town in said county, which said academy shall be entitled to all the rights and emoluments as other academies are entitled to; and the clerks of said courts and justices of the peace shall be entitled to such books as other clerks and justices are entitled to in this State. SEC. 13. Be it further enacted, That the county lines between the counties of Franklin and Grundy, shall be so changed as to commence at old Caldwell bridge and run due south to the Petty old road, so as to include W. G. Gwinn, Lawson Row, and Daniel C. Smith, in the county of Franklin; and the county line between Marshall and Lincoln be so changed as to include Benjamin B. Merritt's residence and farm in the county of Lincoln. SEC. 14. Be it further enacted, That the county line between the counties of Hardeman and McNairy be so changed as to include the dwelling, out-houses, and lands, of Francis Clement, in the county of McNairy. SEO. 15. Be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect from and after its passage. DANIEL S. DONELSON, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Passed December 9, 1857. Speaker of the Senate. CHAPTER 12. AN ACT to repeal the 14th section of an Act passed February 28, 1856, to amend the SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, That so much of the Act of 1856, Repeal. chapter 74, as creates the office of tax assessor be, and the same is hereby repealed. SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That the county court shall, at its January term, each and every year, appoint a revenue commissioner for each civil district in their respective counties, whose duties it shall be to assess the Revenue commis property and polls in and for their respective civil districts for the current year, as required by said act of 1856, chapter 74, for the tax assessor, except so far as the same may be otherwise directed in this act. SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, That the revenue commissioners shall, before the first day of March, following, sioner appointed. Assessment fore 1st March. be complete their assessment of all real and personal estate, subject to taxation within their districts; said assessment to be made upon the real and personal estate, owned by the person giving in his taxable property on the 10th day of January of each year. SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, That the revenue commissioners shall upon the Saturday next after their appointment, meet at the court house of their respective counties, where and when they shall agree and determine upon an equal and uniform basis of assessment; and that said commissioners shall make their reports of assessment to the March term of the county court for each year, and it shall Equal and uni- be the duty of the clerk of said court, to record said rereports in a well bound book, and to make out a tax list for the collector by the first Monday in May of each year, and to deliver the same by that time to the collector. Said assessment shall remain with the county court, open for inspection and collection until that time. form assessment. Commissioners meet. Compensation. Penalty. SEC. 5. Be it further enacted, That said commissioners shall, upon the third Saturday in February of each year, meet at the court house of their respective counties, when and where they shall equalize the assessment; and in the event they shall fail to meet as herein provided, it shall be the duty of the clerk of the county court to report the names of such as are absent to said county court, at its March term thereafter; whereupon it shall be the duty of said court to enter up judgment against said absentees for the sum of not less than fifty dollars, and not more than two hundred dollars, unless it shall appear that said commissioners are absent by reason of sickness or unavoidable accident. SEC. 6. Be it further enacted, That the compensation of said commissioners shall be such as the county court may determine. SEC. 7. Be it further enacted, That a majority of the commissioners, at their meeting in February of each year, shall equalize the assessment of property. SEC. 8. Be it further enacted, That if any commissioner shall fail toreport by the first Monday in March of each year, he shall be liable to a penalty of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars, for which penalty, said county court may enter judgment against said commissioner so failing, at said March term, or any subsequent term of said court: Provided, That said court, for any satisfactory excuse, may release and remit said penalty; and provided further, that any commissioner, who by reason of sickness or other sufficient excuse, is unable to perform his duties as such commissioner, may report the fact to the chairman of the county court, during vacation of the court; and thereupon it shall be the duty of said chairman to appoint some other competent person, resident of the district, commissioner to fill the vacancy thus made. SEC. 9. Be it further enacted, That all penalties recovered, under this act, shall be appropriated by the county court for county purposes. 15, 1858, ch. 33, SEC. 10. Be it further enacted, That the Comptroller shall attend at Knoxville, on the first Monday of March, See act of Feb. and at Jackson on the first Monday in April, in each year, sec. 4. to settle with the collectors of revenue for the Eastern and Western divisions of the State respectively, at which time and place the collectors are required to attend and settle, as now required by law. SEC. 11. Be it further enacted, That the county courts shall impose the taxes for county purposes at the January Taxes for county term; but if omitted, may impose them at any subsequent purposes. quarterly term. County court ap SEC. 12. Be it further enacted, That, in counties in which assessments have not been made for the year 1858 by assessors, the county court shall proceed to appoint com- points commis missioners at the first court after the passage of this act. sioners. SEC. 13. Be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect from and after its passage. DANIEL S. DONELSON, Speaker of the House of Representatives. JOHN C. BURCH, Passed December 16, 1857. Speaker of the Senate. CHAPTER 13. AN ACT to create the 15th Judicial District. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, That the counties of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, and Lauderdale, shall compose a new Judicial District, to be called the 15th Judicial District. SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, The Sheriffs of the said counties of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, and Lauderdale, shall, manner of bold on the first Saturday of March, 1858, open and hold Election time and Salaries and fees. Madrid Bend co. and regulations as prescribed by the Act of the 5th SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, The Judges and Attor- SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, The Judge and Attorney for the State for the 15th Judicial Circuit, shall be the Judge and Attorney for the State, of the court in Obion county, in the Madrid Bend, west of Reelfoot lake. SEC. 5. Be it further enacted, That the sixth section of an act passed 28th November, 1855, authorizing the The $1000 Tax County court of Obion county to levy and collect a tax of one thousand dollars on the taxable property west of said lake, for the purpose of building a court house, be, and the same is hereby repealed. repealed. Clerk. Three terms. SEC. 6. Be it further enacted, That hereafter the Judge shall have the power to appoint a clerk for said court, behind May appoint a the lake, in case the people fail to elect said Clerk, as in other cases of failing to elect a Clerk; and said act of the 28th of November, 1855, creating said court, be and the same is so amended, that there shall be three terms of said court held in each and every year, instead of two, as provided in said act. Time of holding court SEC. 7. Be it further enacted, That the times of holding the courts in the county of Obion, shall be on the fourth Monday in February, June and October; the times of holding the court west of Reelfoot lake, in said county, shall be on the second Monday in March, July and November; the times of holding the courts in the county of Gibson, shall be on the third Mondays in March, July, and November; the times of holding the courts in the county of Dyer, shall be on the first Mondays in April, August and December; and the times for holding the courts for the county of Lauderdale, shall be the third Mondays in April, August and December. SEC. 8. Be it further enacted, That the county of Humphreys be and is hereby attached to the 9th judicial Humphreys co circuit, and that the Judge thereof hold the circuit courts thereof. SEC. 9. Be it further enacted, That this act shall take effect from and after its passage. DANIEL S. DONELSON, Speaker of the House of Representatives. JOHN C. BURCH, Passed December 17, 1857. Speaker of the Senate. CHAPTER 14. AN ACT for the benefit of the Criminal Courts of Tennessee. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, That the State Reporter be and he is hereby authorized to furnish the clerks of the criminal courts with a set of the State Reports, in the same manner and under the same restrictions as the clerks of the various circuit courts of this State are now furnished. SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That this act have force and effect from and after the date of its passage. DANIEL S. DONELSON, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Passed December 19, 1857. Speaker of the Senate. CHAPTER 15. AN ACT to amend an act entitled, An act for the collection of debts against counties chapter 90, passed February 11, 1856, SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, That hereafter, when any person or persons may have any just claim, either legal or equitable, against any county in this State, it shall be lawful Courties can be for such person or persons to institute his, her, or their sued. suits against said county in the Circuit Court of said coun.ty, if the claim be legal, or in the Court of Chancery in the district in which said county is situated, if the claim be equitable, under the same rules and regulations that govern actions between private individuals. |