The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1841-04-02
J 0 B W @ r X
AN ACT
CONCERNING PUBLIC ROADS.

CONCERNING PUBLIC ROADS.
Sec. /. BE it enacted by the People
ofthe State Of Illinois, represented in The
General assembly, That all roads within
this state, which have been laid out in
pursuance of any law of this state, or of
the late territory of Illinois, and which
have not been vacated in pursuance of
law, are hereby declared to be public
highways.
SEC. 2. The county commissioners
courts of the several counties in this state,
shall have, and are hereby vested WITH
general superintendent over the public
roads within their respective counties ;
and are hereby authorized to cause new
roads to be located and made, and to alter
or vacate public roads within their rcspec
tive counties, in the manner hereinafter
provided and pointed out.
Sec. 3. The county commissioners
court of each county shall, at their March
term, or as soon thereafter as may be, in
each and every year, lay on! and divide
their respective counties into such road
districts rs they shall deem convenien,
and proper, defining accurately the bonn
DIARIES Of said districts ; and they shall
appoint one supervisor in each district,
who shall serve one year, and continue
in Office until successor shall be APP
pointed.
SEC. 4. 1t shall be the duty of the
clerk of the county commissioners court.
in each county, to make ou, and deliver
70 the sheriff written notices to all the
supervisors as aforesaid, within ten days
after such appointment has been made,
informing them Of their said appointments
aud describing the bounds Of their respec-
tive districts. and the roads therein; and
the said sheriff shall immediately deliver
the said notices to the persons to whom
the same shall be directed, respectively ;
and if any supervisor shall refuse to ac-
cepthis said appointment, the sheriff, shall
return the said notice to the clerk who
Issued the same, noting such refusal on
the back thereof. But if the said super
visor shall agree TO accept the same, such
supervisor shall, within fifteen days there
after, return to the clerk of the county
Commissioners court list of the names
Of all persons residing within his road
district, liable TO be taxed for road purpo-
SEES ; and the said sheriff shall notify the
said clerk of such acceptance; and the
said sheriff shall in all cases make return
of acceptance or refusal within 20 days
after the delivery to him of the notice
aforesaid. For any failure on the part
OF the clerk to make out and deliver to
the sheriff any one of the notices required
by this section, he shall be fined in the
sum OF ten dollars and the sheriff shall
incur the same penalty for failure to
deliver any one of said notices in the
manner and within the periods herein
prescribed: Provided, That supervisors
shall not be required TO make such return
unless the county commissioners courts
shall have levied a tax, according to the
provisions Of this act.
Sec. 5. When any person shall refuse
to accept the appointment Of supervisor,
he shall be fined five dollars, to be APP
proprated to road purposes: Prorided,
That the commissioners court may excuse
any supervisor from the payment Of said
iins, upon being satisfied that such person
ought not to have been appointed. The
commissioners court shall have power, a,
any time, to remove from Office any SUI
pervisor who shall fail or refuse to per.
form his duty and all vacancies shall be
filled at the term Of the court at which
any removal shall be made or vacancy
occur.
Sec. 9. 1t shall be the duty of each
supervisor to cause all the public roads
within his district to be kept well cleared
smooth, and in good repair-causing all
stumps TO be cut low, SO as to afford a,
all times a free aud safe passage to wagons
and other carriages along such roads
4 TO cause bridges and causeways TO be
made wherever the same shall be neces
sary, and to keep the same in repair
4 and to cause 10 be erected and kept II