An Act for the division of Edwards County, 1816

AN ACT for the division of Edwards County.

BE it enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the Illinois territory, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That all that tract of country within the following boundaries, to-wit: Beginning at the mouth of the Embarras, and running with said river to the intersection of the line dividing townships number three and four, north of range eleven, west of the second principal maridian; thence west with said township line to the meridian, and due north until it strikes the line of Upper Canada; thence to the line that separates this territory from the state of Indiana, and thence south with said dividing line to the beginning, shall constitute a separate county to be called Crawford; and. the seat of justice for said county, shall be at house of Edward N. Cullom, until it shall be permanently established in the following method, that is; three persons shall be appointed, to wit: John Dunlap, Thomas Handy and Thomas Kenedy, which said commissioners, or a majority of them, being duly sworn before some judge or justice of the peace of this territory. to faithfully take into view the situation of the settlements, the geography of the country, the convenience of the people, and the eligibility of the place, shall meet on the second Monday in March next, at the house of Edward N. Cullom, and proceed to examine and determine on the place for the permanent seat of justice, and designate the same: Provided, the proprietor or proprietors of the land shall give to said county. for the purpose of erecting public buildings, a quantity of land at said place, not less than twenty acres, to be laid out in lots and sold for the above purpose. But should the said proprietor or proprietors refuse or neglect to make the said donation aforesaid, then and in that case, it shall be the duty of the commissioners to fix upon some other place for the seat of justice as convenient as may be to the different settlements in said county; which place when fixed and determined on, the said commissioners shall certify under their hands and seals, and return the same to the next county court, in the county aforesaid; and as a compensation for their services, they shall each be allowed two dollars for every day they may be necessarily employed in fixing the aforesaid seat of justice, to be paid out of the county levy; which said court shall cause an entry thereof to be made on their records.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the said county of Crawford is hereby allowed one representative in the house of representatives of this territory, who shall be elected agreeably to law, and be entitled to all the immunities, powers and privileges prescribed by law to members of the house of representatives. An election is hereby directed to be held at the house of said E. N. Cullom, in the said county, on the first monday in March next, and continue open three days, and to be conducted in all other respects by the persons and in the manner prescribed by law: At which said election, the persons entitled to vote may elect a representative to the house of representatives, who shall continue in office until the tenth day of October, eighteen hundred and eighteen, and shall during his continuance in office, be bound to perform the duties, and be entitled to the same privileges and immunities that are prescribed by law to a member of the house of representatives.

SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, That the citizens of said county entitled to vote, may at any election for a member of the legislative council to represent said district, proceed to vote for such member; and it shall moreover be the duty of the sheriff of the said county of Crawford, within ten days after the close of said election, to attend at the court house of the county of White, with a statement of the votes given in the said county Of Crawford, and to compare the polls of the respective counties; and it shall be the duty of the sheriffs of Gallatin, White and Edwards counties to attend at such time and place with a statement of the votes of Gallatin, White and Edwards counties, and upon counting the votes of the respective counties, it shall be the duty Of the said sheriffs of Gallatin, White, Edwards and Crawford counties, to make out and deliver to the person duly elected a certificate thereof. If the said sheriffs or either of them, shall refuse or fail to perform the duty required of them by this section, such delinquent shall forfeit and pay the sum of two hundred dollars, to be recovered by action of debt or indictment, one half to the territory, and the other half to any person sueing for the same.

SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, That the citizens of the county Crawford are hereby declared to be entitled in all respects to the same rights and privileges in the election of a delegate to congress, as well as a member to the house of representatives of the territory, that are allowed by law to the other counties of the territory; and all elections are to be conducted at the same time, and in the same manner, except as is excepted by this law, as is provided for other counties. This act shall commence and be in force from after the passage thereof.

SETH GARD,
Speaker of the House of Representatives, pro tempore.

PIERRE MENARD,
President of the Legislative Council.

Approved, December 31, 1816.

NINIAN EDWARDS.