The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-04-14
THE ROAD Law.
Condensed in Bounds and Simplifed
fer Reading.


to a compass that one may read with
out firing and rid of extra verbage. 1t
contains forty-four long sections and is
too bulky to be read at one sittIng.--
Here it is as short as possible:
The County Courts of the state shall
divide the respective counties into
road districts at the first quarterly
term after the passage of this act,
and elect three commissioners for each
road district, who shall be residents of
their respective districts, and who
shall have control of all highways and
bridges, and serve three, two and one
year respectively.
And each January one shall be elected
to fill the place vacated and the court
may then change road districts, assess
taxes and regulate number of working
days. All male inhabitants over fifteen
and under fitty Tears, except those per
manently disab bed, shall work not less
than three nor more than six days on
such highways. An able bodied substi-
tute can be sent, or 81 day can be
paid in lieu of sach work. Credit will
be given for teams, plows or wagons.
For one horse with plow or scraper, 81 !;
for two horses or poke with wagon or
plOw, So; the over9er to specify imple-
ments that hands are to furnish, If they
possess such.
Highway tax shall not be less than
two nor more than fifteen cents on the
hundred dollars of taxable property,
and on privileges not more than one
fourth the county assessment. The tax
collected shall be used for maintaining
highways and bridges in the road dis
tricts where assessments are so made.
Half the tax may be collected in money,
the other half in work. The tax shall
be due the 1st of January of each year
and suits for collection cannot be
brought before the following October.
The clerk is to furnish each commits
sioner with the assessment in his dis
trict, specifying how much each tax
payer may pay in work by 1st of March.
The district clerks are to give bond and
take oath, and shall keep full records.
The commissioners shall classify the
roads in their districts as first and sec
ond class, and make assignments of
hands for such work.
The commissioners may appoint an
overseer in charge of from three to ten
miles of road. All applications to open,
close or change roads shall be made to
the district commissioners, who may
grant or refuse the same. If granted,
it must be submitted to the county
court; if refused, an appeal may be
taken.
The commissioners may contract with
a taxpayer for road work or materials
and give credit for work on private
roads, and may contract for necessary
tools, may purchase bridge materials,
or for bridge-building or other work,
to be paid for with any money in their
hands, but not to contract any debt to
be paid out of any future tax assess
ment, unless so authorized by the
county court; but no contract shall be
let to a commissioner.
The commissioners may remove over
seers from office when deemed adViS-
able.
Those refusing or failing to do road
work may be sued by commissioners
before any justice of the peace, and
fines, when collected, may be used the
came as highway ts1E-
The district clerks shall visit each
voting place in their districts before the
1st of September of each year, after
giving twenty days notice, pasted in
such precinct, and collect and receipt
for taxes due in money. The constables
will collect taxes not paid or commut-
ed by the 1st of October of each year
the same to be collected as are other
delinquenttaXes.
Overseers must be present and super
intend abroad work, and may work the
entire labor assessment at one time oI
at different times. T.
If highway becomes impossible
casually, the overseer can give instant
| SUMMONS to any hands on the section
of the road torepair the same, and shall
give such hands credit for future work
Any overseer lay enter lands adjoin-
ing his section of road to construct nee
essary drains or bitches, or to obtain
rock, gravel, timber or other material
necessary, provided he can do so with
out material damage upon the owner ol
occupant of said land, and such mate
rial shall be paid for before it is re-
moved.
The commissioners shall furnish mile
posts, giving distances to county seats
or other prominent places, for all CLASH
fed roads, and guide-posts shall be pu
up at all forks or cross places, and foot
logs shall be placed over streams with
out bridges.
The overseer shall give each tax-pay'
er notice OftaXes due, at least three day.
| before time to commence said work.
All taxpayers upon their sections o
roads shall have an opportunity to com
mute for their highway tax between thu
lst of January and the 1st of October o
each year.
| The overseers shall keep open ditche
on each side OF roads, and shall con
struct the roads to slope from the cen
ter to these side bitches and grade thei
roads to a width of not less than eigh
teen feet on first-class roads, and no
less than fourteen feet on second-claS
roads, and shall use no material bu
gravel and broken stone, when th
same can be obtained, to form the sur
face of the road-bed, but when imprac
tical, the commissioners may releas
them from this provision.
All new roads opened after the pas
sage of this act shall, when practicable
be laid out not less than twenty nor NOR
Than forty feet wide for first-class, ant
not less than twelve, nor more thai
| twenty-four feet for second-class roads
and not less than seven, nor more thai
fifteen feet for private roads that are Il
be worked in whole or in part, and tn
overseers with the advice of the com
missioners of their districts shall opel
all roads to the width above set out
| when necessary for the working of tn
same, and the commissioners shall as
sess the damages, subject to appeal a
to the amount OF damage.
Highways on the dividing line be
tween two districts can be worked b,
dividing the highway between the dis
triets, or by agreement they may worl
them Oy joint effort.
Those who put distractions on SAT-
highways, or in any ditch or drain
shall be subject to fine and liable 70
damages.
| Commissioners or overseers VIII
shall iail or refuse to perform any O
their d ties, or show impartiality
j ,shall pay or forfeit not more than TWEEN
v dollars for each offense, and for con
tinued neglect to keep the highways Il
repair, may be indicted and fined in
sum of not less than fifty dollars
Judges shall give this act in charges
grand juries.
/ County courts may remove commits
i sioners from office for failure to perform
their duties, after notice of charges, tria
and conviction.
Oyerseers and commissioners shal
have 81 per day for each days service
but shall serve as many days withoU
compensation as others are required t
work, and free from jury service.
The district clerks shall receive addi
tional compensation for collecting high
way tax, and the County Court CIer
shall receive the same pro rata compen