Sec 1 Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General assembly
That all that tract of country lying within the following boundaries to wit: Beginning
at the north east corner of town fifteen north, range six east of the third principle
meridian, thence west to the north west corner of section three town fifteen north,
range four east, thence south to the south west corner of section fifteen of in township fifteen north, range four east, Thence west to the north west corner
of section nineteen of town fifteen north, range four east, thence south to the south
west corner of township fifteen north, range four east thence west to the north west
corner of section three of town fourteen north range three east thence south to the
south west corner of of the north west quarter of section ten of township thirteen range three east, thence
east to the south west quart corner of the north west quarter of section ten in town thirteen range four thence
south one half mile thence east one mile thence south one mile thence so east two miles to the range line between ranges four and five east thence south one
mile to the south west corner of section nineteen town thirteen range five, thence
by a direct line southeastwardly to the south west corner of section twenty two town
twelve range six east thence east to the range line between ranges six and seven east
thence north to the beginning shall constitute a new county to be called Okaw
Sec 2 The legal voters residing within the aforesaid boundaries shall meet at the usual
places of holding elections, on the first Monday in April next and proceed to elect
all county officers, and the persons elected to fill the respective offices shall
hold their offices untill the next succeeding regular election for such officers
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one Sherriff, one Coroner, one recorder, one County Surveyor one probate Justice one
Clerk of the county commissioners court one Treasurer and three county commissioners the person receiving the highest number
of votes for County commissioner shall remain in office for two years from the first
Monday in August next, the person receiving the second highest vote, for commissioner
shall remain in office for one year from the first Monday in August next, and the
person receiving the lowest vote for commissioner shall remain in office until the
first Monday in August next the other county officers shall hold their offices until
the next succeeding general election and until their successors are elected and qualified.
Sec 3 For the purpose of permanently locating the seat of Justice of said County the legal voters thereof shall at the same time and places ^named in the preceeding section^ proceed to vote for a place or places, thereat1 to locate the same, and the place receiving the a majority of all the votes given shall be the permanent seat of Justice of said
County, provided, that if more than two places shall be voted for and no one place shall receive a
majority of all the votes given at said election, a new election shall be held within
thirty days after the first; and ^none other than^ the two places receiving the highest number at the first election shall be voted
for at such second election; and the place receiving a majority of all the votes
given shall at the second election shall be the permanent seat of Justice of said County.
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Sec 42 The Judges of election residing within the boundaries of the county of Okaw shall conduct the elections provided for by this act, in all respects agreeable to
the laws regulating elections; and shall make return3 of the poll books of their respective precincts, within five days after the election
to Abraham H. Kellar, Wm Thomason David Patterson and James Elder; acting Justices of the Peace; and the said Justices or a majority of them shall
meet at the house of James Camfield within ten days after the said election; and it shall be the duty of the said Justices
of the Peace to open and compare the poll books, and to make out and deliver Certificates to the persons elected and to return an abstract
to the secretary of state in the same manner as is now required of by Clerks or County Commissioners Courts in like cases.
Sec 5 should the seat of Justice be located at the village of Glascow, the proprietor or proprietors shall donate not less than one half the unsold lots
in said village, and in such manner as to embrace one entire block, towards the west
side of the town plot ^and on which the public buildings shall be erected^ and forty acres of land ^in a square form^ adjoining the town plot on the west side thereof, to be selected by the county commissioners, from and for which town lots, and land a deed of General Warrantee shall be made to the
county commissioners and their successors in office; but should the seat of Justice be located on the land of any person not laid off into town lots the owner shall donate to the county, not less than forty acres in a square form and on which the public buildings shall
be erected.
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Sec 6 The County Commissioners shall so soon as may be after receiving a title to donations of land, as aforesaid,
proceed to lay off the same into town lots, and sell the same, or any town lots that
may be donated, either at public or at private sale at such times and in such numbers
as to them may appear for the best interests of the County, always giving at least six weeks notice of any public sale; the sales may be made
on a credit ^payable in equal instalments^ of six, twelve, and eighteen months, by the commissioners taking bond with approved
security and a mortgage on the premises sold; the money arising from the sales of
town lots shall be appropriated to the erection of Public buildings, and the defraying the necessary expenses of surveying and making sales.
Sec 7 It shall be the duty of the county commissioners to erect suitable public buildings, as soon as may be after making sales of town
lots, as provided for in the preceeding section, and until such buildings are erected,
the courts for said county shall be held at the house of James Camfield unless the commissioners should otherwise direct
Sec 8. The county commissioners shall meet as a court within twenty days after their election shall proceed to lay off their county into
Justices districts, appoint a school commissioner for the County and transact such other County business as may be deemed necessary.
Sec 9 It shall be the duty of the Justices of the Peace named in this act to give at
least twenty days public notice of the
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time and places of holding the election provided for in this act by posting up notices
in at least six public places in said county.
Sec 10 The school funds belonging to the several townships in said county, together with
all interest arising from said moneys and now in the hands of the school commissioners
of Shelby and Macon counties and all notes and mortgages appertaining to the same shall be paid and delivered
over to the school commissioner of the said county of Okawas soon as the county shall be organized and the school commissioner appointed and qualified according
to law.
Sec 11 It shall be the duty of the clerk of the County commissioners court, as soon as may be after the election of County Officers to inform the Judge of the
Second Judicial Circuit that the County is organized, and the said Judge shall appoint a clerk, and fix the time for holding
the Circuit court and said county shall form a part of the Second Judicial Circuit and shall vote for Senators and representatives for the General assembly, with the counties of Shelby and Macon the same as if no division of said counties had taken place and the clerk of the county commissioners court shall make reutrn4
^abstracts of said elections^ to ^the^ clerks of the county commissioners courts, of Shelby and Macon Counties until otherwise provided by law
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Sec12The county commissioners court of the County of Okaw shall at their first term, appoint one or more suitable persons, to meet with the
county commissioners of Macon County at their June term 1841, which persons and ascertain the proportion of the court house debt of Macon County which the inhabitants taken from Macon and forming a part of Okaw County have agreed by their petition to pay, and in the apportionment and payment of the
said money, the commissioners of Macon, and Okaw Counties5, shall be governed in all respects, according to the provisions of the eleventh section
of the act, entitled “An act for the formation of Piatt County.”
Sec.13The money to be paid by the counties of Piatt and Okaw, to the County Commissioners of Macon county, shall be raised by additional assessment, on the inhabitants within the boundaries
taken from the County of Macon, so that the inhabitants taken from De Witt and Shelby Counties & forming a part of the Counties of Piatt and Okaw, shall not be required to pay any portion of the said indebtedness to the County
of Macon, any law to the contrary notwithstanding
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2.
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Engrossed
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21.
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passed
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18
Handwritten Document, 8 page(s), Folder 110, HB 159, GA Session 12-2,
Illinois State Archives (Springfield, IL),