A Bill to Authorize Samuel Musick to Build a Toll Bridge across Salt Creek in Sangamon
County, [15 December 1834]1
Sec[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General
Assembly— That Samuel Musick his heirs and assigns be and they are hereby authorized
to erect a toll
bridge across Salt creek in Sangamon county at or near the place where the said Musick
is now authorized
to keep a ferry— At either end of said bridge the said Musick, his heirs and assigns,
are hereby
authorized to place a toll gate, where he or they may ask and demand of all and every
person passing
the rates of toll which may from time to time be fixed by the county commissioners court of the county
of Sangamon—
Sec 2. The said Samuel Musick his heirs and assigns, shall commence the building of
said
bridge within nine months and have it so far completed within eighteen months from
and after the passage
of this act as to admit the safe passing of persons, waggons, teams, cattle &c.[etc.] over it—
Sec 3. The said Samuel Musick his heirs and assigns, shall at all times after the
completion thereof, keep said bridge in good repair, and allow a speedy passage to
all persons and their
property over it, upon the receipt of the toll, in such cases allowed as herein before
provided— and if
at any time the said bridge be left out
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of repair, so that the same be impassable, for the
space of twelve months at any one time, the said bridge shall accrue and belong to
the county of
Sangamon: Provided however, That the destruction of said bridge by fire, high water
or other casualty,
shall not work a forfeiture of the previlege hereby granted, but the said Samuel Musick
heirs or
assigns shall proceed immediately to repair the same—
Sec 4. No person shall within ten years hereafter build a bridge, or establish a ferry
accross said creek within the distance of one mile above or below the said bridge—
provided the said
Samuel Musick his heirs or assigns shall erect and keep up ^said bridge^ for that space of time
said bridge as by this act authorized—
Sec. 5 Whenever the county commissioners of the said county of Sangamon shall deem
it
expedient to purchase said bridge they shall have the right so to do by paying the
said Samuel Musick
his heirs or assigns the original cost of said bridge— And for the purpose of enabling
the county
commissioners to make said purchase, it shall be the duty of said Samuel Musick his
heirs or assigns, to
file with the clerk of the county commissioners court of said county such vouchers
as shall be deemed
sufficient by the commissioners to ascertain the cost of said bridge—
Sec 6— If the said Samuel Musick his heirs or assigns shall at any time obstruct the
ford on said creek
at or near the said bridge, in
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any manner— he or they so offending— shall forfeit and pay the
sum of one hundred dollars for every such offence to be recovered by action of debt
in any court having
competent jurisdition thereof, one half of which shall go to the use of the person
informing and the
other to the use of the county—
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A Bill for "An act to authorise Samuel Musick to build a toll Bridge2
across Salt Creek in Sangamon county."
[ docketing
]
[12]/[16]/[1834]
[12]/[16]/[1834]
2
1Abraham Lincoln introduced this bill, written entirely in his own handwriting, in the House of Representatives on December 15, 1834. On December 17, the House referred the bill to a select committee
composed of Lincoln, William Carpenter, and John T. Stuart. On December 20, the select committee reported the bill back with an amendment,
and the House passed the amended bill, which was also partly written by Lincoln. The Senate passed the bill on December 24. On January 7, 1835, the Council of Revision approved the bill, and the act became law.
Illinois House Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 86, 118, 127, 131, 141-42, 160, 222, 240, 245; Illinois
Senate Journal. 1835. 9th G. A., 1st sess., 121, 122, 126, 132, 192, 195.
Handwritten Document, 4 page(s), Lincoln Collection, Illinois State Archives (Springfield, IL).