The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-03-17

BY E. B. MURRAY
THE PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.
An Abstract OF the Statutes Of South Car
olIna Relating to Roads and Bridges.
John S. Werner, Esq, in Keoree Courier.
THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS. -,-...-r,,.
Article q, Section 19, of the Constitu.
ton of South Carolina, gives the County
Commissioners Jurisdictions over High
ways, Roads and Bridges. !.
HnaH,WAgYs s ] AFn, l!S RSADs.s 1'e i ii. i
They have fppwes to open neWs public
roads and to discontinue old ones. In
order to open new public road they are
required to appoint Special Commission
ers, whose duty it is to survey the. route
of the road proposed TO lay out the same,
and advertise it for three months, in The
settlement, through which the intended
road s'tetPassI For such work Special
Commissioners are allowed So per day
and mileage ,sfve cents per mile-for
ne cessary3 travel. 18th Statutes, Page
$40. Section i IS, Act, 29th March, 1875.
The right Of appeal lies in the decision
of Special Commissioners, in the same
manner and With like authority, ..as is
allowed by ilaW5from the acts Of County
Commissioners. When a!road is 80 laid
out it is to be- recorded by the County
Commissions and ordered worked as
other roads. Section % and 3, Chapter
A., Revised. Statutes. i,;,s :tt
In orderato discontinue any public
highway the, Commissioners must give
three months public notice in the settle
ment through which the road to be dis.
continued passes; hociasd, That no OBJ.
lection is made, they can thereafter dis
continue the road so advertised. But if
thereis objection, then the road remains
a public highway until discontinued by
Law. Section u, Chapter A, Revised
Statutes.
By the Act approved December "a,
1879, each township of the several
counties Of the State is made highway
For. each of these districts the County
Commissioners annually appoint one Su-
perintendentt serve one year from date
of his appointment. The person ap-
pointed Superintendent must be liable to
road duty and resident of the district
for which; he is isappointed: The Snperin:
tendent has general ysupervision OF the
roads and highways Id his district under
the direction of the Commissioners. The
Commissioners have power to remove
sSuperintendents. Act December oath,
1873. 81 =,
Roads leading from any part of the
State directly to Charleston, Georgetown,
Columbia, Camden, Hamburg and Che
raw are to be made and cleared thirty
feet wide by Commissioners. All other
public roads are to be kept twenty feet
wide. Seetion-5, Chapter A Revised
Statutes. Public roads in each highway
district shall be posted and numbered,
and at each FORK of said roads q pointer
must be placed, declaring the direction
of each road. Section +, Chapter. A,
Revised Statutes. By Act of March 18th,
1872. page 215, any failure upon the part
of Commissioners TO post, number and
place pointers, ,as directed, is regarded
misdendeznur,and upon conviction they
are snbject to fine not exceeding $500,
and imprisonment not exceeding Bile
months, either OF both, atsthe discretion
of theyjudge before whom they are tried,
In the countiascomprising James Island,
!. Johns. leland, sWadmalaw, Edisto, st.
Helena,g gLady's Island and Hilton Head,
the Commissioners have power to permit
persons over whose lands public roads
run to erect gates thereon. Such per-.
mission expires at the expiration OF two
years If not renewed. Section l3, Chap
ter A, Revised Statutes. If corporate
authorities ofstowns, villages and cities
neglect or refuse to keep in repair the
highways and streets in their respective
towns. &C., the County Commissioners
have power to order out persons, liable to
road duty in said town, &C., to repair the
same.,.t Section II, Chapter a, Revised
Statutes.
The County Commissioners Of Charles
ton County havespower to appoint i've
District Superintendents Of Roads, whose
duty Il shall be to take Dharge of all
roads and ID exercise jurisdiction over
bridges not exceeding ffteen feet in
length in their respective districts. Dis
trict SuperiDtendents appoint overseers,
who assist them in repairing the roads.
Bridges exceeding one hundred dollars in
value are to be let out by contract as pro-
yided by law; when they: y:do not exceed
that amount they are let out by, the Dis
trict Superintendent in whose bounds the
bridge is located at private contract. 1t
is the duty of Commissioners to exercise
general supervision, over. the roads in said
county. Act; December "a, 1878, Page
772. =
Bridges are to be built and repaired
under the supervision of the County
Commissioners. If the work to be done
on old or new bridges exceed one hum:
dred dollars thenitis to be performed by
contract, with the lowest responsible.
bidder; when it does not exceed that
amount the Commissioners have power
to let out the work at private contract:
When the worE exceeds one hundred
dollars the Commissioners shall give ff-
teen days notice in the county paper and
in writing duly. posted in the neigbbor-
hood in which such work is to be-per-
formed, giving notice that the Commits
sioner of the section in which such work
is to be performed will be at such a place,
on such a day and hour, with suitable
specifications, to let out such work to the
lowest bidder, and to take from the sue
cessful bidder sufficient bond for the
faithfiiAperformance of his duty. When
the work is done it shall be inspected by
the Commissioner letting it ous, whose
duty it should be to report the result OF
his investigation to the full Board, who
shall accept or reject the same, according
as they may determine, whether or not
the constructor has or has not complied
with the terms of his contract.
If any,bridge over waters in this State,