Year: 1878

ing of County Seats.

 Be It enacted by the General Assembly of the 1 State of Arkanssss

 l Sec. l. That unless for the purpose of the temporary location of county seats in the formation of new coun- ties. it shall be unlawful to establish or change any county seat, ia this State without the consent of ma ljority of the qualified voters of the county to be affected by such change nor until the place or places at which lit is proposed to establish or change any county scat shall be fully dcsig mated, such designation embracing q complete and intelligiblc description of the proposed locations, together with an abstract of the title thereto, and the ter,ns and conditions upon which the same can be purch or donarea by or to the county; Provid- 1 ed, The County Court shall not or Ger the election hereinafter provided 1 for, unless it shall be satisfied that a good and yalid title can and will be made to the proposed new locations or one of them.

 Sec. ,. The temporary location for the county seat of any new county shall be fixed by the Act of the Gen cral Assembly, authorizing the for nation and organization of such new county and such temporary To- cation for the purposes of this act shall be considered the permanent and established location unless chan ged or removed as herein provided for the change or removal of other county seats.

 Sec. 3. Whenever the qualified voters of any county in this Sta.e to the number of one-third thereof shall joln in the petition to the l County Court of such county, for the change or removal of the county seat, embodying in the petition the designation and abstract of title and terms and conditions of sale, or donation, as provided for and required by section one of this act, the county court shall order an cleo tion to be held at the several voting places in the county, directing that the proposition of the petitioners for the change or removal shall be sub mitted to the qualified voters. The County Court shall also order and require that public notice shall be given of such proposed change or removal, by publication thereof in some newspaper printed in the county, if any there be, and by di- recting and requiring the Sheriff to post up in hand-bill form, printed copies of such order in not less than three of the most public places in each township of the county, not less than thirty days before the election at which the proposition for the change or remov- al is to be voted upon. All of which notices shall be published and con tinucd up until the day of election, and any person defacing, tearing or distroying any of them shall be deemed guilty of q misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished as is now provided by law for dcfacing, tearing down or dis troying public notices or advertise mcnts. Provided, That nothing in this act shall be so construed as to amend the act passed by the general assembly Tn relation to the location of the county seat of Izard county. Sec. f. The election provided for in this act shall be understood in the same manner as general elections are required by law to be understood, and the poll-books thereof shall be returned by one of the election off cers, to be designated by the judges of election, under seal, to the Clerk of the County Court within five days thereafter, who shall take to his as sistance two Justices of the Peace of the county, and shall open and com pare the polls of such election, and declare the result, and make return thereof to the County Court, if it then be in session; if not to next term thereof.

 Sec. 3. The ballots of the voters shall have written or printed upon them the words, "For Change or Against Change" meaning for or against change from the existing To. cation, and the words, "For" lone of the localities allowed hy the act to be voted for, naming and describing the place), to which the change or rc moyal is proposed.

 Sec. 6. If majority of the quail fled voters of the county shall vote in favor of the change from the eXis- ting location, and also if majority of the qualified voters of the county shall be given for one of the places to which it Is proposed to change or remove (if more than ono be submit ted ), the County Court shall make all necessary orders, providing nee essary means: appointing commits sioners, etc., to carry into effect the will of snch majorties so expressed, without unreasonable delay, accord ing to existing laws not hereby re Gealed, and the provisions of this act, Provided, however, That if such majority of the qualified votes, al- though given in favor of a change or removal from the existing location, be not given for the place or one of the places, if more than one be sub