Sec[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General Assembly, That the inhabitants and residents of the town of Rushville in the County of Schuyler are hereby declared to be a body corporate and politic, by the name and style of “The president and trustees of the town of Rushville”, 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, answer and be answered unto, in all courts of law and equity, and in all matters of action whatsoever; may grant, purchase, and receive and hold property, real or personal within the said town and no other (burial grounds excepted) and may lease, Sell, and dispose of the same for the benefit of the 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 hereinafter directed) who shall elect one of their number president, and shall form a board for the transaction of business.

Sec 3. The members composing the board of trustees, shall be elected anually on the first monday in the month of May by the citizens residing within the limits of said town or corporation (qualified to vote for representatives to the general assembly) to serve for one year and until their successors shall be elected and qualified: They shall be at least twenty one years of age, citizens of the

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United States, and of this State and inhabitants of said town, and shall possess a freehold estate within the limits thereof; public notice of the time and place of holding such election, shall be given by advertisement in some public newspaper printed in said town, or by advertisements posted up in four of the most public places, at least ten days previous to the elections; the present board of trustees for said town shall cause such notice to be given, and they or a majority of them shall be inspectors of the first election under this act, and all subsequent elections shall be held in such manner as shall be prescribed by the bye laws.

Sec 4. The board of trustees shall appoint all officers of their board, and shall be Judges of the qualifications, elections, and returns of their own members. a majority shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, may compel the attendence 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 concurence of two thirds of the whole number elected expel expel any member, and make such other rules and bye laws for their own government 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

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within the town and limits of the corporation, not exceeding one half of one per cent upon the assessed value thereof, except as is hereinafter excepted: 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 provide for taxing and regulating ^10^ theatrical and other shows, billiard tables and other amusements, within said corporation, to restrain and prohibit gaming houses, bawdy houses and other disorderly houses, to build market houses, establish and regulate markets, to open and keep in repair streets, avenues, lanes, alleys, drains and sewers, to establish and regulate a fire company department, and to provide for the prevention and extinguishment of fires, to regulate the storage of gun powder, and other combustible materials, to erect pumps and wells in the streets for the convenience of the inhabitants, to regulate the election of town offices, and define their duties, and in general to regulate the police of the town. Provided that the said trustees shall in no case levy a tax upon lots owned by the county, nor upon any land until it shall have been laid off into town lots.

sec 6 The boundary of said corporation shall be one mile square, the center of which shall be the public square in the said Town of Rushville.

sec 7. The said trustees shall have power to regulate, to grade, pave and improve the streets, avenues[,] lanes ^and^ alleys within the limits of said

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corporation, and to extend open and widen the same, making the persons injured thereby adequate compensation, to ascertain which the trustees shall cause to be summoned twelve good and lawful men free holders and inhabitants of said town, not directly interested, who being first duly sworn for that purpose, shall enquire into and take into consideration, as well the benefits as the injury which may accrue, and estimate and assess the damages, which will be sustained by the opening, widening or extending of any street, avenue, lane or alley. and shall moreover, estimate the amount which other persons will be benefitted thereby, and shall contribute towards compensating the persons injured, all of which shall be returned to the board of trustees, under their hands and seals, and the persons who shall be benefited and so assessed shall pay the same in such manner as shall be provided by the trustees, and the residue if any shall be paid out of ^the^ town treasury.

sec 8. The said trustees or a majority of them shall have power to ordain and establish such ordinances as may be necessary to preserve ^ the ^ good order and harmony in said Town, to punish open indecency, breaches of the peace, gambling, gaming houses, horse racing, shooting, and all disorderly houses or Riotous meetings, or assemblages for which purpose they may make such

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bye laws and ordinances as to them may seem expedient, and not inconsistent with any public law of this State, and impose fines for the breaches thereof, which fines shall be recoverable before any Justice of the peace of said Town.

Sec 9. It shall be the duty of any Justice of the peace residing in said Town, and he is hereby authorised and empowered, upon complaint being made to him upon oath, or upon view, of the violation of any law or ordinance of said corporation, to issue his warrant directed to the town Constable, or to any authorised officer, to apprehend the offender or offenders and bring him or them forthwith before him, and after hearing the evidence, if it shall appear that the accused has been guilty of the violation of any such law or ordinance of the Corporation, to impose such fine or imprisonment as shall be pointed out in such law or ordinance, Provided such fine shall not exceed ten dollars, and imprisonment not to exceed twenty four hours, and provided further that appeals and writs of certiorari shall be granted from Judgments ^rendered^ under this act, as is now, or shall be provided by law for appeals from Judgments of Justices of the peace. and all fines imposed for a breaches of the peace or violation of the corporation ordinances shall be paid into the treasury of said Corporation.

Sec 10. The officers of said Town in addition to the trustees shall consist of one clerk, one street commissioner[,] one treasurer, one assessor, and one collector of taxes, one measurer and weigher of wood[,] coal[,] or any other article, and such other officers as the said trustees may deem necessary for the good of said town.

sec 11 Upon the application of the owners of two thirds of the real estate on any street or parts of a street, It shall be lawful for the board of trustees to levy and collect a special tax on the owners of the lots on the said street or parts of a street, according to their respective fronts, for the purpose of gradeing and paveing the side walks on said Street.

Sec 12. When any real estate in said town, shall have been sold by the authority of the corporation thereof, for the nonpayment of any tax that may have been levied upon the same, the same shall be subject to redemption by the owner or owners thereof, his, her or their agent or agents within two years after the same shall have been sold, on paying to the treasurer of the board of trustees of said town double the amount of the taxes for which the same was ^sold^ together with costs for selling the same; but should the said lots or parts of lots so sold for taxes as aforesaid, not be redeemed within the time specified, then and in that case, it shall be the duty of the

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president of the board of trustees of said town, to execute a deed of special warranty, signed by the president of the board and countersigned by the clerk thereof.

Sec 13. The [...?] board of trustees may adopt such modes and means for the assessment and collection of taxes as they may from time to time fix upon and determine, and to prescribe the manner of selling property when the tax levied upon it shall not be paid; provided no sale of any town lots or other real estate shall be made until public notice of the time and place of sale shall be given by advertisement in the news paper, or at four of the most public places in said Town, at least fifteen days previous thereto.

sec 14 The said trustees shall have the exclusive power of granting or withholding tavern or grocery licenses within the limits of the said corporation, any law to the contrary notwithstanding, provided however that if license shall be granted by the said trustees to any tavern or grocery within the said corporation, the tax charged for such license shall be paid into the county treasury, or otherwise, as may be provided by law.

sec 15 That justices of the peace who and constables who render services under this act, shall be entitled to the same fees and collect them in the same manner, as now is, or hereafter may be provided by law.

sec 16. That all ordinances of said Trustees shall be fairly written out, signed by the clerk and published in a News paper printed in the town, or posted up at three of the most public places in said town, and no ordinance shall be in force until published as aforesaid.

sec 17. That the president or any two of the trustees shall have power to call a meeting of the board by giving one days notice thereof, and in the event that the notice of an election shall not be given As required by this act, or from any other cause that an anual election Shall not be holden at the proper time, It shall be lawful for the late clerk of the board, or any two qualified voters in said town, at any time thereafter to give notice of the time and place of holding a special election and the trustees elected at such special election shall have all the powers confered by this act.

sec 18. the trustees shall have power to fill all vacancies which may hapen in their board in such manner as shall be prescribed by the by laws, provided always, that this corporation may be disolved at any anual election, two thirds of the qualified voters of said town or corporation voteing therefor

sec 19 . This act shall take effect from and after its passage.