Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-03-29
DUTIES OF TOWN OFFICERS.

| BY the town government law which goes into eff
feet on the first Tuesday of April next, several new
officers are created. We publish brief summary
of the duties of supervisors, town clerk, and town
treasurer The duties of the other town officers are
no less important than these especially commission
ers of highways; but we have only time to make
the following abstract of the law.
SuperriSOrs.-The prominent duties devolving up
on the supervisors are the following: They form a
board of town auditors, for the purpose of auditing
the accounts of town officers for services rendered
the town; they make the annual report of the fiscal
concerns of the town; they present an estimate at
,he annual town meeting of the amount of moneys
which will be required the ensuing year for contin
gent expenses and the support of paupers The
supervisors also have charge of Town poor, and
have power to expend at their discretion for the
support of the poor, whatever moneys the town
may have raised for that object. They hare charge
also Of all such affairs of the toacn made the
duty Of other to,om officers to perform, and they
have power to draw upon the town for such
sums may be necessary to defray the incidental
expenses of the town. The board of supervisors
of each town together with the town clerk, consti-
tute board of inspectors of elections, and they
are required to make out a list of the legal voters
in the town, at least two weeks previous to the an
nual town meeting.
| The chairman of the board of supervisors of each
| town. is required to attend the annual meeting OF
the board of supervisors of the comfy, the first
Tuesday of September. The county board of su.
pervsors at their annual meeting, examine the as
sessment rolls of the several towns in the county
H., e 4 II i
tons in the respective towns bear just relation to
each other They have power to change the valu-
alton of any town. for the purpose of giving just
equalization to each; and having fixed such equ-
cation, :hey apportion to each town its share of
taxes to be levied for county expenses.
The county board of supervisors have power to
make orders concerning corporate property; to ex-
anime and audit all accounts against the county,
to direct the raising of such sums as may be neces-
sary for defraying county expenses to build and
keep in repair county buildings, and perform any
other duties required of them by the laws of the
| Territory. They also authorized to perform
any of the duties required by law be done by the
county commissioners, and the present official seal
of the county commissioners, will hereafter be the
official seal of the board of county supervisors.
| Towm Cterk.-The town clerk is required to tram
scribe into book kept for that purpose the proceed
ings of evey town meeting held in the town. to file
the acceptance and oath of every town officer cleo
ted; to make out certificates to the school commits
| sioners, commissioners of highways, and supervi-
sors Immediately after each town meeting of the
amounts of money raised by the town for the sup
port of Schools building of highways and support Of
| T. A. L i
ward the name of every constable elected in the
town, and transmit to the county board of supervi
sors certified copies of all for raising moneys
and copies of other records requiring the action Of
the county board.
The Town Clerk is also required to preserve a
description which shall be delivered to him by the
| commissioners of common schools, of every school
district in the town. to file the annual report of the
trustees of each school district to attend all NEE
tlngs of the board of commissioners of common
schools to prepare under their direction all reports
and apportionmens of school monies; to record the
same in book kept for that purpose and perform
such other duties may be required of him by the
school commissioners. The town clerk is required
to make out the town tax list agreeable to the
sessment roll, corrected by the board of county
supervisors-also make transcript of such tax
list together with precept in the name of the ter
rtory directed to the collector of the town. The
clerk is required to make out and forward to the
county treasurer, list of all delinquent lands and
lots, upon which taxes have not been collected by
the town collector, before the first day of January
in each year.
1t is also the duty of the town clerk to record the
| laid fbo1 of IL,
and from time to time make a record of such high
ways alterations, shall be made by the COM
missoners of highways, also copy for the use of
the overseers of highways, the road tax list made by
the highway commissioners.
To,om Treasurer.-The treasurer of the town has
charge of all money belong ing to the town, and is
required to give bonds to the supervisors, for
the safekeepng of the money entrusted to his care.
The treasurer may with the appreciation of two Of
the supervisors in his official capacity prosecute any
suit upon bonds, notes, &c. due said town; and
may also and recover fines and penalties, for
violation of any rule or regulation adopted by said
town. The treasurer may also prosecute for tres
pass committed on any property belonging to the
town.
| week AFTER week the enquiry is relterated, what
is doing in Congress! 1t is impossible to CLEAN
any thing from the proceedings of our national le-
| gislaors of general interest, or scarcely worth
transferring to paper 1t will be remembered
that when the present administration came into
| power, the people were promised retrenchment and
reform in our national habits and expenditures A
most extraordinary specimen of the progress of re-
trenchment, has recently been exhibited in the
House OF Representatives. Day after day propo-
sltion was debated in that body, to dispense with
two of the assistant clerks. This debate cost the