The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-09-08
NEW LAWS.
Resume Of the Work of the Late LegisIa-

Tax collectors of boroughs and town.
ships are required to make monthly re-
turns of the taxes collected by them and
the amount outstanding upon their re-
spective duplicates to the persons legally
authorized to receive the taxes, and to
borough Councils, and TO pay over month
ly the amounts so collected.
The time during which no county, city,
borough, township or school tax shall re-
main lien on real estate is changed
from 1.-TWO years after the levy or assess-
ment" TO ''three years after January in
the year next succeeding that i'm which
such taxes are due" and no lien entered
OF record prior 10 May 4, 1889, shall stand
longer than three years after the passage
of this act, unless revived by writ of scire
facias within that period and prosecuted
TO Judgment.
Where two years, the Limitation of the
warrants in the duplicate of county, city,
township, ward, school and borough tax
collectors. have expired, and where the
power of such tax collectors has ceased or
shall expire during this year, and the col
lectors have or shall become liable for the
amount of tax on those duplicates with
out having collected it, the duplicates and
warrants aud the powers of the collectors
are revived and extended for one year
from the passage of this act.
County Commissioners are authorized
to transfer into the general fund money
now placed TO the credit of the city, bor-
ough or township, upon any duplicate
for taxes, where il has remained uncailed
for during period of ten years, if it is
not in litigation or dispute.
County Commissioners may appoint
substitutes for assessors the eighth day
after they neglect or refuse to qualify
or 10 receive the precept and books for
the triennial or other assessment. The
time for issuing the precepts for the tri-
ennial assessment shall be on or before
the second Monday of September, and
the returns are TO he made not later than
December 81 this year, and triennially
thereafter.
County officials must furnish, on de-
mand information to the head OF any
State department, and shall receive such
reasonable compensation therefor as the
Auditor General may determine.
Boroughs are empowered TO enact or
dinances to grade streets by assessing
property according To the foot-front rule,
upon petition of "a majority in number
and interest" of the owners of abutting
property.
To the legal profession one of the most
important new laws is Deputy Attorney
General Elkin's codification on the prac-
tice, bail, costs and fees on appeals to the
Supreme and Superior Courts.
Lincoln's birthday, Friday II, is
made a legal holiday. Labor day is
changed from the first Saturday Ia the
first Monday Of ofSeptember II harmonize
with other States. When Memorial
day, May 30, falls on Sunday. not Satur-
day as heretofore, but Monday, as in
the case of other holidays falling ON Sun
day, will be the legal holiday.
In all criminal prosecutions or indict-
ments for libel, if the matter charged
as libelous is in the opinion of the Court
proper for public information, the truth
may be given in evidence TO the jury.
In no case can the defendant in any
prosecution for libel be convicted for the
printing or publication of the same libel
upon the same individual in more than
one county of this State. In any civil
action Cor libel the plea of Justification
shall be accepted as adequate when it
is pleaded by the defendant that the
publication is substantially true in every
material respect and is proper for public
information and if such a plea shall
be established to the satisfaction of the
Court and jury there shall be no recov-
cry. In no civil action for libel sh all
damages be awarded beyond just restitu-
ZION for injury actually sustained.
Various new acts are 10 punish anony-
NOUS communications of a libelous, de-
famatory, scurrilous or opprobrious na-
ture TO require an affidavit that an APP
peal from the Justice of the Peace or Al
1ernan is not for delay; 10 make one
for membership in fraternal and beneii-
cial societies and TO empower tie jury
after an acquittal of larceny whfre the
value was less than $40, TO determine
whether the county, the prosecutor or the
defendant shall pay the costs. The jury
is given like discretion in prosecutions
for assault and battery in which the
prosecutor had no reasonable ground Ia
charge felony.
No article marked or labeled gold
or 'solid gold' shall be offered for sale
or disposal unless il contains at least
ten karats of pure gold. Similar prohi-
bition is enacted as to an article marked
silver or sterling silver" unless it con-
tains 925-lO0Ghs of pure silver. II
marked 'coin silver" it must have 9J-
lODO.hs.
Attempt to obtain position of trust
or obtain aims by fraud or misrepresen-
taiion is made misdemeanOr, as is also
false representation or falsely assuming
to be detective or an elective or ap-
pointive public officer of any kind.
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