Page images
PDF
EPUB

No. 8.

AN ACT

Relating to the settlement of existing claims and demands, the disposition of surplus money in the hands of the overseers of the poor, and of uncollected taxes levied for the support of the poor in the several poor-districts of any county of this Commonwealth, in which a county poorhouse hitherto has been or hereafter may be erected, and the paupers, chargeable to the several poor-districts of such county, hitherto have been or hereafter may be taken in charge by the commissioners or directors of the poor of such county, under the provisions of any general law of the Commonwealth now in force.

When paupers

are in charge of directors.

commissioners or

Poor districts.

Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That in all cases where a county poorhouse hitherto has been or hereafter may be erected by any county of this Commonwealth, and the paupers, chargeable to the several poor districts of such county, hitherto have been or hereafter shall be taken in charge by the commissioners or directors of the poor of said county, under the provisions of any general law of the Commonweath now in force, all claims and demands in favor of or against the several claims and depoor-districts of such county shall be fully settled and mands. adjusted by the overseers thereof; and after such To be settled by claims and demands are so settled and adjusted, all overseers. moneys, of whatever source derived, remaining in the hands of the overseers, as well as all uncollected taxes Moneys and unlevied for the support of the poor of such districts in said county, shall be paid over to the supervisors of the highways of said county, to be by them applied as the road tax is applied by law in said county; and Application of. all moneys, from whatever source derived, remaining in the hands of or subject to the order of the overseers of the poor of any borough in said county, as well as uncollected taxes levied by them for the support of the poor, when collected, shall be paid over to the officer authorized to receive the borough taxes of said borough, to be by him added to the borough fund, and applied as the borough tax of said borough in Application of. said county is by law applied.

Approved-The 5th day of March, A. D. 1903.

SAML. W. PENNYPACKER.

collected taxes.

Boroughs.

Moneys and un

collected taxes.

No. 3.

AN ACT

To regulate the fees of tipstaves in judicial districts containing more than one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants, and less than five hundred thousand inhabitants.

Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That in all the judicial districts of this Commonwealth, containing more than

Tipstaves.

Annual salary.

one hundred and fifty thousand, and less than five
hundred thousand, inhabitants, the tipstaves of the
several courts shall be paid an annual salary, not to
exceed eight hundred dollars per annum. The said
salary shall be fixed by the judges of said districts,
and be paid out of the county treasury monthly.

Approved-The 5th day of March, A. D. 1903.
SAML. W. PENNYPACKER.

Wills, duly proved and recorded.

Real estate.

Executor.

Petition.

Powers of orphans' court.

Decree.

No. 10.

AN ACT

Authorizing the orphans' court to adjudge real estate to persons, to whom the right to take the same at a certain valuation has been given in a will, and who are appointed executors of the same will; providing for the payment of the purchase money, and confirming titles to real estate heretofore taken under similar proceedings.

Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That in all cases of wills heretofore made and duly proved and recorded, and in all cases of wills hereafter duly proved and recorded, wherein the testator has given or shall give the right to one or more persons to take any or all of his real estate at a certain valuation therein named, and of the said will appoints such person or persons executor, to whom letters testamentary shall afterwards be issued, in all such cases it shall be lawful for the person or persons to whom the said right is given, to present his or their petition to the orphans' court of the county in which such real estate is situate, setting forth the terms and character of such devise or direction, that he or they have been appointed executor or executors of the said will, that letters testamentary have been issued to him or them, and formally accepting such real estate at such valuation. Upon the presentation of such petition, the court shall have power to adjudge the said real estate to such person or persons, and shall have power to decree that he or they shall account for the valuation thereof, in the settlement of his or their accounts with the regis ter of wills having jurisdiction of such accounts.

Section 2. Whenever any orphans' court shall have heretofore made a decree adjudging real estate to certain persons, in any case mentioned and provided for in the first section of this act, such decree shall be valid and available to vest in the person or persons to whom such real estate was adjudged, all the right, title, and interest of the testator who had died, leaving a will wherein the right to accept such real estate was given.

Approved-The 5th day of March, A. D. 1903.
SAML. W. PENNYPACKER.

No. 11.

AN ACT

To amend an act "Authorizing the county commissioners of the several counties in this Commonwealth to appoint a county solicitor, fix his compensation, and prescribe the term and duties of the solicitor."

Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That the second section of an act of the General Assembly, approved the twenty-second day of May, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five, entitled "An act authorizing the county commissioners of the several counties in this Commonwealth to appoint a county solicitor, fix his compensation, and prescribe the term and duties of the solicitor," which reads as follows: "That the solicitor so appointed shall hold his office for the term of three years and shall receive such salary as the commissioners shall determine: Provided, That he shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, file with the county commissioners an agreement to pay all fees, attorney's fees and commissions received from every source, as county solicitor, into the county treasury," be and the same is hereby amended to read as follows:

[blocks in formation]

That the solicitor so appointed shall hold his office during the term of the commissioners constituting Term. said board, and shall receive such compensation as the Compensation. commissioners may determine: Provided, That he shall Proviso. before entering upon the duties of his office file with the county commissioners an agreement to pay all fees, attorney's fees and commissions, received from every source, as county solicitor, into the county treasury. Approved-The 5th day of March, A. D. 1903.

SAML. W. PENNYPACKER.

No. 12.

AN ACT

Relating to institutions, associations, and societies having the care of delinquent, neglected or dependent children. Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That the institutions, associations, and societies, into whose care the custody of delinquent, neglected or dependent children. may be committed by order of the courts of this Commonwealth, shall be subject to the same visitation, inspections, and supervision of the Board of Public Charities as the public charitable institutions of this State; and the courts of common pleas of this Com

Visitation, inpervision by

spection and su

Board of Public

Charities.

Information and statistics for judges.

Annual report to
Board of Public
Charities.

monwealth may require such information and statistics from such institutions, associations or societies as said judges deem necessary in order to enable them to exercise a wise discretion in dealing with children. Every such institution, association or society shall file with the Board of Public Charities an annual written or printed report, which shall contain a statement of the number of children cared for during the year, the number received, the number placed in homes, the number died, the number returned to friends; also, a financial statement, showing the receipts and disbursements of Statement of re- such institutions, associations or societies. The state

ceipts and dis

bursements.

List of institutions to be filed with court.

ment of receipts shall indicate the amount received from public funds, the amount received from donations, and the amount received from other sources, specifying the several sources. The statement of disbursements shall show the amount expended for salaries and other expenses, specifying the same; the amount expended for lands, buildings and investments. The secretary of the Board of Public Charities shall furnish to each of the said courts of common pleas a list of such institutions, associations, and societies filing such annual reports, and no child shall be committed to the care of any such institution, association or society which shall not have filed a report, for the fiscal year last preceding, with the Board of Public Charities.

Approved-The 5th day of March, A. D. 1903.

SAML. W. PENNYPACKER.

Act to take effect
January 1, 1904.

No. 13.

AN ACT

To exempt from the payment of collateral inheritance tax, bequests and devises in trust for the care and preservation of burial lots.

Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That hereafter all bequests and devises in trust, for the purpose of applying the entire interest or income thereof to the care and preservation of the family burial lot or lots of the donor, in good order and repair perpetually, shall be exempt from liability for collateral inheritance tax. This act shall take effect on and after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred and four, and shall not apply to any bequest or devise, as aforesaid, made prior to that time.

Approved-The 5th day of March, A. D. 1903.

SAML. W. PENNYPACKER.

No. 14.

AN ACT

In relation to abandonment of portions of railroads.

Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That if any railroad company shall hereafter, for a period of six consecu

tive months, omit to operate any portion or portions Be deemed
of its railroad, such railroad company shall be deemed abandoned.
to have abandoned, and shall not have the right to
maintain and operate, such portion or portions, but
shall be confined in the exercise of its franchises to
the remaining portion or portions of its railroad: Pro- Proviso.
vided, however, That this act shall not apply to pas-
senger railway companies, whether surface, elevated
or underground roads.

Approved-The 5th day of March, A. D. 1903.

SAML. W. PENNYPACKER.

No. 15.

AN ACT

To authorize county commissioners to provide ferries or temporary ways over streams, where county bridges shall have been heretofore and shall hereafter be destroyed or rendered impassable by fire, storm, flood, or other casualty, and legalizing prior expenditures therefor by county commissioners.

Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That hereafter county commissioners of the several counties of this Common- Commissioners. wealth, where county bridges, within the respective county bridges. counties, shall have been heretofore and shall here

passable.

porary ways,

after be destroyed or rendered impassable by fire, Destroyed or imstorm, flood, or other casualty, may in their discretion provide, at the expense of the proper county, ferries or Ferries or temother temporary ways, as a substitute for such destroyed or impassable bridges, until such county bridge shall be rebuilt or rendered fit for public travel; and where a county bridge spans a stream which is the

boundary between two counties of this Common- Boundary county wealth, and the bridge across such stream has been bridges. built and maintained at the joint expense of said adjoining counties, in every such case the establishment and maintenance of such ferry or temporary way shall

be by the joint, discretionary action of the boards of Joint action. commissioners of said counties, and the expense thereof shall be borne by said counties in equal shares.

« PreviousContinue »