same, and to make passing places every twenty perches, sufficient

for waggons to pass or repass each other, and in each case to Contractors take bond of the contractor or contractors, with sufficient secu- to give bond. rity for the faithful performance of the said contracts; and that the contractor or contractors receive payment only as the work shall have progressed: Provided, that the angles of elevation on Elevation of the south side, shall not exceed six degrees and three quarters; the road. and on the north side six degrees and an half, from an horizontal line.

JOHN TOD, Speaker

of the House of Representatives. P. C. LANE, Speaker of the Senate.

APPROVED the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and twelve.

SIMON SNYDER.

CHAPTER CXCII.

A further SUPPLEMENT to the act, entitled "An act for the consolidation and amendment of the laws as far as they respect the poor of the city of Philadelphia, the district of Southwark, and the township of the Northern Liberties."

SECT. I. BE it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania in general assembly net, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That When and on every third Monday in May, and every third Monday in No- how many vember, annually, the number of guardians of the poor appoint- guardians of ed for the city of Philadelphia, shall be ten; the number of the poor shall be appointed, guardians of the poor appointed for the district of Southwark, &c. shall be four; and the number of guardians of the poor appointed for the Northern Liberties, shall be six; which said guardians so appointed, shall be entitled to all the rights, and be subject Their rights to the like duties, fines, penalties and forfeitures, as are provided and duties, and enumerated in this act, as well as by an act, entitled " An act for the consolidation and amendment of the laws as far as they respect the poor of the city of Philadelphia, the district of Southwark, and the township of the Northern Liberties;" passed the twenty-ninth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and three, and in and by an act, entitled "A supplement to the act, entitled " An act for the consolidation and amendment of the laws as far as they respect the poor of the city of Philadelphia, the district of Southwark, and township of the Northern Liberties."

&c.

SECT. II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, Any guardian That any of the guardians of the poor may afford relief to the may give resudden necessity of any poor person, not exceeding eight dol- lief. lars, within three months; and it shall be the duty of the said

How a poor person may

be admitted

into the alms house, &c.

How a person

may gain a legal settle

ment

guardians to state the circumstances of such case to the next general meeting of the guardians, and the said guardians or a majority of them, shall take measures to have such poor person or persons, in case of non-residents, to be removed to the place of legal settlement.

SECT. III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That no person or persons shall be admitted into the alms house and house of employment before such person or persons shall have procured an order signed by one or more of the guardians of the poor, who shall therein state the reason and cause of such order, which shall be laid before the managers of the alms house and house of employment, when they shall next meet, who shall determine thereon as they shall think proper.

SECT. IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That no person who shall hereafter come from any state or territory of the United States, to inhabit in the said city, district or township, not having a legal settlement therein, except persons who shall heretofore have gained a legal settlement in the state of Pennsylvania, shall be adjudged and deemed to gain a legal settlement, but on the same terms and conditions on which such person would be entitled to gain a legal settlement in the state or territory from which such person shall have so removed, to the said city, district or township; and if any poor person coming from any other state to inhabit, or now inhabiting in the said city, district or township, shall be removed to his or her place of legal settlement, and shall return after such removal, to the said city, district or township, within one year from the date of such order of removal, such poor person or persons, on conviction thereof by the mayor's court of the city, or the court of quarter sessions of the county as the case may be, shall for every such for returning offence, be imprisoned in the prison of the said city and counfrom legal settlement. ty, not more than thirty days, nor less than ten days, and at the expiration of such period of imprisonment, be forthwith removed to his or her place of legal settlement.

Punishment

Under what circumstan

ces the hus

band shall re.

lieve and

maintain his

wife's father

SECT. V. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the husband of every wife, whose father or grand father, mother or grand mother, children or grand children, shall be poor, blind, lame, impotent, or otherwise unable to maintain himself or herself, and being within the said city, district or or grand fa- township, not able to work, shall if of sufficient ability, at his ther, mother or their own charges, relieve and maintain every such poor or grand person as the mayor's court for the city, or the court of mother, &c. ter sessions for the county, where such persons reside, shall Forfeiture on order and direct on pain of forfeiting seven dollars for every month he shall fail therein: Provided, that such relief so furnished by such husband, shall be demanded only where such husband shall have obtained possession of personal property,

neglect.

Proviso.

quar

or be entitled to the rents and profits of real estate belonging to his said wife, and then only to the extent of the value of such property so acquired by his marriage.

or child is

SECT. VI. And whereas, it sometimes happens that men separate themselves, without reasonable cause, from their wives, and desert their children; and women also desert their children, leaving them a charge on the said city, district and township, although such persons may have estates, rights and credits, which should contribute to the maintenance of such wives or children; Be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, that it shall and may be lawful for the guardians of Where a wife the poor in the said city, district and township, having first abandoned by obtained a warrant or order from two aldermen of the said the father, the ,city, or from two of the justices of the peace of the county, guardian shall residing in the said district or township, where such wife or seize his eschildren shall be so left or neglected, to take and seize so much of the goods and chattels, rights and credits, and receive so much of the annual rents and profits of the lands and tenements of such husband, father or mother, as such two aldermen or justices shall order and direct for providing for such wife, and for maintaining and bringing up such child or children, which warrant or order being confirmed at the next mayor's court for the city, or quarter sessions for the county,

tate.

it shall and may be lawful for the said court there to make an How the esorder for the guardians of the poor to dispose of such goods tate shall be and chattels, rights and credits, by sale or otherwise, or so sold by order much of them for the purpose aforesaid, as the court shall of the court. think fit, to receive the rents and profits, or so much of them as shall be ordered by the said court, of his or her lands and tenements, for the purposes aforesaid, and if no real or personal estate, rights and credits of such husband, father or mother, can be found, wherewith provision may be made as aforesaid, it shall and may be lawful to and for the said court to order the payment of such sums as they shall think reasonable, for the maintenance of any wife or children so neglected, and commit such husband, father or mother, to the common Husband, jail, there to remain until he or she comply with the said or- father and der, give security for the performance thereof, or be other- mother to be imprisoned wise discharged by the said court; and on complaint made to until the orany alderman of the city of Philadelphia, or to any justice of der of the the peace residing in the district of Southwark, or township court is comof the Northern Liberties, of any wife or children, there be- plied with. ing so neglected, such alderman or justice shall take security from the husband, father or mother, neglecting as aforesaid, for his or her appearance at the next mayor's court, or court of quarter sessions, there to abide the determination of the said court, and for want of security, to commit such persons. SECT. VII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, Managers of That the said managers of the alms-house and house of em

the alms

house may

therein.

Punishment

on refusing to answer interrogatories.

ployment, or a majority of them, shall have full power and examine per- authority to examine, under oath or affirmation, all poor persons residing sons residing or being in the said alms house and house of employment, touching their place of legal settlement; and in case such poor person or persons shall refuse to take the said oath or affirmation, or shall refuse to answer such questions as shall be asked by the said managers, touching and relating to the said settlement, every such poor person or persons so offending, may be committed by the said managers, or a majority of them, to the public prison of the said city and county, not exceeding ninety days, or until they shall be released by the said managers, or otherwise discharged by due course of law; and in every case of commitment to the said prison under this section, the said managers are hereby enjoined and required, to make a written report thereof to the next meeting of the general board of the guardians of the poor.

execute a

warrant of ar

cases.

Guardians of SECT. VIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, the poor shall That each and all of the guardians of the poor of the said city, have power to district and township, shall have full power and authority in all cases appertaining to their office, to receive and execute rest in certain such warrants of arrest as may be issued by any alderman or magistrate of the said city, or justice of the peace of the coun ty of Philadelphia, and to bring and carry the offender or offenders named therein before the alderman or justice who issued such warrants, or before any other aldermen or magistrate of the said city, or justice of the said county, for exami. And appoint nation; and each and all of the said guardians shall have full their deputy. power and authority under his or their hand and seal, to constitute and appoint any person as his or their deputy to execute such warrant.

How vacancies may be filled.

The repealing section.

SECT. IX. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That in case the proper authorities appointed to fill vacancies in the general board of guardians, or either of them, shall ne glect or refuse to fill the same within ten days after due notice given to them in writing, then it shall and may be lawful for the said board to appoint a suitable person or persons to fill the same; and the secretary of the said board shall give a written or printed notice to the person or persons so chosen ; and the said person or persons shall be entitled to all the rights, and subject to the like duties, fines and forfeitures, as are granted or imposed by the act to which this is a further supplement.

SECT. X. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That so much of the first and sixteenth sections of the act to which this is a further supplement, and so much of the second section of the supplement to the said act, passed the first of April, one thousand eight hundred and five, as is herein before altered and amended, and the eleventh, fourteenth, and

thirtieth sections of the said act, shall be, and the same are. hereby repealed and made null and void.

JOHN TOD, Speaker

of the House of Representatives. P. C. LANE, Speaker of the Senate.

APPROVED the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight

hundred and twelve,

SIMON SNYDER.

CHAPTER CXCIII.

Norristown

its limits.

An ACT to erect Norristown in Montgomery county, into a borough. SECT. I. BE it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in general assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That Norristown and its vicinity, in the county of Montgomery, shall erected into a be and the same is hereby erected into a borough, which shall be borough, and called "The borough of Norristown," bounded and limited as follows, that is to say, beginning at the river Schuylkill, at the corner of Levi Pawling and Matthew Chain's land, thence along the line of Matthew Chain and Miles Abbet's land on one side, and the land of Levi Pawling, Philip Hahn, jun. Robert Hamill, George Righter and John Miller, on the other side, to a corner of said Miller and Joseph Crawford's lands; thence on the line of the said Crawford and William Deal's land on one side, and John Miller and Thomas Ross, John Markley, Thomas Stroud, William Boyd, and Simon Kesey's, on the other side, to the Ply-' mouth township line; thence along said line to the river Schuylkill; thence up the several courses thereof, to the place of beginning.

meet.

SECT. II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, Persons entiThat it shall and may be lawful for all persons entitled to vote tled to vote for members of the legislature, who have resided in said borough when to twelve months previously to such election, to meet at the court house in said borough, (or such other place as may be hereafter appointed,) on the first Friday in May, in every year, and then and there elect by ballot, between the hours of twelve and six o'clock of the same day, one reputable citizen residing therein, And elect a who shall be styled "The burgess of the said borough," and Burgess, &c. seven reputable citizens residing therein, who shall be a town Also judges council, and shall also elect as aforesaid, one reputable citizen as and one inhigh constable, but previously to such election, the inhabitants spector of the shall elect two reputable citizens as judges, one as inspector, two as clerks of the said election, which shall be regulated and conducted according to the general election law of this commonwealth, so far as relates to receiving and counting votes, and who

election.