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tain public parks for the use of the inhabitants thereof," approved April 24, 1899, in force July 1, 1899, be amended so as to read as follows:

1. That all cities not exceeding fifteen thousand inhabitants in this State be, and they are hereby authorized to acquire by purchase, or otherwise, lands in or within four miles of the corporate limits of the same for the purpose of providing public parks for the use of the inhabitants thereof, and may enclose, improve and maintain any such public park and regulate the use thereof by ordinance: Provided, that no money shall be expended for the purchase of any land for said purpose until the question of the expenditure of such money for said purpose shall have been submitted to a vote of the people of such city at an election for city officers, or at a special election called for that purpose by the city council of said city, and shall have received a majority of the votes cast at such election.

§ 2. Such cities may borrow money, levy and collect a general tax for said purpose or for the purpose of improving and maintaining such park in the same manner as for the purpose of purchasing and maintaining water works under the laws of this State and may appropriate money for the same.

§ 2. WHEREAS, An emergency exists, therefore this Act shall be in force and effect from and after its passage.

APPROVED February 27, 1907.

PARKS IN CITIES OF LESS THAN 50,000.

§ 1. City council may levy annual tax for establishment and maintenance of parks. (HOUSE BILL No. 416. APPROVED MAY 13, 1907.)

AN ACT to authorize cities having a population of less than 50,000 to establish and maintain by taxation public parks.

SECTION I. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That the city council of each incorporated city of this State having a population of less than 50,000, whether organized under general law or special charter, shall have power to establish and maintain public parks for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of such city, and may levy a tax not to exceed two mills on the dollar annually on all taxable property embraced in the city according to the valuation of the same as made for the purpose of State and county taxation by the last assessment. APPROVED May 13, 1907.

REPORTS OF PARK COMMISSIONERS.

1.

Annual report submitted on last day of February.

(SENATE BILL No. 217. APPROVED MAY 25, 1907.)

AN ACT concerning the annual reports of park commissioners. SECTION I. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That park commissioners, who are now required by law to submit, on the first day of December in each year, to the board of county commissioners or the board of supervisors in the county in which the same may be located, a written or printed report of all their acts and doings in relation to the parks and other improvements under their supervision or control, shall hereafter submit such report on the last day of February in each year.

APPROVED May 25, 1907.

SALARY OF SECRETARY.

1. Salary of secretary of park board of two or more towns.

(SENATE BILL No. 218. APPROVED MAY 27, 1907.)

An Act providing for the salaries of park secretaries.

SECTION I. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That the secretary of any board of park commissioners who have been by law declared to be the corporate authorities of two or more towns for park purposes, may receive such salary for his services as said board shall from time to time determine, not exceeding, however, the sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000) per annum.

APPROVED May 27, 1907.

§ 1.

SUBMERGED AND SHORE LANDS-ACQUISITION AND IMPROVEMENT. Park commissioners may acquire ri § 3. Bond issue-election-tax levy, etc. parian or other rights by condemnation proceedings or otherwise for extensions or connections.

2. Boundary lines established and confirmed by decree of court-notice -hearing-finding.

$ 4.

Additional enlargements or extensions.

(SENATE BILL NO. 357. APPROVED MAY 2, 1907.)

AN ACT authorizing park commissioners to acquire and improve submerged and shore lands for park purposes, providing for the payment therefor, and granting unto such commissioners certain rights and powers and to riparian owners certain rights and titles.

SECTION I. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That every board of park commissioners existing under the laws of this State, which now has, or may

hereafter have or acquire, control over any public park, boulevard or driveway, bordering upon any public waters in this State, and which now has, or may hereafter have or acquire, the power to extend such park, boulevard or driveway over and upon the bed of such public waters, and that every board of park commissioners, which now has, or may hereafter have or acquire, control over two or more separate public parks, whether they constitute a part of one park system or not, bordering upon any public waters in this State, and which now has, or may hereafter have or acquire, power to connect the same by constructing a boulevard, driveway or parkway extending over and upon the bed of such public waters and over and upon any lands penetrating into such waters, may acquire the riparian or other rights of the owners of lands, whether individuals or corporations, on the shores adjoining the public waters or rivers in which it is proposed to construct any such extension or connection, also the title of the private or public owners, if any there be, to lands lying beneath such public waters or rivers also the title of any lands penetrating into such public waters and the title of any lands into, upon, or over which it is proposed to construct such extension or connection, or any viaduct, bridge or tunnel forming a part thereof, by contract with or deed from any such owner or owners, whether individuals or corporations. Said park commissioners and said riparian owners are hereby authorized to agree upon a boundary line dividing the submerged lands acquired or to be acquired by said park commissioners and the submerged lands to be taken, owned and used by said riparian owners in lieu of and as compensation for the release of said riparian rights to said park commissioners. In case any of such owners or persons interested are non sui juris, or in case any of such owners or persons interested are unknown, proceedings may be had to condemn their riparian rights and the lands owned by them, or in which they may be interested, according to the provisions of an Act entitled "An Act to provide for the exercise of the right of eminent domain" and amendments thereto.

§ 2. In all cases in which said park commissioners shall have acquired, or contracted to acquire, the riparian rights of the owners of any iands along the shore adjoining such submerged lands, and shall have agreed upon the dividing line aforesaid, said park commissioners shall file petitions or bills in chancery on the chancery side of the circuit court of the county in which said lands are situated, praying that the boundary line between the lands acquired or to be acquired by the defendants in said suit and the lands acquired or to be acquired by the said park commissioners, under this Act and under such contract or contracts, may be established and confirmed by the decree of said court, as agreed upon by said parties to which bills or petitions all persons interested in said riparian rights and lands as owners or otherwise as appearing of record, if known, or if not known, stating that fact, shall be made defendants. Persons interested, whose names are unknown, may be made parties defendant by the description of the unknown owners; but in al such cases, an affidavit shall be filed by or on behalf of the petitioner or complainant, setting forth that the names of such persons are unknown, said park commissioners shall also give public notice of the filing of

each such bill or petition by publication thereof once a week for four consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation regularly published in the city in which, or nearest to which, said riparian rights are situated, which notice shall contain the title of the suit and the term of court at which it is made returnable, the last of which notices shall be published not less than ten (10) days or more than twenty (20) days before the first day of the term of court in which said suit is returnable. The defendants who do not enter their appearance shall be served with process in the suits so instituted in the same manner as in suits in chancery, and the proceedings in said cause shall be conducted in the same manner as in other suits in chancery. Any legal voter or taxpayer within the district or territory in which the property shall be taxable for the maintenance of the park system under the control of such commissioners, shall be permitted to enter his appearance and become a party defendant in said proceedings and demur, plead or answer to said bill or petition. If, upon a hearing, the court shall find that the rights and interests of the public have been duly conserved in and by such agreement, then the court shall confirm said agreement and establish such boundary line; otherwise the court shall, in its discretion, dismiss such bill or petition. If the dividing line agreed upon shall be so established and confirmed by the decree or judgment of the said court, it shall thereafter be the permanent dividing and boundary line of said lands, and shall not be affected or changed thereafter, either by accretions or erosions; and the owners of said shore lands are hereby granted by the State of Illinois the title to the submerged lands lying between said boundary line when so established and the shore adjacent thereto, and they shall have the right to fill in, improve, protect, use for all lawful purposes, sell and convey said submerged lands up to the line so established, free from any adverse claim in any way arising out of any question as to where the shore line was at any time in the past, or as to the title to any existing accretions.

3. Such park commissioners shall have the power to pay for any such rights or lands thus acquired and for the construction and protection of such extension or connection, either out of its general revenues or by the issue and sale, from time to time, of interest bearing bonds, in addition to the bonds now authorized by law to be issued and sold by such park commissioners: Provided, no bonds shall be issued under this Act contrary to the provisions of section 12, article IX, of the constitution of this State: And, provided, further, that the proposition to issue such bonds shall first be submitted to a vote of the legal voters of such park district and shall receive a majority of the votes cast upon such proposition. And authority is hereby expressly granted to the park commissioners issuing such bonds to levy and collect a direct annual tax upon the property within their jurisdiction, in addition to the amount of any tax now authorized by law to be levied and collected by them, sufficient to pay the interest on said bonds as it falls due and also to pay and discharge the principal thereof within twenty (20) years. from the date of issuing said bonds; and the county clerk of the county in which such park district is located or such other officer or officers as are by law authorized to spread or assess taxes for park purposes shall,

on receiving a certificate from such park commissioners that the amount mentioned in such certificate is necessary to pay the interest on said bonds and also to pay and discharge the principal thereof within (20) years from the date of issuing said bonds, spread and assess such amount upon the taxable property embraced in said park district the same as other park taxes are by law spread and assessed, and the same shall be collected and paid over the same as other park taxes are required by law to be collected and paid.

§ 4. The powers granted by this Act to any board of park commissioners shall not be construed to have been exhausted by any one use of the same, but said commissioners may, from time to time, proceed with further enlargements or extensions: Provided, however, that all such enlargements or extensions lie within the district or territory, the property in which shall be taxable for the maintenance of the park systems under the control of such commissioners, or within public waters or rivers adjoining or being a part of such district or territory. APPROVED May 2, 1907.

SURFACE AND ELEVATED WAYS-PERMISSION TO CONSTRUCT.

§ 1. Authorizes municipalities to permit park boards to construct surface and elevated

ways.

(HOUSE BILL No. 806. APPROVED MAY 25, 1907.)

AN ACT authorizing cities, towns and villages to permit the construction of surface and elevated ways.

SECTION I. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That any city, town or village may by ordinance duly passed grant to any commission or board having jurisdiction over parks and boulevards the right to take and improve by means of surface or elevated ways for vehicles and pedestrians a street or streets not more than one mile in length in any one instance, and for that purpose to construct, maintain and control all approaches, inclines and superstructures convenient or necessary for the purpose aforesaid. This Act shall not operate to repeal any Acts heretofore passed by the General Assembly regarding public parks and boulevards, or the control and maintenance thereof, but shall be held to grant additional and supplementary power in relation thereto.

APPROVED May 25, 1907.

§ 1.

SURFACE AND ELEVATED WAYS-TAKING OVER.

Authorizes municipalities to construct and maintain elevated ways and approaches and turn them over to park boards.

(HOUSE BILL No. 818. APPROVED MAY 25, 1907.)

AN ACT authorizing cities, towns and villages to construct and maintain surface and elevated ways, and turn the same over to public park corporate authorities.

I.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That any city, town or village

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