condition and repair; and whenever, from any cause whatsoever, the same shall become injured or out of repair, the said corporation shall immediately proceed to repair the same. § 13. This act shall be deemed and considered a public act, and shall be favorably construed for all purposes herein expressed in all courts and places whatever. APPROVED Feb. 15, 1851. AN ACT to continue the charter of the Alton, Mount Carmel and New Albany Rail- In force Februaroad Company. ry 17, 1851. Whereas by the act of the general assembly, approved Preamble. February 12th, A. D. 1849, it is provided, in the following words, to wit: "That the Mount Carmel and New Albany Railroad company, incorporated by the legislature of the state of Indiana, and the Mount Carmel and Alton Railroad company, incorporated by the legislature of the state of Illinois, be and the same are hereby united, and shall hereafter form and constitute one company, to be known as the Alton, Mount Carmel and New Albany Railroad company," &c.; and whereas the directors of the said company did, in accordance with the said act, meet at Mount Carmel, on the first Monday in June, A. D. 1849, and made and entered into an agreement whereby the aforesaid companies, commonly called the Southern Cross Railroad of Indiana and Illinois, were united into one company, by the name and style of the "Alton, Mount Carmel and New Albany Railroad company,' "and elected directors and officers of said company; therefore, SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That the acts and doings of the said directors in and about the said Acts ratified. agreement for the union of the said Mt. Carmel and New Albany and the Mt. Carmel and Alton railroad companies, be and the same are hereby ratified and confirmed. § 2. That the act entitled "An act to incorporate the Act revived. Mount Carmel and Alton Railroad company," approved January 18, A. D. 1836, together with all acts amending, renewing, revising and extending said act of incorporation, be and the same are hereby reenacted, renewed, revived, and extended, and the times allowed, authorized and provided therein for the commencement, completion and continuance of said railroad, shall be severally computed from the date of the passage of this act. ed. Proviso repeal § 3. That the proviso contained in the fourteenth section of the act incorporating the Mount Carmel and Alton Railroad company, approved January 18, A. D. 1836, be and the same is hereby repealed. Section amended. Proviso. Authority to § 4. That section five of an act entitled "An act to amend the act to continue the Mount Carmel and Alton Railroad company," approved February 12, A. D. 1849, be and it is hereby so amended that whenever the president and a majority of the board of directors of said company shall make application to the judges of the county courts of the several counties named and provided in said section, that the said judges of the county courts are hereby authorized, and it is hereby made their duty, to order a special election for the purposes named in said section, giving twenty days' notice of said election: Provided, that such election shall only be ordered upon the petition of one hundred voters in the county in which such election shall be held. § 5. That the said "Alton, Mount Carmel and New borrow money. Albany Railroad company" is hereby authorized, and it shall be their duty, to borrow money for the purpose of aiding in the construction of said railroad, and for that purpose shall issue bonds, to bear an interest not exceeding eight per cent. per annum; and the payment of said bonds shall be secured by a lien on said railroad and its appendages, and the franchises and property of said corporation; and all sales of the bonds or other obligations of said company, for a less amount than their par value, shall be as good, valid and binding upon said corporation as if the same were sold for their full par value; and all the powers and regulations contained in this section shall extend and apply to all incorporated cities and towns, and also to all counties that may hereafter borrow money and issue their bonds or other obligations for the same, for the purpose of aiding in the construction of said railroad, by subscribing for shares of the capital stock or for the purpose of loaning such borrowed sums of money to said railroad company for said purpose. § 6. Be it further enacted, That said company be and are hereby authorized to construct a branch of said railroad to Illinoistown, on the east bank of the Mississippi river, opposite St. Louis, and also another branch thereof to Shawneetown, in Gallatin county. Branches. Union with other roads. § 7. Said company shall have power to unite its railroad with any other railroad now constructed or which may hereafter be constructed, either in this state or in the state of Indiana, upon such terms as may be mutually agreed on by the companies so connecting, and for that purpose full power is hereby given to said company to make and execute such contracts with any other company as will secure the objects of such connection. § 8. This act to take effect and be in force from and after its passage. APPROVED Feb. 17, 1851. AN ACT for the relief of Strother B. Walker. In force February 17, 1851. Whereas the said Walker was on the bond of one Edmund Preamble. Jones, a collector of Clay county, for the year 1842. Said Jones was a defaulter to the state treasury for that year, in the sum of five hundred and one dollars, seventeen cents, as appears on the records in the auditor's office. The said Jones was never prosecuted for the recovery of this amount, and is now insolvent, and has absented himself from the jurisdiction of the state. The said Walker was the only responsible name on said bond, and is himself a very poor but honest man, and desires relief, under the peculiar hardships of the case; therefore, SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That Stroth-Release. er B. Walker is hereby released from all obligation due to the state of Illinois, on account of the failure of one Edmund Jones, a collector of Clay county, to pay up the amount due the state of Illinois, for taxes of the year 1842. § 2. This act to be in force from its passage. APPROVED Feb. 17, 1851. AN ACT to amend an act entitled an act to incorporate the town of Petersburgh. In force Febru ary 17, 1851. ordinances. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the people of the state of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That the eighth and eighteenth sections of the act to which this is an Offences against amendment, be so amended that jurisdiction be and hereby is given to any justice of the peace of the county of Menard, upon complaint made to him, to issue his warrant for the immediate arrest and trial of all offenders against the ordinances of said town of Petersburgh lawfully made, and upon conviction of any such offenders, the said justice of the peace shall have power to order him to be committed to the county jail until the fine and costs against him assessed shall be fully paid or replevied according to law: Provided, Proviso. all such trials shall be conducted in all respects in the same manner and under the same regulations as other criminal Ordinances. Proviso. cases of a similar nature, and subject to an appeal to the circuit court of Menard county, as by law provided in cases of breaches of the peace. § 2. The trustees of the said town of Petersburgh are hereby authorized to pass all such ordinances as may be necessary and proper to carry out the powers conferred upon them by their original charter, and by the first section. of this act: Provided, said ordinances be not contrary to the constitution of this state or of the United States. APPROVED Feb. 17, 1851. In force Feb.17, 1851. authorized. Proviso. AN ACT to amend the charter of the City of Alton. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That the Issue of bonds Corporate authorities of the city of Alton be and they are hereby authorized to issue bonds of the city of Alton, pledging for the security of the payment of the same the revenue which may be derived from the public landing of the city of Alton, under the ordinances which may be passed by said city concerning said public land: Provided, the amount of said bonds shall at no time exceed in the aggregate the sum of fifty thousand dollars, nor bear a greater rate of interest than eight per cent. per annum: And proFurther proviso. vided, further, such bonds shall in no case be issued except to pay for the improvements made or labor expended upon said public landing, under contract made with said city. § 2. The common council of the city of Alton are hereby authorized to cause to be copied from the recorder's office of Madison county all the deeds, mortgages and other writings recorded in said county of Madison, concerning or affecting any real estate situate in said city of Alton; and said common council may employ the recorder of the city of Alton, or some other competent person, to copy said deeds, mortgages or other writings into a well bound book, to be provided for that purpose; and the person so appointed shall have access to the books of record of Madison county, for the purpose of making the copy aforesaid, free of charge. Copy of records. Affidavit. § 3. When the deeds, mortgages and other writings aforesaid shall be copied, the recorder of Madison county shall assist in comparing said copies with the records thereof; and after the correction of all errors, if any, the person so employed, and the recorder of Madison county, shall make and sign an affidavit, certifying that said copy has been truly and correctly made from the records of said office; which certificate shall be made upon the book in which the deeds are copied as aforesaid. § 4. Copies made from the books in which the deeds Evidence. shall be copied as aforesaid, certified by the register of the city of Alton, may be used as evidence, prima facie, of the existence and contents of the original deeds, and of the time of the original recording of the same. § 5. The recorder of Madison county shall be allowed Fees. five cents for his services and the use of his office, for each deed or mortgage, or other writing, copied under the provisions of this act, which shall be paid by the city of Alton. § 6. The plats of any land lying within the limits of Record of plats. the city of Alton, which may hereafter be subdivided into lots, shall be recorded in the office of the register of the city of Alton, instead of the office of the recorder of Madison county; and such recording in the city of Alton of plats already made, or to be made, shall have the same effect as if the same were recorded in the office of the recorder of Madison county. § 7. AN ACT to provide for the building of side walks, &c., in the town of Joliet, in Will In force Feb.17, county. 1851. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That it shall be lawful for the legal voters residing on any street in the Tax authorized. town of Joliet, East Joliet, or any of the additions to said town of Joliet, (except so much of such streets running east and west as are situated between Scott street, in East Joliet, and Eastern avenue, in Bowen's addition,) to hold a meeting or meetings, at such time and place as may be hereafter designated, for the purpose of voting for or against a tax to be levied on the real estate adjoining such street, for the purpose of building a side walk or walks thereon. § 2. Notice of such meeting shall be given at least ten Notice. days previous, by posting up written or printed notices in three public places on the street whereon said walk is proposed to be built, or by inserting the same two weeks successively, previous to said meeting, in some public newspaper published in said town; said notice shall state the time and place at which said meeting is to be held, and the pose for which the same is to be held. pur § 3. The persons attending such meeting may choose a Amount. chairman and secretary from their number; estimates may be made of the amount necessary for the building of said proposed walk or walks; and the meeting shall determine |