six, (6,) in township No. 14, range No. 11, and sections four, (4.) five, (5,) and six. (6,) in township No. 14, range No. 14 west, be and the same are hereby declared to be a part of the county of Douglas, as fully and completely, for all purposes whatsoever, as if they had been contained within the boundaries set forth in the act to which this act is supplementary.

§ 2. The election required by the act to which this is Election postsupplementary, to be held on the first Monday in March poned. next, shall be held on the third Monday of March, in the

manner therein provided.

3. This act shall be in force from and after its passage. APPROVED February 16, 1859.

AN ACT to create the county of Ford, and for other purposes.

In force Febru

ary 17, 1859.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That all that portion of Vermilion county lying and being within the following boundaries, and described as follows, to wit: Boundaries. Beginning at the northeast corner of Champaign county; running thence north to the south line of Iroquois county; thence west to the southwest corner of Iroquois county; thence north to the northwest corner of Iroquois county; thence west to Livingston county; thence south to the southeast corner of Livingston county; thence west to McLean county; thence south to the northwest corner of Champaign county; thence east to the place of beginning, be and the same is hereby created into a new county, to be called the county of Ford: Provided, that a majority of all the legal Proviso. voters of said county of Vermilion, voting on the question, shall vote for said new county, at an election to be held in manner hereinafter provided.

2. The qualified voters of said county of Vermilion Special election may, at a special election, to be held in the several towns in said county, on the first Tuesday in April next, vote for or against the creation of said new county of Ford, by ballot, upon which shall be written or printed, or partly written and partly printed, the words "For the New County," or "Against the New County."

election.

§ 3. The clerk of the county court of said county of Notice of said Vermilion shall give notice of said election in the several election districts of said county, in the same manner as notice of general or special elections are given in counties. which have not adopted township organization, as nearly as may be; and the judges and clerks of election, in the several election districts of said county, shall keep a list of the

Vacancies.

Returns.

Special election

cers.

tion.

votes polled at said election, and conduct the same in all respects, and make return thereof to the clerk of the county court in the same manner as is provided by law for general elections. All vacancies in the board of election shall be filled in the same manner as is provided by law in other cases. The clerk of said county court shall, within seven days after said election, or as soon thereafter as said returns shall be received, proceed to canvass the returns of said election, in the same manner as in general elections, and shall, within five days thereafter, make return of said vote to the secretary of state.

§ 4. If it shall appear that a majority of all the voters for county off in said county of Vermilion, voting upon the question, have voted in favor of the creation of said new county of Ford, then there shall be held a special election, in the several towns and precincts within the limits in this act described for said new county of Ford, on the first Monday in June next, for county officers. In case of fractional towns or precincts which have become detached by the boundaries of the said new county, the voters thereof may, at the first election for county officers, vote within such town or precinct within said new county as they deem most convenient. Manner of elec- The said election to be conducted by the judges of election then in office under appointment or election in said county of Vermilion, and to be held at the place of holding the last general election. In case of vacancy in the board of election or nonattendance, said vacancy or place of any absentee shall be filled in the same manner as is provided Term and quali- by law in other cases of election. At which election the the qualified voters of said county of Ford shall elect all county officers for said county, except such as hereinafter are excepted, who shall be commissioned and qualified in the same manner as such officers are in other counties in this state, and who shall continue in office until the next general election for such officers, and until their successors are elected and qualified, and who shall have all the jurisdiction and perform all the duties which are or may be conferred upon such officers in other counties of this state.

fication of the county

cers.

Town and pre

§ 5. All the justices of the peace, constables, or other cinct officers. town or precinct officers, who have been heretofore elected and qualified in said county of Vermilion, whose term of office shall not have expired at the time of said election, and whose residence shall be embraced within the limits of said county of Ford, shall continue in office until their term of office shall expire, and until their successors shall be elected and qualified.

To vote for the county seat.

§6. For the purpose of fixing the permanent location of the county seat of said county of Ford, the voters of said county shall, at said election for county officers, vote for some place, to be designated upon their ballots, for a county seat, upon which ballot shall be written or printed, or partly written

and partly printed, "For County Seat;" after which words shall be written or printed the name of the place intended for the county seat. The place receiving a majority of all the votes cast upon the question shall be the county seat of said county of Ford; but if no one place shall receive a majority of all the votes cast upon the question then it shall be the duty of the county court of said county to call another New election to election, within thirty days thereafter, at the several places of holding elections in said county; at which election the voters of said county shall proceed to vote as before, but shall choose from the two places having the greatest number of votes at the former election; and the place having the majority of all the votes cast at the second election shall be the permanent county seat of said county of Ford.

$7. Notice of said election for county officers shall be given by the clerk of the county court of Vermilion county, in the same manner as in cases of general elections. Said notice shall specify that a vote will be taken upon the location of the county seat. The returns of said election for county officers shall be made to the clerk of said court, who shall cause the same to be opened and canvassed and returns thereof made in the same manner as is provided by law in other cases.

choose county

seat.

Notice and re

tion for county officers.

turns of elec

secutions.

§ 8. All suits and prosecutions that have been or may Suits and probe commenced in said county of Vermilion, including all proceedings in the county court in matters of probate, before the organization of said county of Ford, shall not be affected by this act or the operation thereof; but all such suits, prosecutions and proceedings shall be prosecuted and conducted to their final termination in said county of Vermilion; and the officers of said county are hereby authorized to execute all writs that may be necessary for the completion of said suits, prosecutions or proceedings, within the limits of said county of Ford; and all judgments that may have heretofore been obtained or that may hereafter be obtained in said county of Vermilion, before the organization of said county of Ford, shall have the same lien upon all property within the limits of said county of Ford as if the said territory had not been created into a separate county.

9. As soon as the county officers shall have been elected Organization. and qualified, as aforesaid, the said county of Ford shall be considered organized. The oath of office may be administered to the several county officers by any person within the limits of the new county authorized by law to administer oaths. And as soon as said county is organized the clerk of the circuit court shall give notice thereof to the judge of Circuit court. the circuit in which said county may be embraced, who shall thereupon hold court at such place in said county of Ford as the county court thereof shall designate until the county seat of said county shall become permanently located, as heretofore provided; which court shall be holden at such

School funds.

Commissioner

records.

times as the judge of said circuit shall appoint, until otherwise provided by law; and until otherwise provided by law the said county of Ford shall be taken and considered as a part of the eighth judicial circuit.

§ 10. The school funds, if any, in the hands of the school commissioners of Vermilion county, belonging to the several towns or parts of towns embraced within the limits of said county of Ford, shall be, by said commissioner, paid over to the school commissioner of said county of Ford, so soon as he shall have given bond and been qualified on demand made.

§ 11. The county court of said county of Ford, shall, to transcribe at some term of said court, by an order, to be entered upon their records, appoint some competent person a commissioner, for the purpose hereinafter expressed, who shall take an oath of office before some officer of said county authorized by law to administer oaths. Said court shall, at the same time, provide a sufficient number of well bound blank books, and deliver the same to said commissioner, who shall receipt the same to the clerk of said court; and as soon as the same shall be delivered to said commissioner, he shall record in each book a copy of the order of appointment and Transcript of oath of office, and shall thereupon proceed to transcribe title papers. into such books all deeds, mortgages and title papers, of every description, with the acknowledgments and certificates in relation thereto, of lands lying in the said county of Ford, which have been recorded or may hereafter be recorded, before the organization of said county, in the recorder's Compensation. office of said county of Vermilion. Such commissioner shall be allowed by said county court such sums as his services shall be worth, to be paid out of the county treasury. Said commissioner shall note at the end of each he shall transcribe the book and page which the same was transcribed, and shall make a correct double index of said records; and on the completion of his duties said commissioner shall return said books to the clerk of the circuit court of said county of Ford; whereupon they shall be taken and considered, to all intents and purposes, as books of records of deeds, mortgages and title papers for said county of Ford; and copies of said record, certified by the To be evidence. officer having the custody of the same, shall be evidence in all courts and places, in the same manner that deeds and title papers regularly recorded in the recorder's office are evidence, and with the same effect.

Swamp lands.

paper

§ 12. Of the swamp lands lying within the present limits of Vermilion county and of the proceeds of sales of said lands heretofore made and which may hereafter be made, before the organization of said county of Ford, after deducting all expenses paid by and for which said county of Vermilion may be liable, the said county of Ford shall receive and be entitled to a share, in proportion to the number of

congressional townships and parts of townships lying within the boundaries of said county of Ford; and the share of said county of Vermilion to said lands and proceeds of sales thereof, as aforesaid, shall be in proportion to the number of congressional townships and parts of townships remaining within the limits of said county of Vermilion, after said county of Ford shall have been organized.

13. The secretary of state shall forthwith furnish to Copy of act. the clerk of the county court of Vermilion county a certified copy of this act.

14. This act shall take effect and be in force from and

after its passage.

APPROVED February 17, 1859.

AN ACT in relation to a certain county therein named.

وو

In force February 19, 1859.

County judge

of the county of Ford au

thorized

borrow

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That if the county of Ford is created, by virtue of an act entitled "An act to create the county of Ford, and for other purposes,' that the county judge of the county of Ford is hereby authorized to borrow a sum of money, not exceeding in amount the sum of (15,000,) fifteen thousand dollars, for the erection of county buildings: Provided, a majority of Proviso. the legal voters of said county of Ford shall vote in favor of making said loan, at any general or special election, to be held in said county.

ney.

to

mo

issue coupon bonds.

2. The county judge of Ford county is hereby author- Authorized to ized to issue coupon bonds, in sums not exceeding one thousand dollars, and bearing interest at a rate not exceeding ten per cent., per annum, payable twenty-five years after date; said interest payable semi-annually at the Bank of the State of New York, city of New York. Said bonds to be signed by the county judge and the county clerk, under the county seal of said county of Ford: Provided, that said Proviso. bonds shall not be sold by the authorities of said county at less than their par value.

§3. The county court, or board of supervisors, as the Special tax aucase may be, is hereby authorized and required to levy and thorized. collect a special tax on all the taxable property of said county of Ford, to pay the interest on said bonds, as the same becomes due and payable; and, also, to provide for the payment of the bonds, when they become due and payable, if not otherwise provided for.

4. This act to be a public act, and be in force from and after its passage.

APPROVED February 19, 1859.