Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-02-23
County Poor House.

nradi"rd.-heao In the House, FebruaryS, lS56'
SECTION l. BE 1t pnacfcd DC That S. s
Bradley. Henry Gibbs, Daniel Bailey, Alvin
w. Thomas, John F. Long, John w. G rifiin
James Elliott, J. NJ Martin, Asa Stevens,
Charles Homet, Da%id Gardner, and Matthias
III. Welles, be and are hereby appointed com,
missioners, whose duty it shall be, or major
itv of them, on or before the sth day of Au-
gust. Ammo Domini, one thousand eight hun
dred and tifty-six, to determine upon and pur-
chase such real estate as they shall deem ne
cessary for the accommodation of the poor OF
Bradford county and it shall be lawful Tor
said commissioners or majority OIL them, TO
take convcyances therefor in the name and for
the use of the corporation mentioned in the
third section of this act, and they shall certify
their proceedings therein, under their hands
and seals, to the clerk of the court of quarter
sessions of Bradford county, to be filed in his
Office, and at the next general election the
qualified electors shall elect three reputable
citizens of the said county to be directors OF
the poor and of the house of employment for
the county of Bradford for the ensuing year,
and the Judges of the election of said county
shall Immediately on receiving the returns
from the several election districts, and casting
three DAYS thereafter, certify under their hands
and seals the names of the persons so elected
directors, to the clerk of the court of quarter
sessions of the said county, who shall file the
said certificate in his Office, and forthwith give
notice in writing to the said directors, of their
being elected, and the said directors shall meet
at the court house, in the said county, on the
first Monday of November next ensuing their
election, and divide themselves by lot into
three classes the place of the first to be va
Gated at the expiration of the first year, of
the second at the expiration of the second
year, and the third at the expiration of the
third year SO that those who shall be chosen
after the first election and i'm the mode above
described, may serve for three years, and one
third may be chosen annually.
SECTION 2. Directors to be sworn and
$40 0.penalty on neglecting or refusing to per-
form the duties of director.
SECTION 8. That the said directors and their
successors, shall forever hereafter, in the name
and in fact, be one body polite and corporate
in law, to all intents and purposes whatsoever,
relative to the poor of the county of Bradford,
and shall have perpetual succession, and may
sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, by
the name, style and title OF the directors of
the poor and Of the house of employment for
the county of Bradford; and by that name
shall aud may receive, take and hold any lands,
tenements and hereditaments, not exceeding
the yearly value of ten thousand dollars, and
any goods and chattelS whatsoever, of the
gift, alienation or bequest of@any person or
persons whatsoever to purchase, take and
bold any lands and tcnementS Within their
county, in fee simple or otherwise, and erect
thereon suitable buildings, for the reception,
use and accommodation of the poor of said
county, to provide ali things necessary for the
reception, lodging, maintenance and employ
ment of said poor to appoint treasurer
annually, who shall give bond with sufficient
surety for the faithful discharge of the duties
Of his Office and at the expiration thereof that
he will well and truly pay and deliver over to
his successor in Office all moneys, bonds, notes,
books accounts and other papers, to the said
corporation belonging, which shall then be re-
naming in his hands, custody and possession !;
and the said directors shall employ, and at
pleasure remove, q steward or stewards. and
require of him or them an oath or affirmation
and such security for the faithful performance
of his or their duties, as the board of direct
ors shall deem expedient and to appoint q
matron or matrons, physician or physicians,
surgeon or surgeons, and all other attendants
that may be necessary for the said poor re-
spectively and at pleasure remove and to
bind out as apprentices, so that such appren-
ticeship may expire, if males at or before the
age of twenty-one years, if females, at or be-
fore the age of eighteen years. PrOrided, =
That no child shall be bound out for longer
time than until he arrives to the age of eigh-
teen years, unless he be bound out to a trade
other than farmer. And prorided, That in all
cases, the person to whom they are bound he
required to give the child at least three months
schooling in each year Pr0rided also, That
no child shall be bound without the limits of
the State, or at greater distance than fifty
miles from the poor house and the said direct
ors shall exercise and enjoy all such other
powers now vested in the overseers Of the poor,
as are not herein granted or supplied, and the
said directors are hereby empowered to use one
common seal in oil business relating to the said
corporation, and the same at their pleasure to
alter and renew
SECTION 4. That the said directors shall on
or before the first day of December, one thou
sand eight hundred and fifty-six furnish to the
county commissioners an eStinate OF the proO-
able expense of purchasing the lands, erecting
the buildings, and furnishing the same, and
maintaining the poor for one year, whereupon
said commissioners shall and they are hereby
authorized to increase the county tax by one
fourth of the sum necessary for the purpose
aforesaid, and shall procure on loan or credit
of the taxes herein directed to be levied, the
remaining three-fourths thereof to be paid in
instalments, with interest ont of the county
taxes PrOrjded diwdys, That if such cannot
be made, the whole amount of the sum neces-
sary for the purpose aforesaid, or such part
thereof as may be deemed proper, shall imme-
diately be added to the county tax, to be paid
by the county treasurer to the directors aforc-
said, on orders drawn in their favor by the
county commissioners, as the same may be
found nncnssarv