Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force, Feb.[February] 1, 1840.

AN ACT to amend an act to create and establish the county of Jersey.
1

Preamble

Whereas, on the first Monday of August last, the county of Jersey was created agreeable to “An act to create and establish the county of Jersey, approved February 28th, 1839:” And whereas, on the same day there was elected, in that part of Greene county created into the county of Jersey aforesaid, certain justices of the peace and constables: And whereas, much doubt exists in regard to the legality of said election: Therefore,

Officers of Jersey to hold till next election

Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That all justices of the peace and constables which were elected on the first Monday of August last, in that part of Greene county created into the county of Jersey, shall severally hold their offices in the county of Jersey for the term for which they were elected and commissioned, &c.[etc], the same as if they had been duly elected and commissioned for Jersey county, and their oaths of office which have been administered by the clerk of the county commissioners’ court of Greene county, shall be deemed to have been properly taken.

Time of making abstract of schools extended

Duty of school comr’s[commissioners]

Sec. 2. That all abstracts and schedules of schools in Jersey county shall be made to the school commissioners of said county, and the time for receiving the same by said school commissioner for the present year, is hereby extended until the second Monday in February next; and it shall be the duty of the school commissioners of Jersey county, as soon as said abstracts are made to him, to meet the school commissioner of Greene county; and it shall be the duty of the school commissioner of Greene county to pay over to the school commissioner of Jersey county annually out of the school fund which Greene county may receive from the State, the portion which Jersey county may be entitled to in proportion to the abstracts and schedules of schools returned to the school commissioner of both counties respectively; and the school commissioner of Jersey county shall apply the money, thus received, for school purposes in Jersey county, as is now required by law.

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Public square in Jerseyville

Sec. 3. The president and trustees of the town of Jerseyville, within Jersey county, are hereby authorized and empowered to convey to the county of Jersey, for the purpose of erecting county buildings thereon, the public square in said town; and a conveyance made for the public square, as aforesaid, by the president and trustees of said town, shall be good and valid.2 This act shall take effect from and after its passage.

Approved, February 1, 1840.

1On December 12, 1839, Representative Edward M. Daley introduced HB 12 in the House of Representatives, and the House referred the bill to a select committee. On January 3, 1840, the select committee reported the bill with several amendments, and the House concurred in those amendments. On January 13, 1840, the House passed the bill. On January 30, the Senate passed the bill. On February 1, the Council of Revision approved the bill, and the act became law.
Illinois House Journal. 1839. 11th G. A., special sess., 32, 122, 133, 160, 298, 309, 328; Illinois Senate Journal. 1839. 11th G. A., special sess., 109, 208-9.

2John W. Lott and Edward M. Daley, two of the first trustees of Jerseyville, gave the lot to the town of Jerseyville, which conveyed it to Jersey County. The town built a courthouse at a cost of $6,000 on the lot.
Marshall M. Cooper, History of Jerseyville, Illinois, 1822 to 1901 (Jerseyville, IL: Jerseyville Republican Print, 1901), 8.