Laws Of General Interest

I'repared f or the I .mi stng Kepubltcnn. Among the acts passed by the legislature at its recent session was one levying a more stringent TAX ON DOGS. Act Xo. 283 provides that wbenever any person sliall sustain a loss by the killing or wout, ding of his sheep or lanibs by a dog or dogs, he may cali on v disinterrsted justice of the peace of the township or city where such oft'ense occurod, not of kin to such persons and not a member of the townsliip board or city council. He shall view the sheep or lambs so killed or wounded, and if satisiied that the sanie were killed or wounded by a dog or doga, be shall make a certilicate theroof in wrtiing, stating the amount of damags sustained by such persons, and shall deliver the same to the clerk of the township or city, who sliall Ble and record it in his olïïee. The justice shall reeeivefur his services tke .Mini of $2, to be paid out of the fund arising frotn the dog tax. At the annual meeting of the town ship board in each year and tlie meet ing of the cominon council of each cit; in April oí' eaehycar, all certiticates o damages íileá by tke clerk during the preceding year shall be cxaniined, am if f ound to be correct thcy may be ordered to be paid out of the dog-tax iund if it ke sullicient for tliat purpose; i not sullicient, they niay order a prop ortionate payuient of eacli claim. The said board or council (as the case may be) shill have power to reduce the claims filad, if fouml to be excessive Xo paymenUt of loss shall be ordered unless the party claiming shall show that he has made all due efforts, and has not been able to obtain satisfaction from the owner of the dog or dogs. A new section has also been added providing that any person or persons who shall knowingly keep any doj known to be a sheep-killing dog shal be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and may be punished by a fine of $5( and imprisonment iu the counly jai for three months. PROBATE CVORT. Act No. 234 provides that each judge of probate may appoint a clerk, to be denominated the probate clerk, and may revoke such appointment at his pleas ure. The supreme court shall by gen eral rules from time to time prescribe the powers and duties of such clerk. The board of supervisors may provide for the compensation of such clerk, but unless they do so, his salary shall be paid by the judge of probate. Act No. 186 provides that if a judge of probate shall remove out of the county, die, resign, orotherwisebecomeineapacitated for preforming the duties of his office, the judge of the circuit court for such county shall hold the court, unless he also shall be incapacitated for preforming such duties, in which case the judge of any other circuit may act in hia stead, and the judge so acting shall have all the powers and preform all the duties of judge of probate, until another judge of probate shall be elected or appointed and qualified. AVhen the judge of probate, his wife or child, shall be an heir or legatee, or when such judge shall be an executor or administrator of a deceased person, or a creditor or otherwise interested in any question to be decided, he shall be deemed incapacitated for preforming the duties of his office in relation to that estáte, and the judge of the circuit court for said county shall perform those duties. STATU TA XIX. Act No. 43 provides that the auditor general shall apportion the state tax among the several counties in proportion to the valuation of taxable property therein, as determined by the last ceding state board of equalization, and shall, before tlie (ictober session Óf the board of supervisors, make out and transinit to the clerks of the several boards the amount of such tax so ipportioned by hm to the cminty, and shall charge the several amounts of such apportionments to the counties respeetively on the first day of March next following. The auditor general shall also include in the amouut of state tax so aiiportioned to anycounty, the amount of indebtedness of such county to the state, as shall be sliown by the statement of account between the county and the state on the first day of July next preceding, wliich amount shall bc apportioned by the board of supervisors of the proper county at the same time as all the state taxes contained in such apportioument of the auditor general, and hall bc levied in the snuif manneras, and becoius a portion of the county tiixes of the same year. Proyided the amount of county indebtbeness included in suc-h apportionment shall not b inclndcd in the amount of state tax eharged to the counties, as provided in the iirst clause of tliis act. SECTION-0OBNKR8 AXDQL'AKTKK-l'Os rs. Act No. T autliorizes the boards of upervisors of the several countie3 to esablish and prepetuate any govemment section-comers or quarter-posts in their respective counlies, which they may ïave good reason to believe are lost, nrareïn danger of being lost, by the employment of .1 surreyor tlierefor, wlio shall keep a f uil and' complete record of lus work, gmng in detail the evidences by which any corner is idenáfied, also themanner in which lost corners are identified and reestablished, which record shall be kept in the same book piovidedby thecounty forsurveyors records, and kept in the office of the county survsyor, which record shall be received in evidence in all the courts of :his State. Such work shall be dono mij in townships where a majority f the Toters sliall vote to raise the necessary money, not exceeding $250. This act shall not apply to lands where section and quarter section linea are already properly established. IIIOIIWAY COMMIHÖIONERS' OEDERü. Act Ko. 71 provides that wheneTer any order lor the payment of money, lawfully drawn by the liighway cominlssioner of any township within this state upon the treasurer of such township, shall, at'ter the passage of this act, have been duly presented lo such township treasurer for payment and payment thereof shall not be made within six months, by reason of lack of funds, such treasurer shall, at the request of the holder of sush order, make a statement in writing of such facts and deliver the same to such holder, and such holder may present such order with the statemest to the township clerk, wlio shall make a minute of the number, date, and amount of such order, and the date of its presentation to the treastirer, and shall make an indorsement on such order, showing such presentation tohim. The township elerk shall include in the animal statement to be made by hitn to the supervisor, of moneys proposed to be raised in said township by taxation, the amounts of all such orders, due and to becomodue, with interest on the same up to Jan. 1 succeeding, and the game shall be assessed upon the proper township, locality, or road distriet, and colltcted like other fcixes, and used by the treasurer for the payment of such orders aud the interest thereon. Act No. 72, on the same supject, provides that hereaf ter it shall be snlawiul for any highway coiumissioner to draw or issue any orders for the payment of money upon any township treasurer. or to contract for, or peruuit to btdoneor furnished, any laljor or material:! for the highways or bridges in such township, for any sum or sums greater than the highway funds previously authorixed by the votersof such township, or othervvise providcd by law, except in cases specially provided for by law. Any highway coiumissioner ofl'ending against the above provisions shall be deemedguilty of a misdemeanor, and may be panished by i fine of $100 and imprisonment in the county jail lor three inonths.