Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1859-11-11
County Buildings and Bond Gases

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them in full.
County Buildings and Bond Gases
Decisions of the Supreme Court.
''',So'' DO rs. rs. S1%. t,Es'S' Appeal FRONT"
Opinion Of the Court-READ, J.
BY an act Of the 22d March, 1918, par
Of Northumberland county was erected int
a separate county called Union, and tn
several courts of the new county, were t
be held in the town OF Miffiinburg, unit
court house should be erected as therein
directed, and should be there held at sale
court house three Commissioners, ap
pointed by the Governor to fix upon .
proper and convenient site for cour
house, prison and county Offices within
said county, aud, by written report to
the Governor we're to certify, describe and
limit the site or lot of land, which they
shall have chosen for the purpose afore-
said, and the Commissioners Of the county,
to be elected at the next general election,
were authorised to take assurance to them
and their successors in Office, of such lot
or piece of ground, thus approved, for the
purpose of erecting thereon court house,
Jail, and offices for the safe keeping of the
records, and they were also authorised to
assess, levy and collect, in the manner di-
rected for raising county rates and levies,
a sufficient sum to defrav the expenses
thereof. Christopher SeebOld was the
owner Of FIVE acre tract of land in New
Berlin, and the Commissioners appointed
by the Governor, in their written report
of the Goth June, 1913, fixed on two and
a half acres, part of this tract, as proper
and convenient site for court house,
prison, and county offices within the couu-
ty of Union. The circumstances of the
case clearly show that Mr.. .Secbold must have
made an offer of this portion of his land
as site, for subscriptions were taken up,
in New Berlin and different parts of the
county, to defray the expense Of erecting
court house on the ground. The court
house was built, principally by these sub
scriptions, Mr. Seebold contributing one
or two hundred dollars, and farther ad-
vance of four hundred and sixty dollars,
above the amount subscribed, was subse-
qucntIy repaid by the county of Union.
The court house being still unfinished,
although built upon the faith that the two
aud half acres were to be conveyed to
the county Commissioners, the Legislature
on the Sth March, 1915, passed supple
ment to the first act, euacting that from
and after the first Monday Of May next,
the several courts for the county Of Union
shall be opened and held in the town of
New Berlin, and it shall be the duty of
the several officers who by law are obliged
to hold their Offices in the county town,
to move their respective offices to the said
town of New Berlin, on or before the said
first Monday of May, provided that full
and sufficient deed, in fee simple, for the
court house and lot wherein the same shall
have been erected, shall on or before the
first Monday Of April next, be rendered to
the Commissioners Of the said county, on
the payment of sixty-seven cents by them"
Accordingly, on the 2Sth March, 1915,
Christopher Secbold and wife executed
Deed to the Commissioners of Union
county for the said two and half acres,
for the consideration Of sixty-seven cents,
which was actually paid, as appears BY
the original order on the Treasurer Of the
county, aud his receipts thereof endorsed
thereon. The grant in the premises is to
the Commissioners by name and their sue
cessors in office, Commissioners of the
county of Union Sin trust for use of the
said county in fee simple" of the land
described by metes and bounds, together
with the brick court house thereon erected;
and the habendum uses the same language;
so that there is no other use or trust de-
,lared than that for the county Of Union
in fee simple, making it in fact, the abso-
lutte equitable owner Of the whole estate
in the lands. 1t will be seen that the
Deeds passed not only the marked lots
which belonged to Mr.. Seebold, but the
brick court house built by citizens of the
county of Union, upon the clear under
standing that the lands and its valuable
,rections were to be conveyed to the use
If the county, without restriction, condi-
ion or limitation. 1t never could have
entered into their calculations, that in any
went the court house and all the county
on the lot should become
he property of Mr.. Seebold or heirs, by
my forced constructions of the terms en-
,loyed by the grantor in conveying bis
nd their interests in the land and building.
The second storey of the court house
vas not quite finished, and it was fitted
lp for the offices at the expense of the
ounty. New Marke: street was laid out,
hrough the county lot, and part of the
ame was reconveyed to Seebold in ex-
hange for another lot of his lying north
f the lot, on which the Jail was to be erec-
ed. The exchange was mutually bene6-
ial, the strip conveyed to Seebold giving
front to his other lots on the street.
Ipou the court house lot, the county erec-
ed valuable buildings for the accommoda.
ion of the county officers. and on the Jail
,t, composed of part Of the Original pur-
base and the exchanged piece of land, the
built a county Jail costing
bout four thousand dollars. The ex-
hange was made under the authority of
q act passed in February, 1917, which