The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1881-01-27

more, in order to keep the road in q
passable condition, than those who
live in more retired sections. That
this is true no one will gainsay, and |
that this inequality should be rene
died is equally apparent. And il |
occurs to us, under the provisions o.
an act passed by the last Legislature.
our Board OF Supervisors have it
within their power to remedy the |
evil under consideration, and at the |
same time have better roads and
bridges than ever before. The law
referred to is found on page 800,
Sheet Acts Of 1850, and reads us fol-
lows;
"Secton 1. Be it enacted by the
Legislature of the State Of Missis-
sippi, That the board Of superyi-
sors Of Monroe county, shall have
the power, if a majority Of said
board shall deem it expedient, 10 ex
ercise the power, and when adjudged
expedient, it shall be their duty to
provide for the construction, repair,
and working Of tae public roads aud
bridges and tarnpikes in said county,
or any district or part thereof, by
contract; such contracts to be
for not less than one year nor more
than five years; such contracts may
be let privately or publicly and shall
require contractors to execute bond
with approved security, conditioned
to well and truly keep and perform
their contracts, and comply with the
duties required of them by law and
the lawful orders ofsaid board They
may assess and collect taxes for this
purpose either upon the entire coun
~ or any district thereof, and Wien
assessed upon any district to be ap
propriated alone for the public roads
and bridges in said district; they
they may turn over to such contrac
tors the convicts convicted OF mis-
demeanors, and such other convicts
as they may obtain from the State
penitentiary, and execute bonds for
the safe keeping, proper treatment
and the payment Of the hire and ex-
pensCs Of such convicts, and exact
from contractors to whom such con
victs may be delivered, bonds Of like
condition, and by appropriate regu
lations, enforce the proper and hu
name treatment of such cOnyicts
hey may appoint any and all officers
To carry into effect The system adopt
ca bv them, fix the term and com
pensation Of such officers or have
them removed at their will and
pleasure; they may divide the public
Dads into sections and lc, them j.
whole or in part; they may cancel
contracts when contractors tall q
perform the dalics imposed upol
hem, or perform them IN such a nc2
igeut manner that tho public arr
inconvenience thereby, or when any
contractor removes from The county
or becomes insolvent or dies, an.
relet such contracts; and are hereby
vested with oil necessary powers t.
execute the system adopted by sale
board,
"Sec. g. Be It further enacted
That the hoard OF supervisors OF
Monroe county may cause list to be
made of oil persons in the county
liable to be worked on the public
roads under the general laws of the
State and in the vicinity Of the pub
lie road Of the county they have
their usual place ofahode, such lists
to be made whenever such board
shall deem the same expedient, aud
may assign such list to any contrac-
tor; and the persons so listed, and
all other persons living in the vicini
ty Of the public road or bridge let to
such contractor and not listed, are
hereby required to work on the pub
lie roads and bridges, to which they
may be assigned by the board Of su
pervisors, under the direction and
control of the contractor, and at
such times and places as may be ap
pointed by him, not exceeding ten
days 10 any one year except in cases
where the roads or bridges are in
jured or out Of repair By storms,
lreshets or other causality, and then
for a sufficient length Of time to re-
pair such injury not exceeding I'VE
days in all in cases Of such emery
ency. That If any person after be-
ing summoned as now prescribed by
law, shall fail or refuse to work. nd
shall be guilty of m isdemeanor, and
on conviction shall be fined for each
days failure the sum Of three dollars.
TO be paid to such contractor, and If
said fine and cost be not Immediate
ly paid, the justice before whom
such case is tried shall deliver such
person TO such contractor to be
worked by him at the rate OF thirty
cents per day until such fine ana
cost be paid, and such contractor
may use such force and other means
as may be necessary 20 compel such
person to work out such fine and
cost Any person liable to work on
the public roads may discharge him
self from such duty BY the payment
Of commutation tax to be fixed bv
the board Of supervisors, upon which
be is liable to wo K, not exceeding
ten dollars IN any ono year, such
tax to be paid either into the county /
treasury, or to the contractor as /
may be determined By the board Of /
supervisors aud to be paid at the /
time fixed by such board or con /
tractor. That in making the assign
ment Of persons liable to work on
the public roads and bridges, the
board Of supervisors shall assign
each person to the public road or
bridge in the vicinity Of which be