History of Springfield, Illinois, its attractions as a home and advantages for business, manufacturing, etc. Pub. under the auspices of the Springfield board of trade, by J. C. Power.

16 SPRINGFIELD, ILI,INOIS, AND
was decided that Springfield should'be here as on all othle proper occasions.
the permanent seat of government of the He interposed his objections, although
State of Illinois. he felt that the offer was made in good
"A supplemental act was passed March faith and with the most kindly feeling,
3d, authorizing the commissioners of San- but insisted that the money should be
gamon county to convey the land, as a paid to the full extent. In this he was
site for the new edifice, to the State. It supported by every one of the "Long
also named three commissioners, who were Nine."
authorized and instructed to superintend Arringements were made to pay the
the work. It was expected that the new money in three installments. The two
Capitol would be completed in time for first payments were m.de without any
the first meeting of the Legislature in great difficulty; but the third one presSpringfield, which was fixed for the spe- sed more heavily, as the financial crash
cial session of 1839-40. Finding that that swept over the whole United States,
this could not be done, the Second Pres- while the new State House was in course
byterian church,on Fourth street-the old of construction, impoverished many.
building by the side of that in which the Under these circumstances it became neHouse of Representatives for 1871 trans- cessary to borrow the money, to make
acted its business-was secured as Rep- the last payment, from the State Bank of
resentative Hall, the Methodist church Illinois.
for the Senate Chamber, and the Episcopal church for the Supreme court. The THE NOTE OF ONE HUNDRED AND ONE
first was and is yet quite a commodious CITIZENS.
brick edifice; the two latter, small, wood- If any citizen of the State, visiting the
en buildings, have long since disappeared city, would like to know how it was
as churches. The Legislature first con- done, he can, by stepping into the Ridgvened at Springfield, in special session, ley National Bank, see in a frame, over
December 9, 1839. the outside desk, the original note, maOFFERS TO RELEASE SPRINGFIELD OF THE king $16,666 67, payable to the State
$50,000. Bank of Illinois, twelve months after
It is worthy of remark just here that date, with semi-annual interest, at the
the clause requiring $50,000 to be paid rate of six per cent. per annum until
by the town where the Capital should be paid. It is dated March 22, 1S, and
located was inserted to secure the vote of signed by one hundred and one citizens
one man. of Springfield.
It was thought by many of the menl- The money thus obtained was used in
bersto be unreasonable to require a little the purchase of Internal Improvement
town of eleven hundred inhabitants, scrip or stock, which was paid into the
struggling with all the disadvantages of State treasury. Thus the last installa new country-the privations of which ment of the $50,000 was paid in the
cannot be realized by those living in State's own evidences of indebtedness.
these days of railroads-and no less a Many names are on this paper, of men
personage than the Hon. Stephen A. whom the world have known only to
Douglas, then a member from Morgan love and respect. Here I find the names
county, proposed to bring in a bill be- of E. D. Baker and A. Lincoln, as close
fore the close of that session, releasing together as it would be convenient to
Springfield from the payment of the write them. I might name many more
$50,000 pledged. The sterling honesty who have made their influence felt for
of Abraham Lincoln manifested itself the right and been honored in return.