prop^er county.^

Sec 8. If any Township shall have neglected to elect “Trustees of Schools” it Shall be the duty of the school [commissioner] of the proper county to appoint an election of “Trustees of Schools” to be holden on the first Saturday of June next, first giving fifteen days notice of ^the^ time and place of holding said election in said township And if a majority of those present shall vote in favor of becoming incorporated it shall be sufficient.

sec 9. If any School commissioner, Treasurer [Town]ship or other officer having [custody?] of school . . . embezzle the same, or shall unlawfully . . . or shall ^fail^ to account for and pay over all . . .

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may have received as said officer, . . . he shall be deemed guilty of Larceny . . . conviction, shall be fined and [imprisoned?] . . . cases of larceny

[sec 10?] It shall be the duty of the [?] [assessors?] in each and every County in [this State when] assessing taxable property in their respective [Counties to pro]vide a separate column, in which shall be set down the number of ^white^ children under twenty years of age [in?] the several counties within this State

[sec 11.?] Within twenty days after said County Treasurers shall have completed their list as aforesaid, they ^shall^ respectively make returns thereof to the county commissioners ^court^ of the proper county, which said returns shall be signed by the Treasurers aforesaid, and the correctness of the enumeration shall be verified by oath before any [justice] of the peace of the same county. And [?] County Commissioners Court shall so [soon as?] . . . [return?] is filed in his office transmit . . . of the same, under the seal of the . . . of the Scho Secretary of [State] . . . shall be filed in his office, and shall . . . to warrant the Treasurer of the State to . . . said School commissioners the [distributive] . . . to which each county may be entitled of the . . . fund as it may accrue.

sec. 12. Previous to ^the^ first Monday of August next and to the same day in every year thereafter, it shall be the duty of the Treasurer of each Township in the State to ascertain the number of white children under twenty years of age in his Township, and to make return thereof in writing under his hand to the school ^commissioner of the proper county^ the correctness of which shall be verified by affidavit before some justice of the peace of the county, and when received by said [commissioner ?] shall be filed away by him [?]

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sufficient evidence and authority, to the . . . Commissioner to pay over to the said [Treasurers?] [of] the several Townships, their respective distributive [shares] of the interest of the school fund, and it ^is^ hereby [?] the duty of the said school commissioners to pay over said dividend without delay, and to take the receipt of each Township Treasurer therefor. And it shall be the further duty of the County School Commissioners of the several counties within ten days after the said Treastees^urers^ of Townships shall have made their returns, to make out an extract exhibiting the whole number of children so enumerated as aforesaid in the county ^which abstract shall be^ subscribed and sworn to, by said scholl Commissioners [?] and transmit the same immediately to [the Secretary] of State, which said abstract and [enumeration] shall after the year 1839 be [sufficient?] . . . and authority for the State [Treasurer] . . . over to the school commissioners of the several [counties] the distributive share of school money that . . . have accrued to the said counties respectively

Sec. 13. If any County [Treasurer?] or Township Treasurer shall wilfully make a false return under oath . . . the number of children in the county or Township, in which such enumeration shall be made, he shall be deemed and taken to be guilty of perjury, and shall be punished in the same manner as persons committing [the same?] crime in other cases; and if any school commissioner shall wilfully [swear?] to and return a false and incorrect abstract to the Secretary of State he shall be adjudged to be guilty of the same crime and punished in the same manner as above provided

sec. 14. Whenever any money shall come [?] . . . of [...?] ^any^ School commissioner which of right . . . payable to the Treasurer of any [Township?] . . .

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[it?] shall be his duty [?] . . . the proper person and a failure . . . a sufficient cause to remove said [commissioner from] office

Sec. 15. So much of the money as . . . or may receive [?] the deposit law passed by Congress, as is or may be added to the school fund, shall be embraced in the foregoing [?] ^be^ distributed as therein provided