Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1870-06-03

A SYSTEM FOR KEEPING IN ORDER,
REPAIRING AND ALTERING THE
PUBLIC ROADS OF CHARLES COUN-
TY.
WHEREAS, the General Assembly at its
w last session passed an act, entitled An
Act to add additional sections to the Code Of
Public Local Laws of Charles County, under
the head of ''Roads" AND WHEREAS, it is
deemed advisable by the County Commission
ers to exercise the powers with which they are
thus clothed, to organize a system for keeping
in order, repairing and altering the Public
Roads of said county. In pursuance of this
authority, they do hereby ordain and enact the
following orders, rules and regulations, to wit:
SECTION l.
The county shall be divided into four dis
tricts, corresponding in limits and extent with
the four present collection districts Of the coun
ty. For each of said districts there shall be a
Corps of Permanent Laborers, five in number,
of whom one shall be the Foreman of the
corps.
There shall be Superintendent of Roads,
who shall have charge Of the said several corps
of laborers and employ them on the repairs of
the public roads and bridges Of said county, or
in opening any new roads, or building new
bridges, under the orders and directions of the
County Commissioners. He shall employ the
different corps in their respective districts but
may, in cases of emergency, concentrate them
on any part or parts thereof in any district for
a special work or service.
The said Superintendent of Roads shall be
required to devote his entire time and undivi-
ded attention to the duties of his Office whilst
engaged on the roads; he shall keep and pre-
serve accounts books and records of all bust
ness transactions connected with his office, and
shall have power to contract for the employ
ment of laborers, for MATERIAL or other things
pertaining to his duties, under the previous
general directions of the Commissioners, or
subject to their approval.
All Public Roads in said county and every
thing appertaining thereto shall be under his
general supervision and direction, and he shall
as often as possible inspect the different roads,
and as far as can be secure a just and equable
expenditure of money upon the same through
out the county, giving due consideration to
those most in public use. After having first
gone over the roads in the different districts
and put them in good travelling condition,
he shall commence and prosecute System
of Permanent Improvements of the roads of
said county, beginning on the main thorough
fares leading from the county seat; then
on those to the most public landings, pro-
perly grading and draining the same, and
when in his opinion proper and necessary,
altering, Strengthening, or otherwise changing
| them, under the authority of the County Com
missioners, in the mode provided by law; and
he shall also be required to examine into all
applications for Bridges, and make reports to
the Commissioners in reference thereto; and
he shall exercise careful supervision over the
construction and repairs of all such erected
under the authority of the County Commits
sioners; and he shall report carefully pre-
pared statement bi-monthly in writing to the
County Commissioners of his operations, and
| of all sums of money expended by him in main
| tanning and repairing the roads and bridges,
together with the vouchers thereof
The said Superintendent shall hold his office
for and during the term of the County Com
missioners by whom appointed, and until his
successor is appointed and qualified; and he
shall be removed only by said County Com
missioners for incapacity, neglect of duty, or
official misconduct, upon charges made in
writing and filed with said Commissioners and
after hA shall hauA h1As,-s1.4;Goa- thereof end
heard in his defence, on day to be named in
said notice; or his compensation may be re-
duced, in the discretion Of the Commissioners.
The said Superintendent shall receive an
annual salary of one thousand dollars, to be
paid quarterly, and he shall, within twenty
days after his appointment and before entering
upon the discharge of his duties, execute to the
said Commissioners a bond with security in
the penal sum of five thousand dollars, to be
approved by said Commissioners, conditioned
for the faithful performance of his duties, the
proper use, safe keeping and due return of all
property placed in his charge and the proper
disposal Of all moneys coming into his hands
for road purposes.
SECTION g.
| Whenever any Gates on the public roads
| shall be so hung as to cause unnecessary de-
| L. L: - r1o11 10 1o
duty of the general Superintendent to notify
in writing, the owner of the premises, his
agent or tenant in possession, Of the facts
and if said gate or gates be not properly hung
within ten days after the service of said notice,
the Superintendent shall remove the same from
said road, if in his opinion the public interest
requires said removal.
SECTION 3.
Whenever any Fence shall be found to be
within the limits of any public road, the said
Superintendent may, if he thinks the public
interest requires the removal of said fence or
any portion thereof, notify the owner in writ
ing of the same, his agent or tenant in posses
sion of the lands enclosed, that unless he causes
the said fence, the portion specified, to be re-
moved back to proper distance from the CEN
tire of said road, within twenty days after SER
vice of said notice, that he will proceed to
abate the same as a nuisance, which he is here
by authorized to do without unnecessary
harshness; provided, that when time and the
public interest will permit, he shall, after hav-
ing reported the facts to the County Commits
sioners, receive their previous sanction thereto.
| SECTION 4.
1t shall be the duty of the Superintendent,
at each term of the Circuit Court, to present to
the Grand Jury all persons who shall have
plowed within the limits of the public roads,
erected fences thereon, or otherwise have OBJ
structed the same.
This ordinance to take effect from the date
of its passage.
| Passed the 10th day of May, 1870.
GEORGE TAYLOR, President
Of Board County Commissioners.
| J. R. ROBERTSON, Clerk my 1851