pany, said officers to hold their offices for terms to be prescribed in the by-laws, unless sooner removed by the stockholders.

SEC. 7. That this act shall be in force from and after its ratification, and shall remain in force for thirty years. Ratified the 12th day of February, A. D. 1869.

CHAPTER XLII.

AN ACT FOR THE RELIEF OF WILLIAM H. GENTRY, SHERIFF OF

STOKES COUNTY.

due for 1866-67.

SECTION 1. The General Assembly of North Carolina do May collect taxes. enact, That William H. Gentry, Sheriff of the County of Stokes, is authorized to collect the amount of taxes still due on the tax lists of his County for the years eighteen hundred and sixty-six and eighteen hundred and sixtyseven: Provided, That said Sheriff shall not collect taxes out of any tax-payer who may make affidavit before any Magistrate that he has formerly paid the taxes aforesaid, and has lost the receipt for the same: And provided, further, That the authority given said Gentry by this act shall cease on the first day of November, eighteen hundred and sixtynine.

SEC. 2. That this act shall take effect from and after its. ratification.

Ratified the 13th day of February, A. D. 1869.

116

Arrears of taxes to be collected.

Proviso.

When authority

to cease.

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE SHERIFF OF COLUMBUS COUNTY TO
COLLECT ARREARS OF TAXES.

SECTION 1. The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact, That V. V. Richardson, Sheriff of Columbus, be, and he is hereby authorized to collect the arrearage of taxes in said County for the years eighteen hundred and sixtysix, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven and eighteen hundred and sixty-eight. Provided, That said Sheriff shall not collect taxes out of any tax-payer who may make affidavit before any Justice of the Peace that he has formerly paid the taxes aforesaid and has lost the receipt for the same.

SEC. 2. The authority thus given to collect said taxes in the County of Columbus by the said V. V. Richardson shall cease from and after the first day of November, eighteen hundred and sixty nine.

SEC. 3. This act shall take effect from and after its ratification.

Ratified the 13th day of February, A. D. 1869.

CHAPTER XLIV.

Not lawful to fell trees.

AN ACT TO PREVENT THE FELLING OF TREES IN THE CATAWBA
RIVER.

SECTION 1. The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact, That it shall not be lawful for any person to fell any tree or trees in the Catawba River or in any tributary thereof, or on the banks of the same below high water mark, and suffer the same to remain for the space of twenty-four hours, at any point or place lying on said River or tributa

ríes, above the place where the bridge belonging to the Western North Carolína Rail Road Company now crosses said River.

tion.

SEC. 2. If any person or persons shall violate the first Penalty for violasection of this act, or procure any one to do so, he, she or they so offending, or procuring others to offend, shall forfeit and pay, for each tree felled within the prohibited limits, the sum of five dollars, to be recovered before any Justice of the Peace within the Township where the offence is committed, or if the stream in which the tree or trees are felled be a boundary line between two or more Townships, then before a Justice of the Peace of either Township, the action to be brought in the name of the State by the party suing therefor, and one-half of the recovery to belong to the prosecutor, and the other half to the County in which the offence is committed, to be appropriated to the support of

the poor.

SEC. 3. In addition to the penalty prescribed in the second Additional penalty section of this act, any person or persons, violating the provisions of the first section, shall be liable to indictment as for a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than ten dollars nor more than one hundred dollars, or be imprisoned at hard labor for such time as the presiding Judge in his discretion may deem proper.

SEC. 4. It shall be the duty of the presiding Judge holding the Superior Court in the Counties of Catawba, Iredell, Alexander, Caldwell, Burke and McDowell, to give this act in charge to the grand juries of these respective Counties, at each term of the Superior Court held therein.

SEC. 5. This act shall be in force from and after thirty days from its ratification.

Ratified the 13th day of February, A. D. 1869,

CHAPTER XLV.

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE COMMISSIONERS OF DUPLIN COUNTY
TO LEVY A SPECIAL TAX FOR BUILDING AND REPAIRING
PUBLIC BRIDGES IN SAID COUNTY.

Special tax.

Sheriff to collect

SECTION 1. The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact, That the Commissioners of Duplin County be authorized, in addition to the tax which they have power to assess under the general revenue law of the State, to levy a special tax of one-tenth of one per cent. on all the taxable property of said County, for the purpose of building, repairing and keeping up the public bridges in the same.

SEC. 2. That the Sheriff of said County of Duplin be authorized and required to collect said tax, and account for the same to the County Treasurer in the same manner and under the like penalty as the other County taxes are now collected and accounted for by him.

SEC. 3. That the said tax, when collected, shall constitute a fund to be set apart for the purpose herein before set forth. SEC. 4. That this act shall be in force from and after its ratification.

Ratified the 15th day of February, A. D. 1869.

CHAPTER XLVI.

AN ACT TO ALLOW CITIZENS OF NORTH CAROLINA TO PRAC-
TICE IN THE COURTS OF THE STATE.

Citizens allowed

to practice law upon

dollars.

SECTION 1. The General Assembly of North Carolina do

payment of twenty enact, That any citizen of this State, by establishing a good moral character, and paying a license tax of twenty dollars,

shall be allowed to practice law in the courts of North Carolina.

over for benefit of

County.

SEC. 2. All taxes arising under the provisions of this act Tax to be paid shall be paid over to the Sheriff or Tax Collector of the County in which the applicant for said license shall reside, for the benefit of the County.

grant.

SEC. 3. That it shall be the duty of the Judge of the Duty of Judge to Superior Court of the District in which application is made to him to practice law in the Courts of this State to grant the same, when the foregoing provision of this act is complied with.

SEC. 4. That this act shall be in force from and after its ratification.

Ratified the 15th day of February, A. D. 1869.

CHAPTER XLVII.

AN ACT TO TRANSFER MCDOWELL COUNTY, NOW IN THE TENTH
JUDICIAL DISTRICT, TO THE ELEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT,
AND ΤΟ TRANSFER ALLEGHANY COUNTY, NOW IN THE
ELEVENTH DISTRICT, TO THE TENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT,

AND TO CHANGE THE TIME OF HOLDING THE TERMS OF
THE COURT IN SAID DISTRICTS AND OTHERS.

ties.

SECTION 1. The General Assembly of North Carolina Transfer of Coundo enact, That McDowell County, now in the Tenth Judicial District, be transferred to the Eleventh Judicial District, and that Alleghany County, now in the Eleventh Judicial District, be transferred to the Tenth Judicial District, and that the time for holding the terms of the Courts in the Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Judicial Districts be as follows, to-wit: