The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-12-10

| follows: Public highways shall not be less
than three rods in width, but if laid within
! the limits of an incorporated village or city,
to connect existing highways, they may be
OF less width, and crossroads and lanes, to be
used as pent roads, may be of less width.
| SEC. g This act shall take effect from it's
passage.
Approved Nov. 10, 1884.
No. fan act in relation to the duties of
highway surveyors and certain other persons
| 1t is hereby enacted, etc:
| SEC. !. 1t shall be the duty of highway sur
| veyors or any other person whose duty il is to
keep the several highways in this State in
, repair, to cause all trees and brush Except
| ing shade or fruit trees to be cut and removed
| for the space of eight feet from the center
line on each side of such highways and to cut
and remove all overhanging branches that
shall obstruct the public travel on such high
ways.
SEC. .. This act shall take effect on the
first day of May, 1885,
Approved Nov. 10, 1884.
No 1S.-An, act to provide for the building
and maintaining highways and bridges in
certain exceptional cases.
1t is hereby enacted. etc.
SEC. 1. No town shall be assessed toward
the expense of maintaining any highway or
bridge in another town, or of building any
such highway or bridge, except as provided in
sections 295S and 1853 of the Revised Laws,
| and as hereinafter provided.
| SEC. 2. Whenever any highway or bridge
| within town is not a necessity to any of the
| Inhabitants of said town, and is used as a
thoroughfare by more than five families of an
| adjoining town, and whenever it becomes
necessary to lay out and build such highway
or BRIDGE and the town in which such high
way or bridge is, or is to be laid out, would be
| oppressively burdened by the expense of
building or maintaining such highway or
bridge, such town, so burdened. may petition
| the County Court of the county where said
N
same county, and if in another county, may
| petition the Supreme Court of said county,
where said town lies and such petition may
| be served upon any of the selectmen of such
defendant town, in the way in which writs of
| summons are required to be served, not less
/ than twelve days before the term of court to
which 1t is made returnable.
SEC. 9. Such County or Supreme Court
shall appoint commissioners to act in the
premises, three disinterested and judicious
| freeholderS, who shall be sworn to a faithful
| discharge of their duties, and make eXamina-
| ton into the premises, and if, in their opinion,
the petitioning town would be oppressively
burdened by bearing the whole expense of
building or maintaining snch highway or
bridge, they shall give reasonable notice to any
of the selectmen of the defendant town, of
the time and place for hearing in the prem
| seS
SEC. 4. Upon such hearing the defendant
| town may be heard upon the question whether
or not the petitioning town would be oppres-
sively burdened, and in determining such
| question, the commissioners shall not consider
| the benefit to the defendant town and if the
| commissioners are of the opinion that said
petitioning town would be oppressively bur-
dened as above set forth, and that said de-
PENDANT town ought to bear any portion of
| said expenses, they shall apportion such part
thereof, as they deem reasonable to such
| defendant town, and report their doings to the
| court, and the court may thereupon assess
such town according to said report, and
make order on the same, as is provided in
other highway cases.
SEC 5. Sections 297S and 1880 of the Re-
vised Laws shall apply to all proceedings
under this act and whenever any highway
or bridge, described in the second section OF
| this act, becomes a necessity to any inhabi-
itants of the town where it lies, any order OF
decree made by virtue of this act, shall be
| void from the first day of March next after
such necessity arises.
! SEC. 6. Any town assessed towards the
expense OF maintaining or repairing any
bridge or highway in another town, under the
laws now in force, may petition the court
which ordered said assessment, such petition
| to be served upon the town to whom the assess
| ment is paid, as provided i'll section OF this
act, and upon proof that said highway OF
bridge is necessity to any inhabitant OF SAID
town to which the assessment is paid, sao
court shall vacate the order or decree fol
such assessment. And whenever any sucl
petition is brought, the courts shall, upon ap-
plcation, order a stay of any and all proceed
ings to enforce the collection or payment o.
any such assessment.
SEC. T. Sections 2975, 1916, 2977 of the Re
vised Laws, No. IL of the laws of 1882, and al
acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith
are hereby repealed.
Seq s. This act shall take effect from pass
age and shall not apply to pending causes.
Approved Nov. 26, 1854.
! NO. 19.-An act to prevent damage to stree
lights.
1t is hereby enacted, ETC.:
SEC. l. person who wilfully and mallc
? | iOuSlV brqaks tba GLASS ahOnt n street lamn
gaas-light, or a lamp or gas-light in the ground
about public building, or without authorit,
shall light such lamp or gas-light or extlnguisl
the same when lighted or in any name
interfere with, or Injuries any part of the fix
ture serving to support such lamp or gas-light
! or defaces the same by painting or postin
notices thereon, or fastens horse or othe
animal thereto, shall be fined not more thai
fifty dollars or imprisoned not more thai
three months.
SEC. 3 Number fifty-fve of the sesso
laws of A. ID. 1882, is hereby repealed.
SEC. g. This act shall take effect from it
5 passage.
5 Approved Nov. "a, 1884.
No. 20.-An act to encourage the planting q
shade trees upon public squares and high
ways.
1t is hereby enacted etc..
n SEC. |. town may, at legal meeting
: the warning for which contains an article TO
that purpose, direct the treasurer to pay I
the selectmen a sum not exceeding one pc
9 cent of its grand list of the preceding year, t
be expended by them in premiums or in an
Z other manner that they may deem mos
u effectual TO encourage the planting c
: shade trees upon the public squares, parks o
!, = highways by the owners OF ajoning rea
x estate.
J SEo. O. This act shall take effect from ii
!. passage.
Approved Nov. 10th, 1884.
A No 2l.-An act authorizing selectmen to pu
# chase road machines.
S 1t is hereby enacted, ETC..
h SEC. /. The selectmen of any town in tn
= State may purchase road machines at the e>
c pense of and for use in their respective towns
and in making out the highway rate bill
e may lessen the rate per cent OF highwa
y taxes, so that the aggregate of highway take
h and expense of road machines shall nC
Il exceed the amount required by law to b
L raised for highways. Provided that tn
. selectmen shall not be authorized to deduc
h the expense from the highway tax of MOI
G than one road machine in any one year, unleS
! two or more road machines can be purchase
Il for q sum not to exceed $3.50.
y SEC. .. Number seventeen of the publ
u cts of 1882 is hereby repealed.
: SEC 3. This act shall take effect from ii
u passage.
i Approved Nov. 2G, 1884.
" No 90 An net in amendment of seciOn 4o(