A Bill for An Act to create and Organize the County of Woodford

Sec 1 Be it enacted by the by the people of the state of Illinois represented in the General Assembly

That all that part of Country Situated in the following Boundaries To wit
Beginning at the south west corner of Livingston County Thence South one Mile, Thence West one mile, Thence South one mile, Thence west one Mile, Thence South one mile, Thence west one Mile, Thence south one Mile. Thence West one mile. Thence south one mile. Thence west on mile. Thence south one mile. Thence west on Mile. Thence south one Mile. Thence west one mile. Thence south one mile. Thence, west one Mile. Thence South one Mile. Thence west one Mile. Thence south one Mile. Thence west one Mile. Thence south one Mile, thence west one mile. ^(^ south one ^half^ Mile. Thence west to the East line of section Twenty eight Township, Twenty ^) ^five North, Range two west of the Third principal meredian, Thence North to the Line between Townships Twenty six & Twenty seven North, Range two west of the third principal meredian. Thence west to the Illinois River. Thence with said River to the N. west corner of Tazwell County. Thence ^East^ with the northern boundary of Tazwell & M^cLean Counties to Livingston County. Thence south to the place of beginning which shall constitute a County to be caled Woodford.

Sec 2 Thare shall be an Election held on the third Monday of ^in^ March next at the at the Town of Versailles and at each of the places of voting for Justices of the Peace and Constables in the limits of the said County of Woodford The Election shall be conducted by the presant Judges of Elections in said County who shall have been appointed by the Counties of Tazewell & McLean in accordance with

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the Election Laws of this State, At which Election the Legal Voters of the said County of Woodford shall elect all County officers for said County who shall be qualified and Commissioned as Similar officers are of other Counties of this State, said officers so Elected and qualified shall hold their offices until the next ensuing General Election for such Officers now provided by Law, and shall have the same Jurisdiction and discharge all the duties within the Limits of the said County of Woodford that are required by law of similar officers of the Counties of this State

Sec. 3. Within five days after said Election the Judges of Elections at the different places of Voting shall return the Poll Books of said election to the Town of Versailles in said County Directed ^to^ Matthew Bracken, John W. Brown & Morgan Buckingham, [the?] acting Justices of the Peace within the Limits of said County, And the said Justices shall meet in the said Town of Versailles within seven days after said Election and Proceed to open said Election returns and do and perform all the duties in Relation to said Returns that now are required of Clerks of County Commissioners’ Court, by Law in Relation to Similar Returns

Sec. 4

As soon as the County officers shall have been Elected and qualified as provided for in this Act the County shall be [consided?] Organized

And the clerk of the County Commissioners Court shall give notice of the same to the Judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit, who shall appoint a Clerk of the Circuit Court, and hold Courts in the said County at the Town of Versailles until the County seat of said County shall be seated as herein after provided for. Said County of Woodford shall form a part of the Eighth Judical Circuit til otherwise provided by law

Sec 5 Suits and indictments that have been commenced or may here after be commenced in the Circuit Courts of Tazewell or M^cLean Counties by any of the citizens living in the limits of the County of Woodford, before the organization thereof shall not be affected by this act, but all suits so commenced shall be decided in the Circuit Courts of the Counties of Tazewell or McLean where they originated

Sec 6 All Justices of the peace and Constibles Elected in the Counties of Tazewell or McLean who reside in the limits of the County of Woodford shall hold their offices and have Jurisdiction in the said County of Woodford as though they had been originally Elected in said County

Sec 7 The School founds belonging to the several Townships in said County, and all notes and mortgages pertaining to the same, shall be paid and delivered over to the School Commissioners of the County of Woodford by the School Commissioners of the Counties of Tazewell and M^cLean, so soon as said County shall be organized, and the Commissioner of School Lands appointed and qualified according to law, together with all interest ariseing out of said money

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that has not been heretofore expended for fore School purposes in those parts of Tazewell and M^cLean Counties now included in the County of Woodford.

Sec. 8 That John H Harris, Isaac Bakin, & Newton Cloud, be and they are hereby appointed Commissioners to locate the Seat of Justice for the County of Woodford. Said Commissioners shall meet in the Town of Versailles on the first Monday in April next and after having been duly qualified by some person authorized to administer othes oaths to the faithful discharge of their duties, shall proceed to examine the County as [far?] as they may think it conducive to public good and determine upon some suitable location for the Seat of Justice for the said County of WoodfordIf the location shall fall on private and unimproved property the owner thereof shall be required to Execute to the County a Deed for Forty Acres of Land free of Charge for a Town site which shall be laid off into Town lots and sold to the highest bidders under the direction and superintendance of the County Commissioners of said County of Woodford, the proceeds of which shall be applied by the County Commissioners to the Erection of the public buildings for said County. And if the Seat of Justice shall be located where a Town has been laid off then the proprietor or proprietors shall give and convey to said County one Thousand dollars, which may be discharged in Land adjoining said Town, or lots therein to be valued by the County Commissioners of said County, to be appropriated to the erection of Public Buildings in said County of Woodford

Sec. 9. The County Commissioners of the County of Woodford shall at their December term in the year One thousand eight hundred & forty one and at their December term annualy thereafter pay out of the County Treasury the Sum of Ninety five Dollars, which Sum shall be paid as their portion of the interest due by the County of M^cLean, on the Court house debt. And the County Commissioners shall also pay after the year one Thousand eight hundred and forty four in two an equal annual instalments the Sum of Twelve hundred dollars as their respective portion of the principal of the aforesaid debt; and when the provisions of this section is fully Complied with the said County of Woodford shall be exempt from all further liabilities to the County of M^cLean, provided however that the revenue nessary to pay the above principal and interest, shall be collected from the inhabitants within that part of Woodford County which is set off from the County of M^cLean