An act to incorporate the Town of Grafton

Sec[Section] 1 Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General assembly That the following is hereby declared to be the boundaries of the Town of Grafton in the County of Greene that is to say all of the Town including the additions which is at present laid of into Town lots and the plats of the same recorded in the recorders office of said County, and the inhabitants of said Town and all whithin said boundries Shall be and they are hereby constituted a body politic and Corporate by the name and stile of “The President and trustees of the Town of Grafton” and by that name they and their successors shall be known in law, have perpetual succession, sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded defend and be defended in all courts of law or equity and in all matters of action whatsoever may grant purchas and receive and hold property real or personal within the said Town and no other (burial grounds exceped) and may lease sell and dispose of the same for the benefet of the Town and may lease any of the reserved lands which have been appropriated by the original propretors to the use of said Town and may do all other acts as natural persons may have and use a common seal and break and alter the same at pleasure

Sec 2 The Corporate powers and duties of said Town shall be vested in seven trustees (to be chosen and appointed as hereafter directed) who shall elect one of their own number President and shall form a board for the transaction of business

Sec 3 The members composing the board of trustees shall

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be elected by the persons residing within said Town and incorporated limits (qualified to vote for representative to the legislator) to serve for one Year; they shall be at least twenty one years of age citizens of the united States and inhabitants of said incorporate limits

Sec 4 The board of President and trustees shall appoint all offices of their board and shall be judges of the qualifications elections and returns of their own members, a majority shall constitute a board to do all business but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day may compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as the board may provide, they may determine the rules of proceedings punish their members for disorderly conduct and by the concurrence of two thirds of the whole number elected expel any member and make such other rules and by laws for their own goverment as to them may seem proper and expedient

Sec 5 The board of trustees shall have power by ordinance to levy and collect Taxes upon all real estate within the Town and limits of the corporation not exceeding one half of one per Centum upon the assessed value thereof excep hereafter exceped, to make regulations to secure the general health of the inhabitants to prevent and remove nuisances to establish night watches erect lamps in the streets and light the same to regulate and license ferries within the Corporation) and provid for licensing taxing and regulating merchants to regulate auctions[,] Tavers[,] groceris and pedlers theatrical and all other shows and amusements to restrain and prohibit gaming houses[,] bawdy houses and other

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disorderly houses to establish and repair bridges to establish and regulate markets to open and keep in repair streets, avenues, lanes, alleys, drains, and sewers, and to keep the same clean, to provide for the preventation and extinguishment of fires, to dig wells and erect pumps in the streets for the Covenance of the inhabitants to regulate the police of the Town to regulate the election of the Town officers, and fix their compensation and from time to time to pass Such ordinances as to Carry into effect the objects of this act and the powers hereby granted as the good of the inhabitants may require and to impose and appropriate fines and forfeitures for the breach of any ordinance and provid for the collection thereof, and that in all cases arising under this act or growing out of the by-laws and ordinances made in pursuance of this act of incorporation any Justice of the peace within said Corporation shall have Jurisdiction to hear and determin the same and an appeal may be taken and writs of certioriari allowed from any such decision in the same manner as now is or hereafter may be provided by law for appealing from Judgments of Justices of the peace

Sec 6. That upon the application of the owners of two thirds of the front of the lots on any street or parts of a street it shall be lawfull for the board of trustees to levy and collect a special tax on the owners of the lots on said street or parts of a street, according to their respective fronts for the purpose of grading and paving the side walks on said street

Sect 7. The board of President and trustees shall have power to regulate, grade pave and improve the streets avenues, lanes, and alleys within the limits of

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said Town and Corporation and to extend upon and widen the same making the persons injured thereby adequate compensation to ascertain which the board shall cause to be summoned twelve good and lawfull men freeholders and inhabitants of Said Town not directly interested who (being first duly sworn for that purpose) shall inquire into and take into consideration as well the benefits as the injury which may accrue and estimate and assess the damages which which would be sustained by reason of the opening extension widening of any street avenue lane or ally and shall moreover estimate the amount which other persons will be benefited thereby and shall contribute towards compensating the person or persons injured all of which shall be returned to the board of President and trustees under their hands and seals and the persons which shall be benefited and so assessed shall pay the same in such manner as shall be provided and the residue if any shall be paid out of the Town Treasury

Sec 8. That the board of President and trustees shall have power by ordinance to regulate and cause to be cleared of all of the Timber undergrowth and rubish on such parts of the Town as have been laid off into Town lots at the expence of the owners of said lots and may cause the same to be sold to defray such expense

Sect 9. All ordinances shall within one month after they are passed be published in some news paper published in or near the place or be posted up in four of the most public places in said

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Town for two weeks at least before taking effect

Sec. 10. That when any real estate in Sate Town of Grafton shall have been sold by the authority of the corporporporation thereof the same shall be subject to redemption in the same manner as is provided by the authority of this State

Sec. 11. That the President and trustees and evry officer of said corporation shall before entering upon the duties of their offices take an oath or affirmation before some Judge of Justice of the Peace to support the Constitution of this State and of United States and faithfully to demean themselves in office

Sec 12 That a Town Constable or Constables shall be appointed as other officers of the Corporation who shall possess the same powers and perform the same duties within said Town as the Constables in the different Township possess in their respective Townships and shall be entitled to the same compensation

Sec 13 That the incorporation shall be devided into two wards and more if the President and trustees shall hereafter deem necessary all of Fractional Section No. Sixteen of said Town shall compose the first ward and all the ballance of said Town shall compose the second ward and if more hereafter shall be made the President and trustees shall make the same matter of record and publish the bounds thereof and such ward shall elect at least two trustees and five trustees shall constitute a board to do and transact business

Sec 14 The eliction shall be held on the first Monday in May next and Paris Mason[,] John Armstrong and John Rees of said Town are hereby appointed Judges of the first election and it shall be the duty of said Judges to give at least Ten days notice of the time and place of holding said election by posting up six advertisments in the most public places in said town and shall deliver cirtifficates of election to those duly elected said election shall be conducted in all respects as other elections are conducted in this state

Sect 15 all the revenue collected in the first ward shall be expended in improving the avenues, lanes, streets or alleys or in erecting public buildings in said ward and all the revenue collected in the Second ward shall be expended in the like manner in the Second ward or such manner agreeable to this act as the President and trustees may direct

Sec 16 The Jurisdiction of said President and Trustees and all other officers within said incorporate limits shall extend to the Centre of the river in front of said town of Grafton in addition to the prescribed limits of said Corporation

Sec 17 this act to take affect and be in fource from and after its passage

Sect 18 The Legislature reserves the right to repeal alter or amend this Act whenever the public good may require the same