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Friends of Metropolitan Archives
of Nashville and Davidson County, TN

ACTS

Passed At The

FIRST SESSION

Of The

FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Of The

STATE OF TENNESSEE

Began And Held At Knoxville, On Monday The Twenty -

First Day Of September, One Thousand Eight Hundred

and One.

____________________
____________________

KNOXVILLE

Printed by

GEORGE ROULSTONE.

_____________

Printer To The State of Tennessee, Davidson
County Tuesday morning court met according
to the adjournment at the courthouse in
Nashville when were present Elihu S Hall
Esquire Chairman & John Wright , Joseph B
Knowles, & Robert Bradford, Esquires Justices.

_______

1801

(190)

Chap. LXXVI.

AN ACT FOR THE REGULATION OF THE TOWN OF NASHVILLE.

Section 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEM-
BLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, That
it shall be the duty of the sheriff Election
of Davidson County, or his deputy, to open and ele- for com
ction at the court house in Nashville, at twelve missioners.
o�clock, on the first Saturday next,
having previously advertised the same ten days on
said court-house door, for the purposes of electing,
by ballot, seven suitable person to act as commis-
sioners for said town, in which election every per-
son possessing a lot, or having been six months a
resident immediately preceding said election, shall
be entitled to vote, and no person shall be eligi-
ble to the office of commissioner, unless he then
be, and shall have been six months an inhabitant
immediately preceding said election, and also pro-
prietor of a lot in said town.

Sec. 2. BE IT ENACTED, That the said commis-
sioners before they enter upon the duties of their Oath.
office, shall take the following oath, I A.B. do
hereby swear (or affirm as the case may be) that
I will faithfully execute and discharge the office
of commissioner of the town of Nashville, to the
best of my knowledge and abilities, So help me GOD.

(192)

Sec. 3. BE IT ENACTED, That a majority of said
commissioners shall contribute a quorum, and when- Vacancies.
ever vacancies shall happen by death, removal from
town, or otherwise, a notice thereof, signed by
the intendant and clerk, shall be delivered to the
sheriff, who, or his deputy, shall proceed as soon
as may be required, to hold an election to supply
such vacancy in the manner is this act directed.

(192)

Sec. 4. BE IT ENACTED, That said commission
-ers shall choose from their own body, a suitable Town of-
person to preside at their meetings, who shall be ficers.
known by the appellation of Intendant. They shall
also appoint a treasurer and a clerk; and said treas-
urer shall keep a regular and just account of all
monies received and paid out by him, in a bound
book kept for the purpose, which said book with
the monies then in the treasury, and other papers
appertaining to said office, he shall deliver up
to his successor. And the clerk shall keep in a
bound book kept for the purpose, a true and regu-
lar account of the proceedings of said commission-
ers, and shall advertise the rules and regulations
by them adopted, whenever they may deem it neces-
sary.

Sec. 5. BE IT ENACTED, That said commission-
ers shall have power to call on all the inhabit- Comm�rs
ants in said town who would be liable to work on power.
roads, to work on and keep in repair streets,
to appoint an overseer thereof, who shall collect
such fines from those who refuse or neglect to
work as are directed in similar cases respecting
roads - to prevent swine belonging to any inhabit-
ant of said town from running at large, or if they
think proper, to authorize any person to kill or
destroy such swine so running at large. Provided,
that no act of the said commissioners to this effect
shall be in force unless it first be advertised
at least twenty days at the court house in
said town - to prevent negroes from hiring their time
or keeping tipling houses - to prevent encroach-
ments on the streets, or burials in the public

(192)

square, and to abate or remove all nuisances whatso-
ever, at the expense do the party occasioning them
- to appoint a surveryor for said town, who shall,
whenever directed, proceed to survey and designate
lots, by fixing a stone or some other lasting
monument at the corner of each, he shall also make
or cause to be made a plan or map of said town
on a large scale in which shall be marked the num-
ber of each lot and the name of the person who orig-
inally possessed the same, which said plan he shall
deposit with the said commissioners - to cause to be
built a market house on some suitable part of the
public square, the situation of which shall be at
least fifty feet from any private lot, and said
market house shall be well supported by durable
stone or brick pillars. - And to enable said commis-
sioners to carry into effect the provisions of this
act.

Sec. 6 BE IT ENACTED, That they shall have pow-
er & are hereby directed to lay a tax annually, not - Tax to be
exceeding on each hundred dollars worth of town pro-- laid.
perty which they are to estimate, fifty cents, on
each white poll;, not exceeding fifty cents; on each
black poll, not exceeding on dollar; on each bil-
liard table not exceeding five dollars; which said
tax shall be collected by warrant under the hands
and seal of the intendant and clerk, and directed
to the collector whom they may appoint, who is to
be governed by the rules and regulations establish-
ed by law for collecting and accounting for the
state tax..

Sec. 7 BE IT ENACTED, That said commission-
ers shall annually appoint one of their own body Tax list.
to receive lists of the taxable property of said
town, at the time and place when and where the
inhabitants shall give in for the state tax; and
any person or persons failing or neglecting to give
in to said commissioner, upon his reporting the
same, shall be liable to the fines and penalties
directed by law in similar cases for the collection
of the state tax.

(193)

Sec. 8 BE IT ENACTED, That no appropriation of
money shall be made by said commissioners, except Appropri-
for the benefit or improvement of said town, agree- ations.
ably to the directions of this act, or for defraying
expenses necessarily arising from the carrying the
same into executions and it is not be understood
that said commissioners are to receive any compensa-
tion for their services.

Sec. 9 BE IT ENACTED, That where recoveries
are not provided for this act, it shall be law- Recoveries.
ful for said commissioners to sue for the same be-
fore any authority having cognizance thereof.

WILLIAM DICKSON,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
JAMES WHITE
Speaker of the Senate
PASSED. � Nov. 10, 1801.
____________________
____________________

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Section 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEM-
BLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, That
it shall be the duty of the sheriff	Election
of Davidson County, or his deputy, to open and ele-	for com
ction at the court house in Nashville, at twelve	missioners.
o�clock, on the first Saturday next,
having previously advertised the same ten days on
said court-house door, for the purposes of electing,
by ballot, seven suitable person to act as commis-
sioners for said town, in which election every per-
son possessing a lot, or having been six months a
resident immediately preceding said election, shall
be entitled to vote, and no person shall be eligi-
ble to the office of commissioner, unless he then
be, and shall have been six months an inhabitant
immediately preceding said election, and also pro-
prietor of a lot in said town.

Sec. 2. BE IT ENACTED, That the said commis-
sioners before they enter upon the duties of their	Oath.
office, shall take the following oath, I A.B. do
hereby swear (or affirm as the case may be) that
I will faithfully execute and discharge the office
of commissioner of the town of Nashville, to the
best of my knowledge and abilities, So help me GOD.

Sec. 3. BE IT ENACTED, That a majority of said
commissioners shall contribute a quorum, and when-	Vacancies.
ever vacancies shall happen by death, removal from
town, or otherwise, a notice thereof, signed by
the intendant and clerk, shall be delivered to the
sheriff, who, or his deputy, shall proceed as soon
as may be required, to hold an election to supply
such vacancy in the manner is this act directed.

Sec. 4. BE IT ENACTED, That said commission
-ers shall choose from their own body, a suitable	Town of-
person to preside at their meetings, who shall be	ficers.
known by the appellation of Intendant. They shall
also appoint a treasurer and a clerk; and said treas-
urer shall keep a regular and just account of all
monies received and paid out by him, in a bound
book kept for the purpose, which said book with
the monies then in the treasury, and other papers
appertaining to said office, he shall deliver up
to his successor. And the clerk shall keep in a
bound book kept for the purpose, a true and regu-
lar account of the proceedings of said commission-
ers, and shall advertise the rules and regulations
by them adopted, whenever they may deem it neces-
sary.

Sec. 5. BE IT ENACTED, That said commission-
ers shall have power to call on all the inhabit-	Comm�rs
ants in said town who would be liable to work on	power.
roads, to work on and keep in repair streets,
to appoint an overseer thereof, who shall collect
such fines from those who refuse or neglect to
work as are directed in similar cases respecting
roads - to prevent swine belonging to any inhabit-
ant of said town from running at large, or if they
think proper, to authorize any person to kill or
destroy such swine so running at large. Provided,
that no act of the said commissioners to this effect
shall be in force unless it first be advertised
at least twenty days at the court house in
said town - to prevent negroes from hiring their time
or keeping tipling houses - to prevent encroach-
ments on the streets, or burials in the public

Sec. 6 BE IT ENACTED, That they shall have pow-
er & are hereby directed to lay a tax annually, not -	Tax to be
exceeding on each hundred dollars worth of town pro--	laid.
perty which they are to estimate, fifty cents, on
each white poll;, not exceeding fifty cents; on each
black poll, not exceeding on dollar; on each bil-
liard table not exceeding five dollars; which said
tax shall be collected by warrant under the hands
and seal of the intendant and clerk, and directed
to the collector whom they may appoint, who is to
be governed by the rules and regulations establish-
ed by law for collecting and accounting for the
state tax..

Sec. 7 BE IT ENACTED, That said commission-
ers shall annually appoint one of their own body	Tax list.
to receive lists of the taxable property of said
town, at the time and place when and where the
inhabitants shall give in for the state tax; and
any person or persons failing or neglecting to give
in to said commissioner, upon his reporting the
same, shall be liable to the fines and penalties
directed by law in similar cases for the collection
of the state tax.

Sec. 8 BE IT ENACTED, That no appropriation of
money shall be made by said commissioners, except	Appropri-
for the benefit or improvement of said town, agree-	ations.
ably to the directions of this act, or for defraying
expenses necessarily arising from the carrying the
same into executions and it is not be understood
that said commissioners are to receive any compensa-
tion for their services.

Sec. 9 BE IT ENACTED, That where recoveries
are not provided for this act, it shall be law-	Recoveries.
ful for said commissioners to sue for the same be-
fore any authority having cognizance thereof.