AN ACT to divide the township of Bergen, in the county of WHEREAS the freeholders and inhabitants of the township of Bergen, in the county of Hudson, in public meeting assembled, have resolved that it is expedient, and will be productive of mutual benefit and convenience, to divide said township into two separate townships, and have prayed legislative aid in the premises-therefore, Sec. 1. BE IT ENACTED by the Council and General Assembly of this State, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of Preamble. the same, That the township of Bergen, in the county of Hud- Boundaries of son, be, and the same is hereby divided into two separate and North Bergen. independent townships: and all that part of the said township of Bergen which lies north of the centre of the railroad belonging to the New Jersey Railroad and Transportation Company, shall be, and is hereby set off into a separate township, to be called and known by the name of "the Township of North Bergen;" and all that part of the said township of Ber- Boundaries of gen which lies south of the centre of the railroad aforesaid Bergen. shall be, and hereby is set off into a separate township, to be called and known by the name of " the Township of Bergen." Sec. 2. And be it enacted, That the inhabitants of the said township of North Bergen shall be, and they are hereby con- Township of stituted a body politic and corporate, and shall be styled and North Bergen incorporated. known by the name of "the Inhabitants of the Township of North Bergen, in the county of Hudson;" and that the inhabitants of the said township of Bergen shall be, and they hereby are constituted a body politic and corporate, and shall be styled and known by the name of "the Inhabitants of the Township of Bergen, in the county of Hudson;" and shall respectively be entitled to all the rights, powers, authority, privileges, and advantages, and subject to the same regulations, government, and liabilities, as the inhabitants of the other townships in the said county of Hudson are or may be entitled or subject to by the existing laws of this state. Sec. 3. And be it enacted, That the inhabitants of the said Time and place township of North Bergen, shall hold their first annual town of first annual meeting at the house of Michel Saunier, innkeeper in the said town meetings. township of North Bergen; and that the inhabitants of the said township of Bergen shall hold their first annual town meeting at the house of Jacob M. Vreeland, in the said township of Bergen; and that each of said townships of North Bergen and of Bergen shall hold their first and all subsequent annual town meetings on the day appointed by law for hold E 19 Allotment of paupers to be maintained by ing the annual town meetings in the other townships in the county of Hudson. Sec. 4. And be it enacted, That all paupers who may be chargeable to the township of Bergen at the time this act shall go into operation, shall be chargeable to, and supported by that one of the townships created by this act within the bounds each township. of which they have acquired their settlements, respectively, or in which said paupers may have resided at the time of acquiring their respective settlements; and all persons whose present settlement is in the township of Bergen, and who shall hereafter become chargeable as paupers, shall be supported by that one of the said new townships hereby created, within the bounds of which they respectively resided at the time of acquiring their respective settlements, or within the bounds of which the respective settlements were acquired. Sec. 5. And be it enacted, That the poor-house farm, now vested in the overseers of the poor of the township of Bergen, Township farm, with the buildings and improvements thereon, shall be vested &c., to be vest in, and remain to the townships of Bergen and North Bergen, ships of Bergen in their corporate capacity, as townships in common, in the and North Bersame manner and form, in all respects, and to all intents and purposes, the same as they are now vested in the said over ed in the town gen. Moneys to tween the townships. seers. Sec. 6. And be it enacted, That all the moneys, on hand or due, belonging to the present township of Bergen, shall be be divided be- divided between the said township of North Bergen and the township of Bergen, now created by this act, in proportion to the taxable property and ratables, as taxed by the assessor, within their respective limits at the last assessment; and that all the debts and liabilities of the present township of Bergen, shall be paid and satisfied by the townships created by this act, in like proportion. Meeting of townships' committees for division of moneys. Sec. 7. And be it enacted, That the township committees of the township of North Bergen and the township of Bergen shall meet on the third Monday of April next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, at the house of Rachel Riker, innkeeper at the Five Corners, in the township of North Bergen, and shall then and there proceed to allot and divide between the said townships all the money on hand or due, and all the debts and liabilities belonging to the present township of Bergen, in propor tion to the taxable property and ratables, as valued or assessed within the respective limits of the said two townships at the last assessments; and may adjourn the said meeting from time to time, and to such time and place as a majority of them assembled may think proper: and if any of the said township committees shall neglect to meet as aforesaid, then those pre sent may proceed to make such allotment and division, and their decision, or the decision of a majority of them, shall be final and conclusive. trustees of the Sec. 8. And be it enacted, That the freeholders, inhabitants Time and mode of each of the said townships of North Bergen and Bergen, of election of respectively, shall, on the first Monday in May next, and on freeholders. the first Monday in May in each and every year thereafter, by a plurality of votes of the said freeholders then met and assembled, elect and choose, out of the whole body of the said freeholders, four persons out of each of the townships created by this act, as trustees of the freeholders, inhabitants of the said townships respectively; which said eight persons, so elected, shall be styled and known by the name of "the Trustees of the Freeholders, inhabitants of the township of Bergen and of the township of North Bergen ;" which said eight persons, so elected and chosen, shall be and continue in office for and during the term of one year, and until others are chosen or elected in their stead; and shall be invested with, and hold and enjoy all the rights, privileges, powers, and authorities whatsoever, which are now vested in, or of right belong to "the Trustees of the Freeholders, inhabitants of the township of Bergen." ers are chosen. Sec. 9. And be it enacted, That the persons heretofore cho- Former trustees sen or appointed, "Trustees of the Freeholders, inhabitants of to act until oththe township of Bergen," and now acting as such trustees, shall be and remain trustees for the purposes for which they were chosen and appointed until other trustees are chosen in the manner prescribed by this act. to be vested in Sec. 10. And be it enacted, That all deeds, mortgages, Deeds, mortbonds, bills, notes of hand, securities, engagements, and con- gages, bonds, tracts, of every nature and kind whatsoever, and all interest, real estate, &c., property, and estates, real and personal, of every nature and the townships kind, given, granted to, had, held, possessed, and enjoyed by North Bergen. of Bergen and "the Trustees of the Freeholders, inhabitants of the township of Bergen," shall be vested in and remain to "the Trustees of the Freeholders, inhabitants of the township of Bergen and of the township of North Bergen," in the same manner and form, in all respects and to all intents and purposes, the same as they are now vested in or held, possessed or enjoyed, by "the Trustees of the Freeholders, inhabitants of the township of Bergen;" and that all grants, conveyances, mortgages, bonds, notes, contracts, and engagements, of every nature and kind, given, made, done, and entered into by "the Trustees of the Freeholders, inhabitants of the township of Bergen ;" and that all legal claims and demands, by any person or persons, body politic or corporate, of every nature and kind, against them, the said "the Trustees of the Freeholders, inhabitants of the township of Bergen," shall be binding upon, and valid and Sec. 11. And be it enacted, That the election of all the township officers, in each of the townships created by this act, shall be by ballot; and that the inhabitants of each of the said townElection of offi- ships, qualified by law to vote at town meetings, shall, by ballot, determine the amount of money to be by them raised for such purposes as are or may be authorized by law. cers to be by ballot. Judge, inspector, and clerk, how chosen. in Sec. 12. And be it enacted, That at the first annual town meeting, to be held in each of the townships of North Bergen and Bergen, on the day appointed by law for that purpose the other townships in the county of Hudson, the judge, inspectors, and clerk shall be chosen viva voce; and at all subsequent elections, in each of said townships, for the election of township officers, the judge, inspectors, and clerk elected at the next preceding township election shall be the officers; and if absent, others shall be chosen in their stead, in the same manner as vacancies are supplied by law at the annual election. Sec. 13. And be it enacted, That the judges, inspectors, and clerks, for holding any annual or special township election, shall severally be entitled to the sum of one dollar and fifty cents per day for their services, to be paid by the township of ouicers. committee of each of the townships created by this act. Compensation tion. Sec. 14. And be it enacted, That the poll shall open at ten o'clock in the forenoon, and close at four o'clock in the afternoon, at the place appointed for holding the annual town meet- Mode of con ings in each of the said townships; and all persons who by law ducting elec are or may be qualified to vote at town meetings, shall be entitled to vote at such election; and after the poll shall be closed, the ballots shall be forthwith canvassed, and a return thereof made by the officers conducting such election, to the clerk of each of the townships for the current year, to be by them recorded and filed; and that the officers conducting any township election shall not be disqualified from being elected to, or holding any township office. Sec. 15. And be it enacted, That this act shall take effect Act, when to on the second Monday of April next, and not before. Passed February 10, 1843. take effect. A supplement to the act entitled, "An act to create the county of Hudson." WHEREAS, in and by the twelfth section of the act entitled, "An act to create the county of Hudson," passed February twenty-second, eighteen hundred and forty, it is, among other things, enacted, "that the militia of the said county of Hudson shall form a separate brigade, to be called the Hudson brigade, and shall be attached to the first division of the militia of this state," and "the militia of the county of Bergen shall form a separate brigade, to be called the Bergen brigade, and shall be attached to the first division of the militia of this state;"-and whereas it appears that the said first division of the militia of this state is composed of brigades which are not contiguous to the said Hudson and Preamble, |