To the Honourable, The Senate and house of Representatives of the State of Illinois, in General Assembly convened,.

We, the undersigned, citizens of the county of Lasalle, beg leave to represent to Your Honourable body the following statement of facts,

That during the Year 1835, the Pauper expenses of said county amounted to the sum of $39.25 in the Year 1836 to the amount of $226.87 ¾ in the Year 1837 to the amount of $579.71 ¼, and in the Year 1838 from the first of March to September to the sum of $782.57 ½, and at the December term of the county commissioners’ court accounts were presented for allowance on account of Paupers to the amount of $797.71 ¼ making the whole amount of charges on account of paupers for the Year 1838 $1580.28 ¾[;] and the revenue of said county being entirely insufficient (under the present rate of taxation) to meet the said charges and other incidental expenses of said county, and from the rapid increase of pauper expenses during the last three Years and since the commencement of the Illinois and Michigan Canal we are induced to believe that the same will reduce the county to insolvency unless relief be Given by Your Honourable body. We therefore humbly petition You to Grant us relief in the premises by passing a special act for the benefit of said county authorizing the county commissioners of said county to assess a tax on personal property of not exceeding one ^per^ cent for the Years 1839 and 1840, and as there is a Great probability of pauper expenses being burthensome during the whole time of making the Illinois and Michigan Canal, We Humbly Petition Your Honourable body to Give us further relief by passing a law, authorizing the county commissioners of said county to purchase of the state of Illinois a tract of land not exceeding a quarter section or one hundred and sixty acres, on which to build a poor house

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at some suitable and convenient place to be selected by the canal commissioners, to be purchased at such price as You in Your wisdom and discretion may think reasonable.

And by Granting this our petition we as in duty bound will ever pray &c[etc.].