Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-11-20
An Act 20 Incorporate the village
of RrntfIebOrO.


Of Vermont, toNors;
SECTION /. That part Of the town Of Brattlcboro
in the County of Wndham within the following
hounds To wit beginning at the mouth of West Riv-
CIR thence running westerly as the river
the south side thereof to The north west Of the
farm formerly owned by Ebenezer Wells, deceased,
thence souhcr.y on The yves line Of the said Wells
farm and the west side of the farms formerly owned
by Col. Joseph Goodhue and Henry Clark deceased
to the north line of Guord, thence oastcrly on hc
north line of Guiord and Vernon to Connecticut
River thence northery the wcit bank Of said river
to the place Of beginning, being ne present. boundo
res of said village, shall hereafter be Known by the
Of le VII 20 Of Biittleboro, ami shall usO IN
Guide the fire district Of said village, and the trcchol
ers and inhabitants Of said village qualified b., law to
vote in town meetings may on the first Monday of
December next ut six O'Clock in the afternoon meet
ut the town hall in said village, which meeting shall
be notified hv publishing this act in the Vermont
Phoenix printed in said village, once at least before
the said first Monday Of December, and the first hAl-
if or in his ab-cnce the senior bailiH present shall
preside ut said meeting, at which meeting shall be
chosen Clerk, five reeholders Of said village TO he
Baililfs Of said village, Chief Engineer OF the fire
department, Treasurer and Collector of raXcs-and
meeting of said inhabitants and rcclolers shall be
holden annually thereafter the said first Monday of
December for the pu nose Of eecting the officers
aforesaid and for the transaction Of any business
specified in the warning of such meeting, which
which warning shat be signed by the clerk specifying
such other business beside the choice of officers as
the baills majority of them may direct which
notice or warning sh' be posted up in at least three
of the most public places in said vi'uge at least
twelve DAYS before the time for holding such meeting
SECTION 2. The freeholders and Inhabitants re-
siding within said village are hereby ordained con
sttuted and declared to be forever hereafter a body
polite and corporate in name and fact by the name
of the Village of Bratleboro and by that name they
AMI their successors shall and may have perpetual
succession and be capable in law of suing and being
sued pleading and being impeaded, and answering
and being answered unto, defending aud being de-
Tended in all courts and places whatever, may have
common seal and the same change and alter at plea
sure, and shall be capable in law of purchasing, hold
ing and conveying estate, both real and personal for
Ia lin nip linz md
porting n fire department, may tax themselves aid
levy and collect such taxes for the purpose atore aid
or to carry into effect amy legal vote or bylaw of said
corporation, provided that no tax shall be laid col
lected without the consent appreciation of major
part of the legal voters of said village present in open
meeting duly warned aud holden agreeably to the
provisions of this provided also that the amount
of estate, real and PERSONAL owned by suid corpora
ton shall not at any time exceed in value the sum of
ten thousand dollars.
SECTION 8. 1t is hereby enacted that said village
shall be aud constitute fire district for the purpose
Of more effectnay extilsusng fires and preventing
their destructive consequences.
SECTION A. The fire department shall consist OF a
Chief Engineer chosen at the annual meeting, and
four assistant engineers 10 be appointed by the chief
engineer with the consent and approval of Il majority
OF the Baiitis Ih' clerk of the village shall be the
clerk of the chief engineer. The chief engineer and
his assistants are hereby empowered at all fires within
said village, hey wearing or showing such badge of
their Office a. the Bailitfs of the village shall desg-
nate to demand and require The assistance of any of
the inhabitants of said village or of any person
present TO eXtnguish and prevent the spreading Of
the flames and TO remove goods, effects and merclan
die from any house. store shop or other place
dangerd by said fire and to pull l0wn and remove
such house, store, shop other building as MAORI
ty of the engineers present shall deem necessary be
so pulled d 'wn or removed to prevent the spreading
of the flames and the destruction of property and
neither they nor those acting under their direction
shall be made liable for dong and said engineers
hereby further empowered on such occasions to
suppress all umults and riots if necessary with force
and to direct the labor of all persons present during
the continuance of said fires and all persons here
by commanded to yield obedience to such orders.
And said engineers hereby further empowered to
inspect the manner of keeping lime, ashes and all
combustibes and the construction and repairs Of the
fire places, stoves and chmneys in said village any
portion thereof deemed necessary and if II majority
Of said engineers deem the dangerous, they may,
and il is hereby made their duty to order and direct
the owners of such lime, ashes and combustibes in
what manner to keep the and the persons using
such fire places stoves or chimneys in what manner
to change or repair the same and any person refus
ing negecng % obey such orders said engineers
or either OF them may, and are empowered by this
act to give, shall conviction thereof before any jus
tce of the Peace for the County of Wndham, forfeit
and pay to such village such fine exceeding
dollars rs such Justice shall consider and adjudge,
together with costs Of prosecution, provided such Of
fender be prosecuted within sixty dGys after such Of
fence is committed
SECTION 8. The cisterns, engines, hose, hooks and
ladders and buildings for storing and preserving the
same, shall be under the charge, superntende and
control Of the chief engineer. whose duty il shall be
TO make all necessary repairs, and ut each annu0l
meeting to make report in writing of his dongs and
thereof.
Section G, Said corporation shall have power TO
make, Ordain and establish such prudential bylaws,
rules and regulations they shall from time to time
deem proper necessary such in partculn as relate
to their streets, side walks, alleys, public highways
and communicating, repairing and improving the
same; and such relate to their fire department,
building and constructing reservoirs or cisterns for
water and such as relate to slaughter houses and
nuisances generally such relating to a watch and
lighting the streets of said village such as relate to
the restraining from running at large in said village
any sheep hogs, cows, horses cattle of any kind,
such relate TO the erecting and regulating hay scales
such relate to cemeteries or burying grounds and
such relate to the refusal Of any individual of said
corporation in any Office to which he NAV
be elected PROVIDED that such bylaw be contra
ry or inconsistent with the constitution or laws of
this State of the United States; and said corpora
ton shall have power to make, orcain and provide
such reasonable fines and penalties and orfeures for
tn, breach of any bylaws by them established as
they may judge reasonable, such fine or penalty not
to exceed twenty-five dollars for any one offence to
be prosecuted and recovered by action of debt before
any courts proper to try the same in which action it
shall he sufficient to declare generally that the defen-
dant or defendants is or are indebted to said corpora
ton in the amount of the fine forfeiture penalty for
the breach of a certain bylaw naming such bylaw
generally, under which declaration the special matter
may he given in evidence.
SECTION T. Before any assistant engineer shall en-
upon the duties OF his Office he shall be sworn to
the faithful dischar geand performance OF such duties
SECTION 8. In case of the absence, death, remov-
al or incapacity of the chief engineer, the senior
sisant engineer present at any fire shall be chief
engineer for the time being and have all the powers
conferred upon the chief engineer by this act.
SECTION Q. The clerk, bailiffs, chief engineer,
and collector shall before they enter upon
the duties of their respective offices shall be sworn to
the faithful discharge thereof and the treasurer and
collector shall, before they enter upon the duties Of
their respective offices respectively give bonds to said
corporation in such sum and with such suretes as
said bailifs majority Of them shall direct
ditioned for the faithful performance of tho duties of
their respective offices.
SECTION 10. 1t shall be the duty of the clerk of
said corporation to keep fair records of all the pro-
ceedngs of said corporation and to give copies of the
same when required and shall receive such fees as
town clerks are entitled by law to receive for like
services 1t shall also be his duty to meetings OF
said corporation both annual and spec al ag eeaby 10
the direction of the baiifs q majority Of them and
the bailifIs or majority of them hereby author
lied to call special meeting of said corporation from
time to time IS the interests Of said corporation may
require, causing the same to be warned by the clerk
.E manner herein before specified for warning annual
meetings, and such meeting whether annual or special
mar be adjourned from time to time as said corpora