The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-02-21
County Road Bifl.

we nave Deen furnished with copy OF
bill reported to the Maryland Senate, by the
Hon. James c. Clark, of Baltimore county,
ITO provide for the supervision and constuc-
ton of Public Roads, Bridges and Public
Buildings in Baltimore county
The bill provides that the County Com.
missioners shall levy on the assessable prop
erty of the county tax not exceeding fifteen
cents in the hundred dollars, nor less than
ten cents, and that they shall annually levy a
similar tax in their discretion, in no case
however, to exceed fifteen cents.
The second section of the act provides
that all the able-bodied men in the county,
over the age of eighteen years, shall give, in
each year, two days work on the roads, or
furnish person in his place, or pay in lieu
thereof a sum of money equal to two days
work.
The fourth section directs the Commission
ers to appoint person of skill and expert
ence, as special Commissioner of roads, bridg-
es and public buildings who shall be remova-
BILE for6ncapacity, neglect of duty or official
misconduct, and who shall be allowed not less
than two thousand nor more than twenty five
hundred dollars per year, payable quarterly.
The Road Commissioner is to devote his
whole attention TO the duties of his office
He is to have an Office at the county town for
the transaction of business, and by the au-
thority Of the County Commissioners to in
struct the supervisors as to the proper mode
Nc Il. =.
as often as possible, giving due consideration
to such public roads as are in most public use.
He is to examine into applications for bridg-
es, and make reports to the County Commits
sioners.
The sixth section of the act requires the
County Commissioners to divide the several
election districts into road districts. The
Road Commissioner required to nominate
and appoint one supervisor for each road dis
trict, subject to the approval of the County
Commissioners, who shall be removable for
ncompetency or misconduct.
The several district supervisors shall per-
sonally supervise the repairs of roads and
bridges, for which service they shall receive
three dollars per day for every day which they
shall be so engaged. They are also required
to obtain horses, carts, &C., from taxpayers
OF the district, when the same can be done,
and to allow therefor such compensation as
the County Commissioners may from time to
time direct
Each OF the district supervisors is to be
furnished with road plow and such other
implements and tools as the Road Com
missioner may recommend. For SER
vices rendered on the roads by tax payers,
the supervisors are to issue certificates, which
are to be received when endorsed by the
holder by the collectors in payment of coun-
ty and road taxes.
The supervisors are allowed to draw on the
County Commissioners in advance for such
sums as they may require at the end of the
week, for hire of labor, teams, &c The SUI
pervisors are required to make monthly re-
turns to the Road Commissioner.
The beds of the public roads are required
70 be raised in the centre, in proportion to
nine inches to every thirty feet of width, with
water courses on the sides of the road. The
public roads are to be opened to the width of
thirty feet, SO soon as it can be done with not
too sudden and serious detriment to private
interests. No new building hereafter shall he
built nearer than fifteen feet of the centre of
any public road. Where public road is not
essential to public interests, the supervisors
may withhold repairs, but parties aggrieved
may appeal to the County Commissioners
Roads hereafter to be opened are to be thirty
feet wide, and on the easiest practicable
grades. The supervisors may contract, with
the consent Of the County Commissioners, for
the making or repair of roads, buildings or
bridges.
The Road Commissioner shall publish de-
tailed account of the expenses of repairing
and building roads, bridges, &c, to be pub
lished in two county papers semi-annually, in
the months of January and July. When any
land owners shall subscribe a sum of money
and place it at the disposal of the supervisor
of any district, to be expended on any road,
the County Commissioners are required to
subscribe and pay over similar sum, to be
expended on such road
Whenever an incorporated company shall
be organized and have three-fifths of their
capital stock subscribed IN good faith, for the
purpose of turnpiking any public road the
County Commissioners shall subscribe to the
capital stock of said company sum equal to
the principal of the average annual amount
expended for repairs on said public road for
the five preceding years.
Whenever fifty taxpayers in any road dis
trict shall wish to repair their roads more rap
idly than can be done under this system, the
County Commissioners, on application, will
order an election in said road district, to
ascertain the wishes of the voters of the dis
srict on the subject. If a majority of the vo-
tiers shall be in favor of a special tax, the
County Commissioners shall levy upon the
assessable property such tax as the tax COM
missioners elected in such district may re-
quire
We have given the above synopsis Of the
proposed law for Baltimore county, because
we had not room for the law as renorted to