after, provided by law for the ascertainment and payment of damages for private property taken for public uses. Section 3. That clause forty of said section three, article five, as amended by the said act, approved May sixteenth, Anno Domini one thousand nine hundred and one, which now reads as follows: 14, act of May "XL. To provide a system for the inspection of Clause 3. section buildings to insure their structural or sanitary safety 16, 1901, cited for and incombustibility, and for the appointment of one amendment. or more building inspectors; to prescribe limits within which buildings shall not be constructed or reconstructed, or into or within which the same shall not be removed, except of incombustible materials, with fireproof roof; and any building erected, reconstructed or removed into or within such limits, contrary to the provisions of any ordinance forbidding the same, shall be a public nuisance and abatable as such," be and the same is hereby amended to read as follows: buildings. XL. To provide a system for the inspection of Construction of buildings, to insure their structural or sanitary safety and incombustibility, and for the appointment of one or more building inspectors; to prescribe limits within which buildings shall not be constructed, reconstructed, enlarged, or additions made thereto, or into or within which they or any of them shall not be removed, except the same be of incombustible materials, with fire-proof roof; and any building erected, reconstructed, enlarged, or having additions made thereto, or removed into or within such limits, contrary to the provisions of any ordinance forbidding the same, shall be a public nuisance and abatable as such, and may be restrained by injunction. Section 4. That section eleven of article six of said act, as the same was amended by said act, approved May sixteenth, Anno Domini one thousand nine hundred and one, which now reads as follows: 18. of "Section 11. Councils may, by concurrent resolution, Section, 1901, cited meet in joint convention for the purposes provided for for amendment. in this act, and also in joint session for the transaction of general business, except the passage of ordinances. No joint session shall be valid unless a quorum of each branch be present, and when the yeas and nays are demanded by any member the votes of a majority of those of each branch in its favor shall be necessary to the adoption of any motion or resolution," be and the same is hereby amended to read as follows: of councils. Section 11. Councils may, by concurrent resolution, Joint sessions meet in joint convention for the purposes provided for in this act, and also in joint session for the transaction of general business, except the passage of ordinances. No joint session shall be valid unless a quorum of Quorum. Section 1, article XIII, act of May amendment. necesssary to the adoption of any motion or resolution. Section 5. That section one of article thirteen of said act, which reads as follows: "Section 1. The councils of any city of the third 23, 1889, cited for class may provide by ordinance for the division of said city into sewer districts, and may direct the city engineer to make an estimate of the cost and expense of constructing any main sewer, or reconstructing the same, and to report to councils what portions of said cost and expense is required for main sewerage, and what portion of the same is required for local sewerage, for any lot or lands to which any portion of such main sewer, to be designated by councils, shall serve for local sewerage, and it shall be lawful for the city councils to cause sewers of all kinds to be constructed or reconstructed without petition therefor from the property owners, and to provide for the payment of such sewers from the general revenues of the city, or by assessing the cost thereof as follows, namely: In the case of main sewers, such proportion of the cost and expense of the same as is required for local sewerage shall be assessed upon the property abutting thereon, by an equal assessment by the foot front, or according to the assessed valuation of such property for purposes of city taxation, or in proportion to benefits upon lots or lands benefited by such local sewerage, as councils shall by ordinance in each case determine, and the cost of such main sewer, over and above the portion thereof assessed for local sewerage, as above provided, shall be assessed upon the lots or lands within the sewer district where the work is to be done, according to the valuation of such lots or lands for city purposes, or according to benefits, or paid from the general revenues as councils may in each case determine. The cost of lateral sewers shall be assessed upon the lots or lands along or through which such lateral sewers run, according to the valuation of such lots or lands as aforesaid, or in proportion to benefits upon lots or lands benefited, or by an equal assessment by the foot front upon lands along or through which such sewers run, as councils may determine," be and the same is hereby amended to read as follows: Sewers. Section 1. The councils of any city of the third class shall have power, without petition therefor, to construct and reconstruct, or cause to be constructed or reconstructed, sewers of all kinds in its public streets, lanes, alleys, highways, and over and across public and private lands or Cost and expense. property, and to pay the cost and expense thereof out of the general revenues, or special funds raised for said purpose, or to assess the same upon abutting property as hereinafter mentioned; and where the cost of constructing any sewer is paid for wholly from city funds, the respective city shall have authority to charge a reasonable abutting property. sewers. fee for tapping or connecting with said sewer. In the Tapping fee. construction of main sewers, or of any sewer which can be used in part for main sewerage purposes, in all cases where said sewer will also serve as a local sewer the said city is authorized to and may provide for assessing Assessment of the abutting property with the local sewerage part thereof, according to the foot front, or the assessed valuation of the said property for city purposes, or according to benefits. The cost of all main sewers or of any sewers used Cost of main in part for main sewerages purposes, over and above the amount assessed for local sewerage, as above provided, shall be paid for from the city funds, as aforesaid. Councils may also provide that the cost and expense of local, lateral, branch and other sewers may be assessed against and lateral sewthe abutting property, according to the foot front, or according to the assessed valuation thereof for city purposes, or according to benefits. And it shall be lawful for any such city to construct or cause to be constructed a sewerage system, or sewers in streets, lanes, alleys and highways, with extensions thereof, and with lateral and branch sewers therefrom, in other streets, lanes, alleys and highways, and in public or private lands, at the same time, as part of the same improvement, and under the same Local branches ers. Sewerage system. contract, and the cost and expense thereof may be as cost and expense. sessed as is herein provided. Section 6. That section two of said article thirteen, which reads as follows: 23, 1889, cited for "Section 2. If councils determine to make an as- Section 2, article sessment for main, local or lateral sewerage, according XIII, act of May to benefits, they shall appoint three disinterested citi- amendment. zens as viewers, who, or a majority of whom, shall assess the estimated expenses, as reported by the city engineer, of such main sewerage, on all lots or lands in the sewer district wherein the sewer is to be constructed or reconstructed, in proportion to benefits, and the estimated expenses, as reported by said engineer, of such local or lateral sewerage on such lots or lands as will, in their opinion, be benefitted thereby, whether fronting on the ground in which the sewer is to be constructed or reconstructed or not, in proportion as nearly as may be to the benefits which may result to each lot or parcel of land," be and the same is hereby amended to read as follows: Section 2. Where councils determine to construct local, lateral and other sewers, and to assess the cost and expenses thereof according to the foot front rule, they may provide for a reduction of one-half, or other equitable part or portion, from the frontage of the longest side of all corner lots, and at other places where, from the peculiar or pointed shape of the lots, an assessment for the full frontage would be inequitable and unequal. Where the councils determine to construct main, local, lateral or branch sewers, and to assess the cost and expense thereof ments. Sewerage assessAccording to foot front rule. point viewers, According to ben- according to benefits, in addition to the remedies which now or may hereafter exist for the assessment of the said cost and expense by viewers appointed by court, the said Councils may ap- councils may appoint three disinterested freeholders as viewers, who, or a majority of whom, shall assess the cost and expense of said sewers upon the lands abounding or abutting thereon, in proportion as nearly as may be to the benefits which may result to each lot or parcel of land. Said viewers or a majority thereof shall report their assessment to the councils, in the manner set forth in the third section of said article thirteen, and said councils shall act thereon as in said article is provided. Report of view ers. Section 36, of the act of May 16, 1901, cited for amendment. Books, maps and plans. Section 7. That section four of article sixteen of said act, the same being an amendment made by said act of Assembly, approved the sixteenth day of May, Anno Domini one thousand nine hundred and one, of section two of said article in the said original act, which reads as follows: "Section 4. The city engineer of any of said cities, in which such registry shall be established as aforesaid, shall cause to be made books of plans of such city, showing the situation and dimensions of each property therein, with the city number and name of each owner or owners thereof, with blank spaces for the names of future owners and dates of future transfers of title; and for such purposes the said engineer shall have free access, without charge, to any of the public records wherein the necessary information may be obtainable therefor, and may also cause search to be made in any other place for any muniments or evidences of title not reported to him, as hereinafter provided, and requisite for the completion of the said plans. The said book of plans shall be carefully preserved in the department of surveys of said cities, and shall be kept by additions from time to time as to show the ownership of every lot or piece of real estate, or subdivision thereof, within the city limits, with the successive transmissions of title from the date of the commencement of such plans. Certified copies, under the hand of the said engineer, of any of the entries in said books or plans shall be received in evidence, in the same manner as the books themselves might be admissible for such purpose, and may also be furnished to any person desiring the same, for such fee or compensation as may be fixed by ordinance for the use of the city," be and the same is hereby amended to read as follows: Section 4. The city engineer of any of said cities, in which such registry shall be established, as aforesaid, under the direction of councils, shall cause to be made all such necessary books, maps and plans as will show the situation and dimensions of each property therein; which books, maps or plans shall be prepared as to show the city number and the owner of each lot, with provision for the names of future owners and dates of future transfer free access to books, maps and of title; and for such purpose the said engineer shall Engineer to have have free access, without charge, to any of the public records public records. wherein the necessary information may be obtainable therefor, and may also cause search to be made in any other place for any muniments or evidences of title not reported to him, as hereinafter provided, and requisite for the completion of said books, maps or plans. The said books, maps and plans shall be carefully preserved in the Preservation of department of surveys of said cities, and shall be so kept, plans. by additions from time to time or otherwise, as to show the ownership of every lot or piece of real estate, or subdivision thereof, within the city limits, with the successive transmissions of title from the date of the commencement of such plans; but nothing herein, or in the said article, shall invalidate any municipal or tax claim, by reason that the same is not assessed or levied against the regis tered owner. Certified copies, under the hand of the said Certified copies of engineer, of any of the entries in said books, or upon said maps or plans, shall be received in evidence, in the same manner as the books, maps and plans themselves might be admissible for such purpose, and may be also furnished to any person desiring the same, for such fee or compensation, for the use of the city, as may be fixed by ordinance. Approved-The 30th day of March, A. D. 1903. SAML. W. PENNYPACKER. entries. No. 89. AN ACT To recognize the service of William Bender Wilson to the Wilson. Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That whereas, William William Bender Bender Wilson, now of Holmesburg, in the Thirty-fifth ward of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, then of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, rendered important and delicate service to the Commonwealth, on and over the borders of the State, as a telegraph operator and scout during the raids and invasions of one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, the Governor of the Commonwealth is hereby empowered to recognize such service by issuing Recognition of to said William Bender Wilson a commission as colonel in the volunteer forces of the State, covering those periods, and reciting the services rendered, together with a gold medal commemorative of them. Section 2. The sum of one hundred dollars is hereby Appropriation. set apart from any moneys in the Treasury, not othery service. Medal. |