Be it enacted by the People of the state of Illinois represented in the General assembly

1 That an election shall be held at the places heretofore selected ^in the county of Hardin^ for electing Justices of the Peace and Constables, on the first monday in April next, for the purpose of electing all the County officers for said County of Hardin.

2 The Judges of election heretofore appointed in said County of Hardin shall preside at said election. And all the returns of said election shall be made to the House of Thomas Cowsert. And Thomas Cowsert and Francis [Hag?][...?] or in their absence any other two Justices of the Peace in said County are hereby authorised to open said returns, and give certificates of election to those officers who shall receive the highest number of votes. Said officers elected on the first monday in April shall hold their offices until the next regular election for their respective offices, and until their successors are duly qualified.

3 James [steele?] The County Commissioners of said County of Hardin shall meet within twenty days after their election, at the House of Thomas Cowsert, and shall then proceed to select and designate some suitable place near ^to^ or at the centre of said county for the permanent seat of Justice of said County. Provided however that said Commissioners shall either purchase the site so selected for the County seat for the benefit of the County, or shall accept and receive from the owner ^or owners^ of the land twenty acres of land on which to erect the public the owner or owners of the lot site selected for said County seat shall donate to the County twenty acres of land for the use and [?] it of the County.

4 The County Commissioners If the ^commissioners named in the foregoing section ^ shall purchase the site of the County seat ^The county commissioners of said county^ shall proceed alone, or if they shall receive the donation of twenty acres of land shall proceed in conjunction with the owner or owners of said adjoining land to lay off a town at the point selected for said County seat, and shall sell the town lots [...?]

3 George Hanna, John H Smith and Hiram Campbell are hereby appointed Commissioners to locate the per County seat for said County of Hardin. And it shall be the duty of the ^said^ Commissioners to meet on the second monday in April next at the House of Thomas Cowsert and after being duly sworn to discharge their duty to the best of their skill ability, shall to proceed to designate and select some suitable place near to, or at the centre of said County for the permanent seat of Justice thereof. Provided however that said Commissioners shall either purchase said the site so selected by them for the county seat for the benefit of the County, or the owner or owners thereof shall donate to the County twenty acres of land for the use of the County. And said Commissioners shall be allowed three dollars a day for each day necessarily employed by them in discharging the duty imposed on them by this act.

. . . selec point selected for said County seat, and shall sell the town lots which may belong to the County at such times and on such terms as may seem to them best for the interests of the County.

6. The school Commissioner of the said County of Hardin immediately after his appointment shall demand and secure of and from the school Commissioner of the County of Pope all the school funds belonging to the several townships in said County of Hardin, and all notes and mortgages pertaining to the same, together with all interest arising out of said money that has not been heretofore expended for school purposes in that part of Pope County now included in the County of Hardin.

7 It shall be the duty of the County Commissioners of said County of Hardin to designate some place as the temporary place for holding courts, and keeping the county offices until arrangements are made for accomodating the courts and keeping the offices at the permanent

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County seat. And it shall be their duty of to notify the officers of the County and the Judge of the Circuit ^in^ [...?] which they county of Hardin is situated what point they have selected for the temporary seat of Justice. And also when they shall give a similar notice when suitable arrangements are made for mooving the offices & courts to the permanent seat of Justice of said County.

8 The County of [...?] Hardin shall constitute a part of the third Judicial Circuit. And it shall be the duty of the ^Judge of the^ third Judicial Circuitto appoint immediately a clerk of the Circuit Court of said County by the first monday in April next. and he shall also designate the times for holding two courts during each year in said County, which shall be held at the times by him thus designated.

9 The County Commissioners of said County when elected shall draw for their terms of service, and one of them shall go out of office on the first monday in August 1840 one in August 1841 [...?] & one in August 1842.

9 And It shall be the duty of the the persons appointed to open the returns of the election to make out abstracts & forward the same to the office of the Secretary of state as is now required to be done in similar elections by Clerks of the County Commissioners Courts.

10 The County of Hardin shall vote with the County of Pope for one Representative, and with the Counties of Pope & Johnson for one senator until the next apportionment.

11 suits & Indictments that have been commenced or that may hereafter be commenced in the Circuit Court of Pope County before the organisation of said County of Hardin shall not be affected by this act, but all said suits and indictments shall be decided in the circuit Court of Pope County,

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and all writs may be issued ^& served^ by the officers of Pope County & until on persons residing in the County of Hardin, until said County of Hardin is organised

12 Until a new apportionment can be made of the interest on the school college & seminary funds the school Commissioner of Pope County shall apportion that fund coming from the state, among the schools in the counties of Pope & Hardin, as though no division had taken place in said Counties.