of such city and district therein, and there shall be in such sanitary district any territory bordering on any such city, incorporated town or village, within the limits of another city, incorporated town or village, which does not own any system of water-works, at the time of the creation of such sanitary district then upon application by the corporate authorities of such latter named city, incorporated town or village, the corporate authorities of such city, incorporated town or village, having such system of water-works shall furnish water at the boundary line between such municipalities by means of its water-works to the corporate authorities asking for the same in such quantities as may be required to supply consumers within said territory, at no greater price or charge than it charges and collects of consumers within its limits for water furnished through meters in like large quantities: Provided, however, that where any such latter named city, incorporated town or village has no territory bordering upon such city, incorporated town or village so owning a system of water-works and supplying water as aforesaid, such latter named city, incorporated town or village may receive water in the same manner and under the same conditions as though it had territory bordering upon such municipality owning a system of water-works and supplying water as aforesaid; provided such latter named city, incorporated town or village builds or causes to be built suitable and sufficient water mains to the limits of such city, incorporated town or village so owning a system of water-works and supplying water as aforesaid to connect with the water mains and receive the water from such city, incorporated town or village so owning a system of water-works and supplying water as aforesaid. FILED June 28, 1917. This bill having remained with the Governor ten days, Sundays excepted, the General Assembly being in session, it has thereby become a law. Witness my hand this twenty-eighth day of June, A. D. 1917. LOUIS L. EMMERSON, Secretary of State. SKILLET FORK RIVER DRAINAGE DISTRICT-Concluded. § 23. Commissioners shall locate, design, lay out and plan worksurveys, profiles, plans and specifications-estimate of cost -report to court. § 24. Hearing of report-notice. § 25. Order of confirmation-continuance of hearing. § 41. Commissioners may borrow money. § 42. Payment of damages. § 44. Commissioners may go upon lands. § 46. Assessment book treasurer to make list of unpaid assessments. § 47. Assessment of corporate road, railroad, or municipal corporation for benefits-assessment against township. § 48. Removal and construction of bridges or culverts. § 49. When ditch or drain crosses railroad-notice to construct bridge. § 50. Assessing lands benefitted outside of district-proceedings. AN ACT to provide for the organization of Skillet Fork River Drainage District and for the improvement of the channel of Skillet Fork River and its tributaries by special assessments on the property benefited thereby. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly: That, for the purpose of straightening, enlarging, deepening, embanking, constructing new or improved outlets or otherwise improving the channel, or any part thereof, of the Skillet Fork River and the bayous, lagoons and lesser streams tributary thereto for a more free flow of water and protection from overflow, n river drainage district to be known as Skillet Fork River Drainage District may be organized as hereinafter provided. $ 2. Said district may include all contiguous territory so situate that the water from such territory naturally flows or is drained into said Skillet Fork River, and any twenty or more adult landowners owning lands in said territory may file a petition in the County Court of the county in which the greater portion of the lands of said territory shall lie praying that steps be taken to organize such territory into Skillet Fork River Drainage District under the provisions of this Act. § 3. Said river drainage district may include within its limits the whole or any part of the lands of any drainage district organized under any law of this State for the drainage or protection of lands from overflow for agricultural, sanitary or mining purposes when the water of said lands flows or is drained into said Skillet Fork River or when said stream is the outlet of the drains or ditches of said drainage district, and such lands shall be a part of said river drainage district and may be assessed for the construction of the work of said river drainage district. 4. The petition for the organization of the district shall state that petitioners propose the organization of Skillet Fork River Drainage District under the provisions of this Act, and the boundaries of the territory to be embraced therein; that the water of the lands lying within the boundaries of said district naturally flows or is drained into said river, and that said lands are contiguous and will be benefited by the improvement of the channel of said river; that Skillet Fork River Drainage District embracing said lands should be organized for the purpose of improving the channel of said stream or the tributaries thereof, for a better outlet and more free flow of the water or protection from overflow of said lands, for agricultural and sanitary purposes, by special assessments upon the property benefited thereby. And the petition may pray for the organization of Skillet Fork River Drainage District with the boundaries proposed, and for the appointment of commissioners for said district for the execution of such work as may be feasible and necessary for the improvement of said stream and its tributaries under the provisions of this Act. § 5. There shall be filed with such petition an affidavit of one of the petitioners stating whether any of the landowners of said district are non-residents of the county or counties in which said district will lie; and if any of said landowners are non-residents of said county or counties said affidavit shall state the names and places of residence of such nonresidents, if known, and if unknown stating that upon diligent inquiry their places of residence can not be ascertained. § 6. Upon the filing of said petition the clerk of said court shall enter the same upon the docket of said court and the judge of said court shall thereupon fix a time for the hearing of said petition, which may be at any time during that or the next term of said court. The said clerk shall then cause three weeks' notice of the presentation and filing of said petition to be given by posting notices thereof at the door of the courthouse of the county or counties in which the district is situated and in at least ten of the most public places in said district, and also by publishing a copy thereof for three successive weeks in some newspaper published in the county or counties in which said district will lie. Said notice shall be addressed "to all persons interested" and shall state when and in what court said petition was filed, by whom filed, the name and boundaries of the proposed district, the prayer of said petition, and the time when and place where and before what court the petitioners will ask a hearing of said petition. If any of the landowners of said district are non-residents the said clerk shall send by mail a copy of said notice to each of said non-residents, whose residence is known, within three days after the first publication of the same. The certificate of the clerk or of the publisher of said newspaper, or the affidavit of any credible person, affixed to a copy of said notice, shall be sufficient evidence of the posting, mailing and publication of said notice. § 7. The County Court in which said petition shall be filed may hear the petition at any probate or common law term, and may determine all matters pertaining thereto, and may adjourn the hearing from time to time, or continue the same for want of sufficient notice, or other good cause. Upon application of the petitioners the court shall permit the petition, affidavit and other papers and orders in the case to be amended, and no petitioner shall be permitted to withdraw from said petition. except by the consent of the other petitioners thereon, or where it shall be shown to the satisfaction of the court that the signature of the petitioner was obtained by fraud or misrepresentation. And said court may hear all matters and make any orders pertaining to the organization of said district, or any of the business of said district, during any probate or common law term thereof. § 8. At the time fixed for the hearing of said petition any person owning or having any estate in any land in said district, and any municipal or other corporation that may be affected by the organization of said district, may file an answer to said petition and contest the necessity of the organization of the district or the location and boundary thereof, and the petitioners and contestants may offer any competent evidence in regard thereto. All persons not answering the petition by said time, or within such further time as the court may allow, shall be defaulted by the court and such default shall be conclusive that such persons consent to the organization of said district and have assented to and accepted the provisions of this Act. If it shall appear to the court that the boundaries of the district as proposed in the petition do not embrace all the lands that will be benefited by the improvement of said river, or that lands are embraced therein that will not be benefited and are not necessary to be included in said district for any purpose, the court may change said boundaries so as to include or exclude all such lands; but no such lands shall be included in said district without giving notice of the proposal to include such lands to the owners thereof for the time and in the manner provided in section six of this Act, and the court may continue the hearing as to the owners of such lands for the giving of said notice. And if it shall finally appear to the court, after hearing any and all competent evidence that may be offered for and against the petition and for and against the inclusion of other lands in the proposed district, that all or the major portion of the lands embraced in the boundaries of the proposed district, or said lands and other lands lying outside said boundaries and contiguous thereto, are contiguous and that the water of said lands naturally flows or is drained into said Skillet Fork River and said land will be benefited for agricultural and sanitary purposes by improving the channel of said stream for a better outlet and more free flow of water or protection from overflow, the court shall so find; and such findings shall be conclusive of such facts and not subject to review on appeal or writ of error; and such findings shall be conclusive upon all the landowners of said district that they have assented to and accepted the provisions of this Act. If, after being sufficiently advised and informed in the premises, the court finds that Skillet Fork River Drainage District should be organized for the purpose of improving said river, it shall order and adjudge that the said Skillet Fork River Drainage District bounded as follows... .....is duly established as provided by this Act, and said findings and judgment shall be entered at large upon the records of said court. Said judgment shall be final and shall not be questioned or attacked in any collateral proceeding, and every presumption shall be indulged in favor of the jurisdiction of the court and the validity of said judgment. If the court shall find against the petitioners the petition shall be dismissed at their cost. Separate or joint appeals and writs of error to review said judgment may be taken to the Supreme Court by the parties affected thereby. But no appeal from said judgment shall be heard unless the same shall be perfected within thirty days after the entry of said judgment, and no writ of error shall issue to review said judgment unless sued out within four months after the entry of said judgment and not then unless the plaintiff in error shall file in the Supreme Court with the application for such writ his affidavit stating that he was a non-resident of the county or counties in which the lands of said district lie at the time of the pendency of the proceedings for the organization of said district and did not receive any notice or otherwise learn of the pendency of said proceedings until after default had been entered against him and did not have an opportunity to appear in said court and move to set aside said default. The granting of an appeal or writ of error to one or more persons, or the reversal of said judgment upon such appeal or writ of error by such person or persons separately or jointly shall not impair nor invalidate the organization of said district as to all other persons not appealing or suing out such writs, nor shall such appeal or writ of error delay the work or proceedings so far as it affects the lands of such other persons. Nor shall it be a valid ground of objection on the part of any landowner upon said hearing, or upon an appeal from said judgment, that any owner of other land has not received sufficient notice of the said proceedings, or that the said judgment is invalid as to the said owner of other lands. 9. Upon said findings and judgment being entered of record, said district is hereby declared by law to be organized as a river drainage district by the name and style of Skillet Fork River Drainage District, and with the boundaries fixed by said judgment. Said district is hereby declared to be a body politic and corporate, with the right to sue and be sued, to contract and be contracted with, to acquire and hold real and |