Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 1.

About this Item

Title
Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 1.
Author
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.
Publication
New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press
1953.
Rights/Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes, with permission from their copyright holder. If you decide to use any of these materials, you are responsible for making your own legal assessment and securing any necessary permission. If you have questions about the collection, please contact Abraham Lincoln Digital Collections at lincoln-feedback@umich.edu. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact Library Information Technology at LibraryIT-info@umich.edu.

Cite this Item
"Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 1." In the digital collection Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/l/lincoln/lincoln1. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 15, 2024.

Pages

Bill Introduced in Illinois Legislature
to Authorize Samuel Musick to Build a Toll Bridge1Jump to section

[December 15, 1834]

An act to authorize Samuel Musick to build a toll bridge across Salt Creek in Sangamon county---

SEC 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. 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 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.

Page 30

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 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 in said creek at or near the said bridge, in 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 jurisdiction thereof, one half of which shall go to the use of the person informing and the other to the use of the county.2Jump to section

SEC 7th. That the county commissioners of said county have full power to levy a tax on said bridge, as is provided in an act to provide for the establishment of ferries, toll bridges, and turn pike roads: approved February 12th. 1827.

Annotation

[1]   AD, I-Ar. Introduced on December 15, the bill was passed on December 26, and appears in Laws of the State of Illinois, 1835, pp. 84-85.

[2]   The original bill contains only the first six sections. The seventh appears in the official engrossed copy, as added later by Lincoln's own hand.

Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem? Please contact us.