AN ACT TO CREATE A DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That there be and is hereby created and established a department in the State of Illinois, to be known and styled "The Department of Agriculture," the objects of which shall be the promotion of agriculture and horticulture, manufactures and domestic arts. The business of said department shall be conducted by a board, to be styled the "State Board of Agriculture," which shall consist of a President, as many Vice-Presidents as there are, or from time to time may be, congressional districts in this State, and the last ex-President of the State Board of Agriculture. Said President and Vice-Presidents shall hold their respective positions for two years, and until their successors are elected and qualified. The first Board of Agriculture under this act shall consist of the present President, VicePresidents, and the last ex-President of "The (present) Illinois State Agricultural Society," who shall hold their positions respectively until the second Monday of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three. Said State Board of Agriculture shall have a Secretary and Treasurer, who shall not be members of the Board, and who shall hold their positions for the same time as the members of the Board. The Treasurer shall give bond as may be required by said Board. The Treasurer and Secretary of "The Illinois State Agricultural Society," at present, shall, respectively, be the Secretary and Treasurer of the State Board of Agriculture, and hold their positions the same time as members of the Board: Provided, that said Secretary of the State Agricultural Society, by virtue of his position, shall, until the second Monday of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, be a member of said Board. § 2. The State Board of Agriculture shall have the sole control of the affairs of the Department of Agriculture, of all State Fairs, and may make such by-laws, rules and regulations in relation to the Department of Agriculture, and the management of the business of such Department and State Fairs, and offering premiums, as a majority of said Board shall, from time to time, determine, not inconsistent with the constitution and laws of this State or of the United States; but this State shall, in no event, be liable for any premium offered or debt contracted by said Board of Agriculture. 3. The State Board of Agriculture shall provide for the organization of County Agricultural Boards, to consist (in counties having but one agricultural organization, on the assent to the provisions of this act), of the directors or other managers of any legally organized Agricultural Society holding an annual fair, at which premiums to the amount of five hundred dollars are awarded; and in counties having more than one agricultural organization, such County Board shall consist of the vari ous agricultural organizations, each represented therein, under such regulations as they may themselves, or if they fail in agreeing, the State Board of Agriculture shall prescribe; and said County Board shall report its proceedings to said State Board of Agriculture, annually, and shall be styled "The - County Agricultural Board." 4. Whatever moneys shall, from time to time, be appropriated to the Department of Agriculture, shall be paid to said State Board of Agriculture, and may be expended by them as in the opinion of said Board will best advance the interests of agriculture and horticulture, manufactures and domes tic arts, in this State: Provided, that when appropriations are made for the use of said State Board of Agriculture, that such appropriation shall provide for at least one hundred dollars annually, for the use of each County Agricultural Board, to be paid by said State Board of Agriculture to each County Board of Agriculture which shall have given satisfactory evidence to said State Board of having held an annual fair, and made their annual report to said State Board of Agriculture, § 5. The State Board of Agriculture shall keep an office, for the transaction of its business at Springfield; and when the new State House is so far completed as to allow thereof, there shall be as signed to the Department of Agriculture suitable rooms therein, to be under the control of said Board. § 6. The State Board of Agriculture, in that name, and the several County Agricultural Boards their respective names, may contract and be contracted with, may purchase, hold, or sell property and may sue or be sued in all courts or places; but this State shall never be liable for any debar contract of any of said Boards. § 7. The State Board of Agriculture shall be elected every two years, on the first Wednesday of the annual State Fair, on the fair grounds, by delegates chosen by the several County Agricultural Boards, each County Board having three votes and no more. The President, Secretary and Treasurer of the State Board may reside anywhere in the State. The Vice-Presidents shall reside in the d tricts which they respectively represent. The first election of the State Board of Agriculture shal be held in the fall of one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two. § 8. The State Board of Agriculture shall make an annual report to the Governor of the transa tions of the Department of Agriculture, which said report shall include a complete classified state ment of all moneys received, and of all expenditures and expenses; and the Governor shall cause ter thousand copies of said report to be printed; one-half for the use of the Department of Agriculture and the remainder for the use of the State and General Assembly. § 9. The State Board of Agriculture may, for cause, to be spread upon their journals, remove the Secretary or Treasurer, or expel a member, and may fill any vacancy arising from any cause. APPROVED April 17, 1871. BY-LAWS OF STATE BOARD. The following are the By-Laws passed by the State Board of Agriculture, providing for the forms tion and regulation of County Agricultural Boards: 11. There shall be but one County Agricultural Board in each county. 12. In counties having no agricultural organization, any number of citizens, not less than ten mat organize a County Agricultural Board, by the election of a President, Secretary, Treasurer and a Board of not less than five directors, adopt the name of "The......County Agricultural Board and file with the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, and also with the Clerk of the Circu Court of such county, a certificate of their organization. 13. In counties having but one agricultural organization, a County Agricultural Board may be organized on filing with the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, and the Clerk of the Circ Court of the county, the assent of such agricultural organization to the provisions of “An act # create a Department of Agriculture in the State of Illinois," and adopting the name of "The....... County Agricultural Board." 14. Counties having more than one agricultural organization may organize a County Agricultura Board by agreement between said agricultural organizations, before the 1st day of June, 1972; but L case of failure to agree and organize such County Agricultural Board on or before that time, the County Agricultural Board may be organized by representatives chosen by the several agricultura organizations, in which each organization shall be entitled to three representatives; said representa tives, when chosen, shall organize and elect three delegates to represent the said County Agricultura Board at the election of the State Board of Agriculture. 15. In counties having one or more agricultural organizations, and such organizations neglect e refuse to organize as provided in these by-laws, on or before the 15th day of August, 1972, then 4 County Agricultural Board may be organized under the provisions of Rule 12, relating to couds having no agricultural organization. 16. All County Agricultural Boards shall report their organization to the Secretary of the S Board of Agriculture before the 1st day of September next after their organization, or not be entitle to cast the vote of such County Agricultural Board at the next election of the State Board of Aj riculture. 17. No society in a county having more than one agricultural organization shall be entitled to 28; of the benefits of the act creating a Department of Agriculture, unless they are represented County Agricultural Board, 18. No County Agricultural Board shall be entitled to be represented at an election of the State Board of Agriculture until they have held, or provided for holding an annual fair, and shall have, in good faith, offered or paid premiums amounting to at least five hundred dollars. 19. On or before 12 o'clock, noon, on the third day of the annual fair of the State Board of Agricul ture, for the year 1872, and biennially thereafter, each County Agricultural Board shall report to the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, at the fair grounds, the names of the delegates from such County Agricultural Board entitled to vote at the election of the State Board of Agriculture; and the Secretary shall prepare and report to the meeting of delegates, immediately upon the same being called to order, and before any other business is done, the counties in which County Agricultural Boards have been organized and reported to him on or before the 1st day of September of that year, and also the names of the delegates reported to him as herein provided. The persons so reported as delegates, or their proxies, and no others, shall be entitled to vote at any election of the State Board of Agriculture. 20. Each County Agricultural Board shall report annually, through its Secretary, and shall forward such report to the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, on or before the 15th day of November. Such report should embrace I. Names and post office address of its President, Secretary, and other officers; the number of its members, the number of volumes in its library, and the cash value of property owned by the Board, including stock. II. Such statement of its transactions for the preceding year as may be necessary to a correct appreciation of the means employed and results accomplished by such Board in promoting the agricul. tural and industrial interests of the region covered by its organization. This statement to include the amount offered as premiums at the last exhibition; the general character of such exhibition, with the number of entries in each department thereof, together with copies of such essays, statements and statistics collected, as may be deemed worthy of publication or notice in the annual report of the State Board of Agriculture. When two or more organizations are represented in a County Agricultural Board, then the report of such Board should embrace a separate report from each organization represented, covering the points heretofore mentioned. III. Suggestions in regard to any subject it may be thought desirable to bring to the notice of the State Board of Agriculture, or, through said Board, to the people of the State, or to the General Assembly. 21. Wherever the word "Fair" occurs in these by-laws, it shall be held to mean a bona fide exhibition of the four principal classes of live stock, together with general agricultural and horticultural products and mechanical arts. Vol. II-724 |