Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force Feb.[February] 24, 1841.

An ACT to establish a ferry across the Illinois River at Peru.
1

Location.

Sec. [Section] 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That Freeman Mills be, and he is hereby authorized to establish a ferry across the Illinos river opposite to the Ninnewa addition2 to the town of Peru, and to run the same from both sides of the said river from any of the public streets and landings in said addition to said town, or from any lands owned by him, or any public street, or any lands owned by any other person, with the consent of the owner of said lands, opposite to said addition to said town.

Manner of conducting.

Rates of toll.

Sec. 2. Said Mills shall keep said ferry and conduct the same in all respects pursuant to the laws of this State regulating ferries, and shall have a right to receive the same tolls as are at this time provided by the county commissioners’ court of La Salle county, to be received and taken at other ferries across the Illinois river in said county.3

Term of act.

Sec. 3. In consideration of the premises hereinafter mentioned, the said Freeman Mills shall have the privilege of ferrying across said river at the place aforesaid, and receiving toll therefor for and during the term of fifteen years from the first day of March, A.D., one thousand eight hundred and forty-one.

No other ferry shall be established.

Sec. 4. The county commissioners’ court of the county of La Salle are hereby prohibited from granting any license to keep a ferry at the place aforesaid or within one-fourth of a mile thereof during the continuance of this grant; but nothing herein shall be construed to effect any rights already acquired.

Annual payment.

Sec. 5. The said Freeman Mills, in consideration of this grant, shall annually on the first day of September in each year pay into the county treasury of La Salle county, the sum of twenty-five dollars.

Bond to be filled.

Sec. 6. This act shall not take effect unless the said Mills shall, on or before the first day of June, A.D., one thousand eight hundred and forty-one, file in the office of the clerk of the county commissioners’ court of La Salle county, a bond with security to be approved by said clerk, in the penalty of five hundred dollars, conditioned that said ferry shall be kept and maintained according to the laws of this State.

License may be revoked.

Sec. 7. The privilege hereby granted shall be liable to be revoked by an action in the nature of a quo warranto, to be filed in the circuit court of La Salle county, if at any time

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the said Mills shall fail to keep said ferry according to law, or shall in any manner fail to comply with all the provisions of this act.4

Approved, February 24, 1841.

1Abram R. Dodge introduced HB 108 in the House of Representatives on January 14, 1841. The House passed the bill on February 10. The Senate passed the bill on February 18. The Council of Revision approved the bill on February 24 and the act became law.
Illinois House Journal. 1840. 12th G. A., 226, 253, 262, 443, 469, 476, 492; Illinois Senate Journal. 1840. 12th G. A., 289, 307, 326, 340.

2Laid out in 1837, this addition included most of the business district of Peru.
U. J. Hoffman, History of LaSalle County, Illinois (Chicago: S. J. Clarke, 1906), 183, 657.

3In 1827, the General Assembly enacted legislation that governed the establishment of ferries.
“An Act to Provide for the Establishment of Ferries, Toll Bridges, and Turnpike Roads,” 12 February 1827, The Revised Code of Laws, of Illinois (1827), 220-27.

4Mills eventually assigned the ferry charter to Ettoine Boileau, who operated a ferry for several years. In 1855, the General Assembly extended the charter for another twenty years and transferred the rights to Boileau.
“An Act to Extend a Ferry Chartered Therein Named,” 9 February 1855, Private Laws of the State of Illinois, (1855), 589.