The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-04-16
Wripht,s nopATax Ri11.

peateQly turned down, Assem- Dlyman
Wright succeeded, at the last session of
the Legislature, in securing the passage
of his bill reviving the old custom of i'm
posing tax on dogs, in order that the
damage done by these animals to poultry,
sheep and other domestic animals, might
be paid for. This is the bill which caused
much fun to be poked at Assemblyman
Wright two years ago, and was called
''the goose bill" 1t was declared uncon-
stitutional on the ground that the amend
ments including poultry and domestic
animals had been attached to the old sheep
act, while the title of that act had not
been amended to conform to the amended
portions of the statute.
Those interested in agriculture and who
have suffered in the destruction of their
property by dogs, have earnestly advocat-
ed the passage of this measure, while the
sporting element and those who own high
priced dogs, have fought it at every turn.
legal talent of the Legislature, this act is
codifcation of the old sheep act and all
it's amendments. Its passage will be
heartily appreciated by those who have
been favorable to its passage and Assem-
blyman Wright is en- titled to their thanks
We give the law in full
An Act for the preservation of sheep,
lambs, domestic animals and poultry in
the several townships of this state.
Be it enacted by the Senate and General
Assembly of the State of New Jersey
1. Every person who shall keep or har-
Dor a dog (above the age of six-months) in
any of the townships of this state, shall
be taxed yearly for one dog so kept or
harbored, the sum of fifty cents, and for
every additional dog (above the age of
six months) the sum of one dollar; in ad
dition thereto there may be annually lev
led when necessary to carry out the pro-
visions of this act, a further sum to be as
sessed and collected in the same manner
and at the same time as other annual tax
es raised for the use of the state, county
or township are assessed and collected;
the assessors of the several townships in
this state shall set down on separate col
umn on their several duplicates, opposite
the name of each person or persons, the
number of dogs which he may own or
harbor on his premises at the time of max
ing their annual assessment and make q
return of the same to the township COM
mittee each and every year before said
duplicate is delivered to the collectors of
said townships, and the assessors of the
respective townships may strike off his
duplicate or rate-b book the tax assessed
against any person for a dog or dogs on
its being proved to the satisfaction of the
assessor by the owner thereof that he, she
or they have killed or caused to be killed
such dog OF dogs before the delivery of
the duplicate to the collector; and the
said assessors shall set up in at least five of
the most public places in their respective
townships, within ten days after having
taken the annual list of the ratables, lists
of the name of each person who shall have
delivered to him an account of the dog or
dogs and the number given in by each |
person ard each assessor shall be entitled |
to receive on settlement of his accounts, |
one dollar and fifty cents for the list so
set up, to be paid out of the fees or tax /
herein authorized to be collected.
O. Every inhabitant who shall refuse
or wilfully neglect to deliver to the said |
when by him required, true &C
count of the number and age of the dog
or dogs made taxable under this act and |
owned or harbored by him as aforesaid, ,
shall, for every such refusal or neglect, !
forfeit and pay the sum of two dollars and |
fifty cents, to be recovered with costs by
the collector of the township wherein the
offence shall be committed
3. If any dog shall be found killing,
worrying or wounding any sheep, lamb,
domestic animals or poultry, and the
owner or person harboring such dog, being
thereof, shall neglect or refuse
to kill such dog within twenty-four hours
from the time of receiving such informa-
ton, such owner or person shall forfeit
and pay to any person who shall sue for
the same. the sum of ten dollars, to be re-
covered with costs by action of debt be-
fore any justice of the peace of the county,
and moreover shall pay triple damages
for any injury done by said dog as afore
said; and it shall be lawful for any person
to kill any dog which may be found chas-
ing, worrying or wounding any sheep,
amb or domestic animal.
4. The sums of money collected by vir-
Tue of this act shall be appropriated to
make good any loss which may be sus-
aimed by any person or persons by the
destruction or wounding of his sheep,
ambs, domestic animals or poultry with
N the township where the said tax shall
be collected, and shall be kept as fund
BY the township committee for that pur-
pose; they shall pay all such damages so
sustained within the year, in case the
money so raised by said tax shall be suf-
1cient to pay the same, and if not, then
n such equitable proportions to the indi
7iduals injured, according to their re
,pective losses, as the said fund will en-
ible them to do, to be adjusted at the an
lual settlement of the accounts of said
,ownship by the township committee; and
n case there shall remain in the hands of
he township committee a surplus of
money after paying all the damages sus-
aimed as aforesaid, such surplus shall re-
main in the hands of the township COM
nittee to answer any damages as afore
'aid which may be sustained in the next
ensuing year, and so on from year to year
5. When any person shall sustain dam
age or injury as aforesaid, it shall be law
'ul for such person to take two respecta-
Die freeholders of the township wherein
such damage was done, who are in no
wise of kin to the party so calling them,
20 view the sheep, lambs, domestic ami
mails or poultry so killed or wounded; and
f it shall appear to their satisfaction that
he said sheep, lambs, domestic animals or
poultry were killed or wounded by a dog
Or dogs, the freeholders shall make a re-
turn or certificate thereof in writing, prop
srly verified, stating the amount of dam
ages such person may have sustained;
each said certificate, together with the
verified certificate of the person
such damage, setting forth in
full the facts of the case and the estimate
Of damages sustained, shall entitle the
person so injured to the sum stated there
n as the damage sustained, to be paid by
the township committee in conformity
with this act; and in case the damage so
certified shall appear to the township com
mlttee to be excessive, it shall and may be
lawful for said committee to require the
facts stated and claimed and exhibited to
be investigated before them upon oath or
affirmation and shall award payment &C
cordinglY.
6 Any person having sustained any
damage by dog or dogs in said townships,
shall proceed to have the damages ap-
praised according to this act and shall pre-
sent certificates thereof to the township
committee before the first day of Febru-
ary in each and every year, and the
amounts of bills allowed by said commit
tee for damages up to that day shall be
the amount of damage done for the pre-
ceding year and shall be the amount to be
assessed on the number of dogs in said
township as returned by said assessor.
Z. This act shall not exempt the owner,
or harborer of any dog or dogs
from liability for damage done by such
dog or dogs, but he or she is hereby de-
clared to be responsible for such injury,
and an action of trespass may be brought
or maintained in any court of competent