The daily gazette., 1883-02-21
NEW KIND OF POLE-TAX
AN ACT TO coNTRoL TELE-
GRAPH COMPANIES.
DoINGs AT DOVER YESTERDAY.
Mr.. Loves Oyster Law-The Alnshouss
I.oan-An AdjOurnmsnt From To-day
pntii Monday Nsxt, ...4
SPECIAL corre,pondenee Of he Gaset

. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi tnS GdkEtbS@
! DOVER, Feb. 2l.--Mr. Barlow win intro
duce in the House, to-day, an act relating
tn telegraph companies. The bill Is rather
a voluminous one Of 2l sections, and gen
orally regulates the telegraph and telephone
business In Delaware-someGhing the State
has never had. 1t allows companies to es-
tablish lines along highways and acress or
under streams, but they shall not ineom-
mode travel. The Road Commissioners or
Assessors of the hundred through which the
| line passes shall make any alteration In the
location OF the poles The wires shall be ut
least IL feet above the surface of the ground,
and when contiguous to lawns or fruit trees
shall be 25 feet above the ground. A record
| of the location of the poles and the decisions
shall be kept by the clerks Of the peace.
Provision is made for the assessment OF dam
ages by any party on whose lands the poles
are placed who feels that he is entitled 10
damages. The clerk of the peace shall fur
| nish blanks for commissions, etc. The road
| commissioners, oyerseers and appraisers
shall each receive 50, to be Taid In advance
! by the party applying for the commission,
TO be returned il he gets damages, when the
company Is to pay, and il it refuse, after 20
| days the poles are TO be removed. Com
l panies shall pay yearly tax of so cents per
| pole to be assessed and collected as other
| hundred taxes are, and IL any company or
Its agent refuse or neglect to pay the tax
after the collectors demand, the poles and
wires may be removed. Every telegraph com
| pany shall receive and transmit messages for
| other telegraph companies and for indi-
| viduals for the usual charge: faithfully and
impartially, for every wilful refusal or
| neglect to do SO the company shall pay a
sum of 800. Companies shall receive and
1 transmit messages received at their offices
| from other telegraph companies, or by mail,
at the same rate as for dispatches received
| from individuals In person under penalty
| of $l00.
The foregoing provisions are made appli-
cable to telephone companies. 1t prevents
| discrimination In refusing telephonic service
to any person, under 500 penalty. The act
subjects all companies doing business in this
State, while not incorporated under its laws,
to its provisions the same as If they were
incorporated, and provides that all injuries
done to persons or property, shall be paid,
and while city or town may be liable, the
company shall reimburse the city or town.
The acts shall not conflict with any provis-
ions on the same subject in the charter Of
any city or town. A penalty of not more
than $500 fine aud two years imprisonment
is fixed for any person wilfully or malic-
iously injuring the property of any tele-
graph company. The act has some other
Interesting provisions, and Is likely to
create decided opposition from the telegraph
people,
IN THK SENATE.
The Senate passed the following bills Te
amend an act Incorporating the Black
Swamp Ditch Company; Delaware Lodge,
No. $40, German Order Harugari; extend
ing the time of recording the act incorpor-
ating the Delaware Avenue Club Stables;
incorporating New Castle Lodge, No. g.,
i A A. II
ware. House bills Incorporating the Guar
dian Saving AMI Loan Association; TIE
Enoch Moore, Jr., Ship aud Car Building
Company. Senate bills incorporating the
town of FrankfoTd; amend Chapter AS,
Section Q, Revised Code, (giving Trustees Of
the Poor power to swear memherR). requir-
ing the Issuing Of scire fdcids mortgages 10
be entered on the records; creating u new
school district out of dIstricts 81, 63, 64 aud
Sc in Georgetown hundred, Sussex county.
The following bills were introduced BY
Mr. Cooper, to incorporate the Delaware
River Dry Dock and Construction Company;
by Mr.. Lavender to provide for the inspec
tion Of steam boilers, $500 copies ordered
printed); by Mr.. Roc, to lay out new
public road in South Murdsrkill hundred,
Kent county; by Mr.. Chandler, to incor-
porate the United States Gas and Water
Company House bills, amending the
charter of the Dover public schools; to
| establish stock law IN District IS, Sussex
county; by Mr.. Betts, incorporating the
John Moir & Sons Company; supplement
to the act Incorporating the Delaware Fire
Insurance Company; by Mr.. Cooper, in re-
gard to pleading In civil and criminal cases,
(allowing persons to plead over in eases OF
demurrer.)
petition was presented from the citizens
of Kenton and Duck Creek hundreds, pray
ing for the passage of an act appointing five
| freeholders TO assess damages for the exten-
sion OF street in spruance City.
Mr.. Cooper presented petition from
Andrew c. Gray and 800 others, praying for
the division of New Castle county, which
was referred TO the Representation Com
| mttee.
The following resolution was read and
adopted
RESOLVED, That from and after the passage OF
this resolution the Senate will not receive any
petition act upon any bill. the object OF which
| shall be to lay out, change or vncate any public
road, unless the same shall he accompanied
| with affidRYIts, executed before an officer an-
| thoriEed to administer oaths and affrmatons,
showing that all the land owners along the
| roHte OF said road, or other parties interested
therein, have had at least five days notice Of the
preferring Of said petition or Introducing of said
| bill
Three remonstranccs, numerously signed !
against the passage of the bill authorizing
Thomas W.. Wilson to straighten the public
road leading from Smyrna to Dover, wers
presented and referred.
The House amendment to Senate bin vest
ing the title of the public buildings In the
town of New Castle In Trustees, was con-
Cured in.
The bill for the regulation of weights
and measures was reported with several
amendments, which were adopted and
800 copies were ordered to be
printed. Tho bill TO amend chapter
So, Revised Code, relating to the time foi
| the shooting of game was laid on the table
In order that the subject might receive
further consideration. The special com
, mittee to whom WAS referred the bIll author.
| izIng the Levy Court to borrow $780, ,O0G
! for the completion of the new Rlmshouse
, | reported adversely, as new blll was being
B prepared.
! IN THE HOUSE.
j In the House petitions were presented fol
l | the strengthening of roads In Pennington
/ and near Hollands Church and for new
| read from HARTLEY to Slauxhter's Station
r Bills were introduced as follows B,
Mr.. Justis, concerning the aclnowledg,
4 ment of deeds; by Mr.. Frasher, to re-incor
: porate the Cow Marsh Ditch Company; by
r Mr.. Perry, to incorporate the Miltol
o Library Association; by Mr.. Comegys, tn in
Q corporate the International Lumber Com
e pany.
Bills were given notice of as follows b,
Mr. Justis, TO protect private property
(making the desertion OF . horse on th.
n road misdemesnor, the bill being gotten