Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

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Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General Assembly, That so much of any law of this state as authorizes the establishment of a Board of Fund Commissioners is hereby repealed.2 And the duties heretofore assigned to said Board of Fund Commissioners shall hereafter be performed by the Governor And all the money, books, papers, contracts, and other papers appertaining to said board, shall within ten days after the passage of this act, be delivered to the Auditor of Public accounts to be kept in his office. And no sale of State bonds shall be here after made until further provisions of law is made to that effect

Sec. 2. So much of any law in this state as authorises the establishment of a Board of Public Works is hereby repealed.3 And there shall be and is hereby created a Board to be styled, “the Board of Internal Improvements” which shall consist of three members, who shall be elected by a joint vote of the General Assembly as its present session, and the persons composing the first Board shall hold their offices until the first day of February 1841 and until their successors are elected and qualified, and the said Board of Internal Improvements shall here after be elected at each regular session of the General Assembly, and shall hold their offices for two years and until their successors are elected and qualified Vacancies in said Board of Internal Improvements occurring during the recess of the Legislature, shall be filled by appointments by the Governor; said Board of Internal Improvements shall have the same powers and perform the same duties as are now required by law

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to be performed by the Board of Public Works, and shall receive a sallary of one thousand dollars each per annum in full for their services4; and all provisions of law heretofore made referring to the Board of Public Works shall be considered as applicable and referring to the Board of Internal Improvements5

Sec. 3. It shall be the duty of the Board of Public Works within ten days after the passage of this act, to deliver ^unto^ the Board of Internal Improvements all moneys, vouchers, papers, drawings, books and all other documents belonging or appertaining to said Board of Public Works, and it shall be the further duty of said Board of Public Works to deliver to said Board of Internal Improvements on or before the first day of April next all instruments and other property belonging to the state which may be in their possession, to gether with a true inventory of the same.

Sec. 4. The Board of Internal Improvements hereby created shall give bond, and be qualified as is now provided by law for the Board of Public Works6

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N^o 101

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H. R
A Bill for an act to abolish the Boards of Fund Commissioners & Public Works, and to create a Board of Internal Improvements

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[01]/[27]/[1840]
3

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[01]/[21]/[1840]
Engrossed

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54

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E. B.

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[01]/[27]/[1840]
Lost

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[01]/[27]/[1840]
not passed

1John J. Hardin introduced HB 116 in the House of Representatives on January 10, 1840. The House amended the salary provisions in the second section. Representatives proposed additional amendments, some of which the House tabled, and the House referred the bill and proposed amendments to a select committee of nine representatives. The select committee reported back the bill on January 17 with an amendment. The House refused to table the amendment, and it also refused to table the bill by a vote of 23 yeas to 60 nays, with Abraham Lincoln voting yea. The House rejected several amendments to the committee’s amendment, finally rejecting the committee’s report by a vote of 33 yeas to 50 nays, with Lincoln voting nay. On January 27, the House rejected the bill.
Illinois House Journal. 1839. 11th G. A., special sess., 143-44, 192-93, 222, 262.

2Section one of the internal improvement act created a three-person board of fund commissioners to negotiate loans, buy and sell bonds, deposit and withdraw money, and administer the various fiscal aspects of the internal improvement program.

3Section four of the internal improvement act created a seven-person board of public works to promote, maintain, supervise, and direct the system of internal improvements.

4On January 10, 1840, the House of Represenatives added the words “a salary of one thousand dollars each per annum in full for their services.” On January 17, the House sustained the sum of one thousand dollars while considering an amendment.
Illinois House Journal. 1839. 11th G. A., special sess., 144.

5Sections four through eighteen of the internal improvement act delineated the main duties of the board, with other duties sprinkled through an additional twenty-three sections.

6Section four of the internal improvement act required the Board of Public Works to enter into a bond. Later in the same session, the House of Representatives considered and rejected a similar bill abolishing the boards of fund commissioners and public works and creating a board of internal improvement. Such legislation came out of growing disenchantment with the internal improvement system.