skunk fifty cents; and all proceedings under this act shall be in the manner provided by the act of sixteenth of March, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and nineteen, entitled "An Act to encourage more effectually the destruction of wolves and panthers ;" and that all laws inconsistent with the provisions of this act, be and the same are hereby repealed. ELISHA W. DAVIS, Speaker of the House of Representatives. JOHN P. PENNEY, Speaker of the Senate pro tem. APPROVED-The first day of May, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one. A. G. CURTIN. No. 435. AN ACT Conferring upon Caroline, Elizabeth, Kate and Nicholas W. Hughes, minor children of John Hughes, all the rights and privileges of children born in lawful wedlock. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represen tatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That Caroline, Elizabeth, Kate and Nicholas W. Hughes, minor children of John Hughes, of East Birmingham, Allegheny county, shall have all the rights and privileges of children born in lawful wedlock; and shall be capable, not only to inherit, but to transmit property, as fully as if they had been born in lawful wedlock. ELISHA W. DAVIS, Speaker of the House of Representatives. JOHN P. PENNEY, Speaker of the Senate pro tem. APPROVED-The first day of May, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one. A. G. CURTIN. No. 436. AN ACT To divide the borough of Williamsport into three wards. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represen tatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the borough of Williamsport, in Lycoming county, be and the Borough divided same is hereby divided into three wards, for election purposes, into three wards. as follows: The present ward, known as the East ward, shall Boundaries. remain as it now is, with the middle of Market street as its western boundary. The West ward shall comprise all that part of the borough of Williamsport west of the middle of Hepburn street, and all that part of said borough situate between the middle of Hepburn street and the middle of Market street, shall be called the Centre ward. SECTION 2. That each ward in the borough of Williamsport To be separate is hereby declared a separate election district, and that each election districts ward hereafter shall elect their several and respective borough officers, except burgess, who shall be elected by the joint vote of all the wards. rectors and audi SECTION 3. That hereafter the number of town councilmen in Number of counsaid borough, shall be nine, and a like number of school di- cilmen, school directors, and three auditors; three of which board of school tors. directors and town council, and one of the auditors, shall be elected and reside in each ward. SECTION 4. That the general, special and borough elections Places of holdfor the East ward, shall be held as heretofore, at the building ing elections. known as Doebler's hall, in said ward; for the Centre ward, at the public school house in said ward, and for the West ward, at the building known as Moore's hall, in said ward. SECTION 5. That the officers elected at the last West ward Election of offielection for election officers, shall hold the elections for the cers. Centre ward, for the period for which they were elected, or until their successors be legally chosen; and that Benjamin A. Taylor is hereby appointed judge, and James M. Neece and David Frainer, inspectors, to hold and conduct the elections for the West ward, until after the next annual election of officers for said ward. tions. SECTION 6. That the next borough or ward election in said Time of holding borough of Williamsport, shall be held on the third Wednes- borougn elec day of May, in the year eighteen hundred and sixty-two, and every year thereafter on the third Wednesday of May. extended. SECTION 7. That the terms of the present borough and ward Terms of present officers, whose terms of office would by law expire the third borough officers Friday of February next, are hereby extended and enlarged for the period intervening between said time and the third Wednesday of May, in eighteen hundred and sixty-two, and until their successors be legally elected. Repeal. SECTION 8. That all acts of assembly, and parts of acts, inconsistent with or in anywise in conflict with this act, are hereby repealed and declared null and void. ELISHA W. DAVIS, Speaker of the House of Representatives. JOHN P. PENNEY, Speaker of the Senate pro tem. APPROVED-The first day of May, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one. A. G. CURTIN. Preamble. Certain companies made sub ject to payment of taxes upon capital stock. Annual reports No. 437. AN ACT Relative to the Imposition of Taxes upon the Delaware Division Canal WHEREAS, Doubts have arisen whether, under the existing laws of this commonwealth, the companies and associations which have purchased and now own the different lines of canals heretofore sold by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to the Sunbury and Erie railroad company, are subject to a state tax upon their capital stock: And whereas, It is right and proper that such doubts should be removed, and that the aforesaid companies and associations should pay to the commonwealth like taxes as are now imposed upon corporations of a similar character; therefore, SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represen tatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the Delaware Division canal company of Pennsylvania, the West Branch and Susquehanna Division canal company, the North Branch canal company and the Wyoming canal company, are each and all of them declared to be hereafter subject to the payment, to the commonwealth, of the same taxes upon their capital stock respectively, as are now assessed upon the capital stock of companies incorporated by or under any laws of this commonwealth, in pursuance of the act, entitled "An Act to equalize taxation upon corporations," approved the twelfth day of April, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine. SECTION 2. That the provisions of the act, entitled "An Act to be made to the for the better securing to the commonwealth the payment of taxes due by incorporated companies," approved April twenty auditor general first, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, so far as the same apply to the annual reports to be made by incorporated companies to the auditor general of this commonwealth, are hereby extended to the companies particularly enumerated in the first section of this act; and if either of the said companies shall neglect or refuse to make the annual reports as therein required, such company shall be subject to the same penalties as Subject to penalare by the said act imposed upon all companies incorporated ties for neglect under the laws of this commonwealth, for a like neglect or refusal to make the returns aforesaid. ELISHA W. DAVIS, Speaker of the House of Representatives. JOHN P. PENNEY, APPROVED-The first day of May, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one. or refusal. A. G. CURTIN. No. 438. AN ACT To authorize the Orphans' Court of Berks county to Appropriate certain WHEREAS, Under and by virtue of proceedings in partition in the orphans' court of Berks county, a portion of the real estate of Jacob Mast, who lately died intestate, in Caernarvon township, in the county aforesaid, was, on the third day of November, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and sixty, sold at public sale, by Stephen Mast and Eliza Mast, administrators of said deceased, who were appointed by said court to make said sale, and purchased by Daniel Mast, for the sum of eight thousand eight hundred and eleven dollars and fifty cents, which sale has been confirmed by said court; and it has been ascertained that the whole, or the greater part of said purchase money, will be required for the payment of debts of said deceased: And whereas, The said deceased has left a widow and children, who are all minors, and it is desired by the said widow and the guardians of said minor children that the whole of said purchase money should be applied to the payment of the debts of said deceased, so that said purchaser, upon payment of the purchase money aforesaid, may hold said lands and tenements free and discharged from any claim of said widow or minor children upon the same; but doubts exist as to the power and authority of the orphans' court to carry out the desire of the parties in the premises; therefore, SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represen tatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the orphans' court of Berks county be and is hereby authorized and empowered to appropriate the money arising from the sale of the real estate of Jacob Mast, late of Caernarvon township, in the county aforesaid, deceased, under proceedings in partition, to the payment of the debts of said deceased, in the same manner and with like effect as if said real estate, lands and tenements had been sold for the payment of the debts of said deceased, and so that Daniel Mast, the purchaser thereof, shall hold the same forever discharged from any lien thereupon or claim on the part of the heirs of said deceased; and that Jacob Kurtz, guardian of Eliza Mast, Mary Mast and David Mast; Isaac Mast, guardian of Daniel Mast and Catharine Mast, and Levi Mast, guardian of Elhanan Mast, Jacob Mast and Amanda Mast, heirs and minor children of said Jacob Mast, deceased, upon said purchase money being paid to the administrators aforesaid, and the same appropriated by the said orphans' court to the payment of the debts of said deceased, and the surplus, if any, distributed as hereinafter provided, be and are hereby authorized to execute a release to said Daniel Mast, of all the claim, interest and demand which the said heirs of the said Jacob Mast, deceased, now have, or could or might, at any time hereafter, have upon, in, to or in any way arising out of said premises: Provided, That if any surplus should remain, after the payment of said debts, the same shall be distributed by said orphans' court to and among the widow and heirs of said deceased, as moneys arising from the sale of lands are distributed by the laws of this commonwealth. ELISHA W. DAVIS, Speaker of the House of Representatives. JOHN P. PENNEY, Speaker of the Senate pro tem. APPROVED-The first day of May, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one. A. G. CURTIN. |