Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1863-02-17
Wet or SpoutV Lands.

Probably one-third of the soil Of Penn
sylvania might be made more pleasant,
profitable, and healthy by a genera! system
of draining. To aid in this great work, a
bill was drawn up BY DR.. Wood, farmer,
near Muncy, last year, and passed in the
House. This year, the bill was taken up
on motion Of Senator johnson Of Lycom-
ing, revised by the judiciary Committee,
and after ample consideration (with the
addition Of the proVisos to the lst section,
on motion Of Senator Clymer Of Berks)
passed the Senate unanimously, and We
hope may pass the House. The follow
ing is the Bill, pending:
Whereas, large quantities of wet and
sp0uty land exist IN this Commonwealth,
which might, for agricultural uses, by
drainage, be rendered productive and val.
liable, but for want Of some legal authOri,
ty to continue or extend drains upon or
over the land to which the water natural.
ly flows, they can not be go improved !;
therefore,
SEC. L. Be- II enactc,|, dc, That when
the owner or Owners Of wet or spouty land
10 this Com monwealth shall desire TO i'm
prove the sam, for agricultural purposes,
by surface or under drains, or both, and
when, from any cause, it becomes necess-
arg to extend sad drains upon or over the
land Of other owners 10 order to render
them effectual, the person or persons so
desiring 0 drain may present a petition
to the court of qIarter sessions of the
county wherein such land mag be, setting
forth the situation thereof, and the necess-
i.y for an extension Of the proposed drain
or drains upon or over the land of such
other owners, specifying the probable e1-
tent thereof; and tbereupon the said
court shall appoint three judicious persons
10 view the proposed dram or drains, and
said viewers shall view the same, aud if
they, or majority Of them, shall agree
that there is occasion Tor such extension
OF such drain or drains in order to effect
the agricultural improvement aud develop
ment of said land. they or a majority Of
them shall proceed to lay out the same,
having respect to the shortest distance
AID the best ground for the location there
OF, and in such manner as shall do the
least injlry to private property, and also
b. as far as practicable agreeable to the
desire Of the petitioners, and make report
10 the mex. term of said court Of their
proceedings; and said viewers, or ma
j rity of them, shall assess the damages on
behalf of the persons entitled thereto, if
any in their opinion will ensue from such
extension, and report tho same, together
with plo, or dratrof the drain or drains
by them laid odt, specifying also whether
tho same shall be surface or under drains;
aud the expense of said views shall be
paid BY the persons applying for the same
due notice Of the time and place of meet.
ing Of said views to be given to all parties
in interest; PrOviied, That in all cases
arising unler this act, any party or parties
who may be aggreved By the report or
award of viewers, reviewers, or re-reEiew
ers, may, at any time within thirty days
Of the confirmation Of such report, appeal
from the same to the court Of common
pIoas Of the proper county. Provided,
further, That the party appellant shall,
by himself, his agent or attorney, with
one or more sufficient sureties, be bound
in recognzance to The appellee, the
condition Of which shall be, that if he
shall not, in the event Of the appeal, re-
cover sum greater than tho damages
awarded by the report from which he has
appealed, he shall pay all costs tha: shall
accrue 10 consequence of said appeal.
SEC. ,. That the twenty Fifth, fifty
first, fftv third, aud sixtieth sections of
the act of the thirteenth Of June, one
thousaud eight hundred and thirty-six,
eatillei "An Act relating to roads, high
ways and bridges" be and the same are
hereby extended to all cases arising under
this act.
SEC. 3. That il any of said reports in
favor of an extension Of such drains shall
be confirmed By the court, proof being
first made in all cases wherein damages
hava been assessed, that the said damages
have been paid to the party to whom the
same were awarded, or to the county
treasurer for the use of such party, the
said court shall direct their clerk to issue
an order to the party patltoning, author
izing him or them to excava'e or construct
said drain or drains, in the manner as
laid out and directed in and by the said
report; and the said petitioners, their
heirs and assigns, shall be empowered aud
required to keep and maintain the said
drains when made in good order aud re-
pair; and in default thereof, the said
court shall have power, upon due proof
of the facts to them made, and full hear.
ing Of the parties concerned, to order ard
direct the said drains to be closed up ana
vsclted. Progiied, That nothing in thi.
act contained, shall authorize the over
flowing of any land not specially pro
ylded for in the said report.
An Englishman boasting to an Irish
man, that porter was med, and drink, auC
SOON Afterwards becomin, DRINK on ,a