Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force Feb. [February]26, 1841.

An ACT to provide for the completion of that part of the Northern Cross Railroad from Springfield to Jacksonville, and for other purposes.
1

Gov to furnish canal bonds.

Sec. [Section] 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly2, That the Governor be, and he is hereby required to hand or pay over to the Fund commissioner, as many of the canal bonds authorized by him to be sold by an act entitled “An act to provide a loan for canal purposes,”' approved, February twenty-third, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, as said canal fund may be indebted to the internal improvement fund, by an act entitled “An act authorizing a certain loan for canal purposes,” approved, January twenty-first, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.

Bonds applied

Fund Com’r[Commissioner] to contract.

Sec. 2. The Fund commissioner is hereby authorized to apply one hundred thousand dollars in said bonds towards

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the completion of the Northern Cross railroad from Jacksonville to Springfield, and he is authorized and required to enter into contract with responsible person or persons to complete the same in one year, and pay them in said bonds, or so many thereof as shall be necessary, and the excess, if any, shall be applied to the payment of interest upon the internal improvement debt, and to no other purpose; and he is hereby authorized to do all acts necessary to carry the intentions of this act into effect.3

Approved by the Council, February 26, 1841.

1William J. Gatewood introduced SB 238 in the Senate on February 24, 1841. The Senate amended the bill by striking out all the text after the enacting clause and inserting a substitute. The Senate passed the bill as substituted by a vote of 19 yeas to 16 nays. On February 25, the House of Representatives tabled an amendment to the bill by a vote of 53 yeas to 10 nays, with Abraham Lincoln voting yea. On February 26, the House rejected an amendment by a vote of 14 yeas to 61 nays, with Lincoln voting nay. The House ordered the bill to a third reading by a vote of 45 yeas to 32 nays, with Lincoln voting yea. The House rejected Lincoln’s motion to table a proposed amendment by a vote of 38 yeas to 43 nays, with Lincoln voting yea. The House rejected the proposed amendment by a vote of 36 yeas to 40 nays, with Lincoln voting nay. The House passed the bill by a vote of 44 yeas to 33 nays, with Lincoln voting yea. On February 26, the Council of Revision approved the bill and the act became law.
Illinois House Journal. 1840. 12th G. A., 514-16, 518-20, 520-21, 560; Illinois Senate Journal. 1840. 12th G. A., 391-92, 394, 413, 415.

2On February 24, 1841, the Senate amended the bill by striking out all the text after the enacting clause and inserting a substitute.
Illinois Senate Journal. 1840. 12th G. A., 391-92.

3On February 27, 1841, the General Assembly passed a act supplementary which stipulated that the profits from the Northern Cross Railroad were to be set aside and appropriated for the payment of interest on the $100,000 of bonds applied to constructing the road between Jacksonville and Springfield.