The Russellville Democrat., 1889-03-28
NEW LAWS.
A Digest ot the Acts Passed by
 the General Assembly.
Matters of Interest to the State at Large--P Prepared From the
 Bills on Record.

has passed g number of bills that are of direct interest to the people throughout the State. All the bills mentioned in this connection have been signed by the governor and are now on record in the office of the sec retary of State.
 The act encouraging good behavior on the part of convicts provides that for exemplary behavior, for one year, the sentence shall be commuted one month, for the second year three months, the thlrd year three months until the tenth year, and for each succeeding year thereafter six months communication will be given, except for certain violations.
 For the protection of agriculturists an act has been passed regulating the sale of fertilizers. It requires dealers to have samples of their fer tilizers analysed by the chemist at the State university, and further re- quires them to stamp each package with a guaranteed analysis.
 The law in reference to levees and cut offs has been amended so as to provide that the court may lay of such levee districts or change or al ter the boundaries of existing levee districts at any regular term.
 By an act passed this session Ark ansas accepts the provision of the act of congress- establishing agricul- tural experiment. stations.
 Provision has also been made for allowing claims against charitable and educational institutions of the State.
 An important measure was the one amending the law in relation to as easements for local improvements ID cities of the first class. It gives the city council of first or second class cities, or incorporated towns, the power to assess all real property in such city, or within any distric, thereof, for the purchase, grading or otherwise improving streets or al leys, constructing sewers, making any local Improvements of public nature and providing for the manner in which such assessment shall be made.
 The Fifteenth judicial circuit was created. In doing so, the boupdaries of the Twelfth and Fifth judicia circuits have been altered. The new district will be composed of Lo gan, Franklin and Crawford. Scot, and Sebastian will compose the Twelfth while Conway, Pope and Johnson will make the Fifth. The courts of the Fifteenth will convene as follows: Logan: First Monday in January and August. Franklin Charleston district: ThIrd Monday in February and September. Craw ford: Third Monday in June ant November.
 Fifth-Yell, Danville district Fourth Monday in January and Au gust. Dardanelle district: Second Monday in February and September Conway: First Monday in Marct and October. Pope: First Monday in April and November. Johnson First Monday of May and December l Twelfth-Scott: First Monday 1T February and August. Sebastian Greenwood district: First Monday in March and September. Fort Smith district: First Monday 1T April and October. The governor Il empowered and directed by the ac, to call an election in the Fifteenth district for circuit judge ana prose cutlng attorney. The act takes ef feet the first Monday in April, 1889
 The road law is amended so that no person shall be compelled to work on public highways more than five days in any one year nor more than two days at any one tune or in any one month. County courts have been empowered to levy road tax not exceed two mills, if they deem the foregoing provision insufficient to maintain good roads.
 An act that created considerable attention was the one creating a mn. ing, manufacturing and agricultural bureau, to be superlntended by a commissioner appointed by the gov ernor. It is calculated to develop the agricultural interests by furnish ing information to farmers upon hus bandry, mining and manufacturing to correspond with others for the purpose of eliciting information and distributing the same.
 The law relative to the forfeiture of railroad charters has been slightly modified. All charters granted to railroad companies since January l, 1883, and all charters granted by the State after the passage of this act, shall be null and void unless the company who has or obtaln charters 1 for railroads, their heirs, assigns or successors, shall within eighteen months after the passage of this act, or within eighteen months after any new charter may be obtained from the State actually build, construct, iroa, and fully equip at least five miles of road or roads for which they may have a charter or charters, and regulating the same. The provisions of the act do not apply to charters heretofore or hereafter granted for railroads which contemplate the con- struction of bridge across the Ms slssippi, which must be built within i've years after the passage or thls act or after the charter has been granted. A failure to comply with the provisions Of the act will render the charter null and void.
 During this session an act was passed increasing the membership of