The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-03-03
The Law Authorizing County
and Township Aid TO Rail-
roads.

and Townships taking Stock an, and
making donations to, RaMo Dad Cone
panies.-APPRovED MAY Il, 1869.
SEC l. Be 1t enacted 6yh the Gcacrol
assembly Of the State Of Mdiana,
That whenever petition shall be pre-
sented to the board Of commissioners Of
any county in this state, at any regular
or special session thereof, signed by one
hundred or more freeholders Of said
county, asking said board TO make an
appropriation of money to aid a railroad
company, named in such petition, then
duly organized under the laws of this
state in the construction of a railroad in
or through such county, or whenever
such a petitions shall be presented to
such board OF commissioners as af0re-
said, signed by twenty-five freeholders
of any township Of such county, asking
such township to make an appropriation
of money to aid a railroad company
named in such petition, and then duly
organized as aforesaid, in constructing
a railroad in or through such township,
By taking stock in or donating money
to such company to an amount specified
in such petition, not exceeding, howev-
err, two per centum upon the amount of
the taxable property of such county Or
township, as the case may be, on the
tax duplicate Of the county, delivered
to the treasurer of the county for the
preceding year, it shall be the duty of
such board of commissioners, after being
satisfied that such petition has been
properly signed by the requisite number
of freeholders OF such county or town
ship aforesaid, to cause the same to be
be entered at full length upon their rec
ords.
SEC. 2. The board of commission
ers shall take said petition under adj
visement, and thereupon order the polls
at the several voting places in the coun-
ty, or of the particular township, as the
case may be, to be opened on day to
be named in the order, which shall not
be less than thirty, nor more than six
ty days thereafter, and the votes of the
legal voters of said county, or of the
particular township named in said pc
tition, to be taken upon the subject Of
appropriatins money by such county or
by such township, for the purpose of
aiding in the construction OF such rail
read as prayed for in said petition. The
judges and inspectors Of elections shall
be governed in the reception Of votes
by the laws then in force regulating
general elections. No special registry
shall be required as preliminary to the
elections prescribed by this act, but the
last preceding registry shall govern.
SEC. 3. The auditor of such county
shall Immediately give notice, to be
published for at least four weeks sue
cessively in some newspaper Of general
circulation in the county, or if none be
published therein, in some newspaper
most convenient thereto, and by printed
handbills, to be posted in three public
places in each township of the county
where county appropriation is prayed
for, or in ten public places in the partic
ular township where . township appro
priation is prayed for in the petition
Said handbills shall be posted By the
sheriff of the county, three weeks prior
to the day fixed for taking the yote Of
the county or of the particular township
named in said petition, as the case may
be, and the same, as well as said news
paper publication, shall notify the quail
fled voters Of the county or OF the par
ticular township, as the case may be,
that the polls will be opened on the
day fixed by the order of the board Of
commissioners, at the several voting
places In the county, on in the town
ship, as the case may be, to take the
votes Of the legal voters thereof upon
the subject Of such county or township
aiding in the construction OF the rail
road named in such petition, to an
amount to be specified in such notice !;
and the auditor of the county shall make
his official certificate that said notice
was published, and said sheriff shall
make his like certificate that said hand
bills were posted as required by this act,
which certificates shall be entered upon
the records OF the board Of commission
ers, and shall be sufficient evidence OF
the facts therein stated.
SEC f. The polls shall be opened
ct the several voting places in the
county, or township, as the case may be,
by the proper judges and inspectors of
election on the day fixed by said COM
missioners and the boards shall be or
ganized ami poll books and tally sheets
shall be kept. and the whole voting, and
taking and certifying Of votes, shall be
conducted as nearly rs may bc in the
manner provided by law for conducting
the voting and certifying the votes at
the general election for state and coun-
ty officers.
SEC. 5. The qualifications of voters,
to vote at the polls to be opened as re-
quired by this act, shall be ascertained,
and challenges shall be allowed, in the
same manner as is now or may he pro-
vided by law for ascertaing the qualih-
cations of voters and making challenges
at general elections.
SEC. 6. The ballots used at such
voting as provided for in this act, shall
be written or printed, and those cast for
the appropriation by the county or
township, as the case may be, to aid
such railroad company, shall contain the
words, 4" For the Railroad Appropria-
ton" and those east against it shall
contain the words, Against the Rail
road Appropriations" and if two or
more ballots shall be found purposely
folded together they shall be rejected
SEC. T. When the ballots shall be
counted the board of Judges shall make