Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General Assembly; that the Justices of the peace, in each Justice[']s district in conjunction with one person, to be appointed by the Commissioners Court, in the several counties in this state, shall be, and they are hereby made the overseers of the poor, and are vested with ^the^ entire and exclusive superintendance of the poor, in their respective districts.

— 2. It shall be the duty of said justices within their respective districts: and the person appointed as aforesaid, diligently to enquire after all such persons, as are unable to earn a livelyhood in consequence of any bodily infirmity, idiocy, lunacy, or other unavoidable cause, and to provide for them the necessary comforts of life, by confiding the care of such poor person or persons to some moral ^and^ discreet house-holder or house-holders, in their said district, of sufficient ability to provide for them. Every person, to whom the care of such poor person shall be committed, shall be execute a bond to the County in which said poor person shall reside, conditioned, that he will treat said poor person with humanity; and afford to him, or her the necessary attention, and comforts of life, fitted to his or her condition: said bond shall set forth the sum to be given by said county for keeping such poor person or persons

—3^d Said overseers, shall at each session of the County Commissioners court make a full report of their actings and doings, under this act, and return a list

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of all the poor within their respective districts; specifying the age, sex[,] and infirmity of each

—4. Upon the making of said report, it shall be the duty of the several County Commissioners Courts, to make such appropriations, as will Justify the person having the custody of any poor person in affording to him or her sutable clothing and such comforts as may be suitable to their state and condition

—5. Any sum set forth in the bond executed by any County, as aforesaid may be lessened or increased at the discretion of said County without affecting in either case the validity of the bond

—6. Said County Commissioners Court, may at any regular term of said court remove any poor person from the custody of the person or persons to whose case the overseers may have committed the keeping of such poor person, without subjecting the overseers or the County to any claim for damages

—7. So much of the Act, entitled, “An Act for the relief of the poor” approved march 1^st 1833. as may be contradictory to the provisions of this Act, is hereby repealed

—8. Said Overseers in fixing the amount to be paid for keeping any poor person, shall take into the calculation the ability of the poor person to labour

—9. The County Commissioners Court in each County is hereby authorized (whenever it shall

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see fit, so to do) to establish a “Poor House”

—10 The County Commissioners, are hereby authorized to take to the County by grant, devise, or purchase any tract of land not exceeding Six hundred and forty acres for the purposes of Said “Poor House”

—11. Said County Commissioners Court, is hereby empowerd to receive donations to aid in the establishment of Said “Poor House” and is also empowered from time, if it shall see fit to levy and collect a tax not exceeding) and to appropriate the same to purchase land not exceeding the aforesaid six hundred and forty, acres, and to erect and furnish buildings suitable to a “Poor House” and to put it into opperation, and to defray the annual expences of said “Poor House” should the labours of the inmates be inadequate thereto

—12. Said County Commissioners Court, is hereby authorised to employ such agents and other persons, as may be necessary to establish and put into opperation such “Poor House”

—13. Whenever any County Commissioners Court shall enter1 upon their records, that they have established a “Poor House”, and this such “Poor House” is ready for the reception of the poor of the County, then the authority confered upon the Overseers of the poor, shall cease to be of force in Said County, Provided, however; if there be any particular case or cases which the Court should deem prudent to put out, under the provisions of this Act, they may

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do so, making a proper entry of the circumstances upon their record

—14 The title to the property authorized to be acquired by this act for the purposes of said “Poor House”, shall be made to the County

—15 The act, approved February 12^th 1835 entitled an act to amend the act entitled “An Act for the relief of the poor” approved march 1^st 1833,2 shall continue in force, except that a residence of six months shall be required instead of twelve months

—16. The provisions of this act shall not affect the liabilities imposed upon, and duties required of relations of poor persons, by the second and third sections of the Act entitled “An Act for the relief of the poor” approved March 1^st 1833.