change the established grade of any street or alley of said city, the City Engineer shall estimate the cost of said change of grade, and the Council shall appoint three commissioners, who shall ascertain the damages to be sustained by individuals, and the damages so ascertained, shall be apportioned and assessed upon the real estate benefited by such change of grade, and upon the city of Keokuk, if in their opinion it is proper to assess any of it against the city.

SEC. 18. That the sums assessed by virtue of the preceding section upon any lot or part of lot or real estate in the city of Keokuk, shall be a lien upon said real estate, and shall be collected by said City Council in the same manner as the other special taxes are now, or may be collected, and the amount apportioned by said commissioners against the city of Keokuk, shall be paid by said city.

Liea.

ers.

SEC. 19. That said Commissioners shall be duly sworn Commissionbefore they enter into the discharge of their duties, that they will faithfully fulfill to the best of their ability, and shall make their report and file the same in the office of the Clerk of the Council. That the Mayor shall thereupon cause a list of the lands or lots assessed, with the amount assessed against them, to be published in some newspaper, published in said city, for two weeks. Any person or party, including the city of Keokuk, who shall feel aggrieved by such assessment, may take an appeal to the District Court of Lee County, by filing a bond with sufficient security, with the Mayor aforesaid, within thirty days after the first publication of said assessment, conditioned to pay whatever sum may be finally assessed on the property in reference to which the appeal is taken, and to perform the judgment of said District Court. Whereupon, the Mayor shall file said bond, and all the papers in the case, with the Clerk of the District Court of Lee County aforesaid, which court shall proceed to hear and try such appeal in the usual

manner.

SEC. 20. That section five of an act to amend the char- Special tax. ter of the city of Keokuk, approved January 22, 1853, is hereby amended so as to authorize said Council to levy a special tax for grading alleys in the same manner as is

Wooden buildings.

Chimneys,

Fire wardens.

Fire buckets.

therein provided for paving or McAdamizing streets and alleys.

SEC. 21. That the City Council for the purpose of guarding against the calamities of fire, shall have power to prescribe the limits within which wooden buildings shall not be erected, or placed, or repaired, without the permission of the said Council, and to direct that all and any buildings within the limits prescribed, shall be made or constructed of fire-proof materials, and to prohibit the repairing or rebuilding of wooden buildings within the fire limits, when the same shall have been damaged to the extent of fifty per cent of the value thereof, and to prescribe the manner of ascertaining such damage. The City Council shall also have power to regulate the construction of chimneys so as to admit chimney sweeps, and to compel the sweeping and cleaning of chimneys, to prevent the dangerous construction and condition of chimneys, fire places, hearths, stoves, stove pipes, ovens, boilers and apparatus used in and about any building or manufactory, and to cause the same to be removed or placed in a safe and secure condition when considered dangerous.

To prevent the deposit of ashes in unsafe places, and appoint one or more officers to enter into all buildings and inclosures, to discover whether the same are in a dangerous state, and to cause such as may be dangerous to be put in safe condition.

To require the inhabitants to provide as many fire buckets, and in such manner and time, as they shall prescribe, and to regulate the use of them in time of fire. To regulate and prevent the carrying on of manufactories dangerous in Prevent fires. causing or promoting fire. To regulate and prevent the use of fire works and fire arms. To compel the owners or occupants of houses or other buildings to have scuttles in the roofs, and stairs or ladders leading to the same.

Powers of offi401'8,

To authorize the Mayor, Aldermen, Fire Wardens, or other officers of said city, to keep away from the vicinity of any fire, idle and suspicious persons, and to compel all officers of said city and other persons to aid in the extinguishment of fires, and preservation of property exposed to danger thereat.

nies.

To organize fire, hook, ladder and axe companies. Fire CompaTo provide fire engines, and other apparatus for the extinguishment of fires. To appoint during pleasure, Wardens and Engineers of the fire department. To appoint during pleasure a competent number of Firemen and prescribe Fireman. their duties, and to impose fines and forfeitures upon them, for the violation of the rules and regulations prescribed, and generally to establish such regulations for the prevention and extinguishment of fires, as the City Council deem expedient.

SEC. 22. That all taxes assessed by virtue of any law or Lien of taxes. ordinance of the City of Keokuk, upon the real estate in said City, shall remain a lien upon said real estate, until said taxes are paid to said City, or her proper collecting officer, and so much of any law that conflicts with this vision is hereby repealed.

pro

SEC. 23. This act to take effect from and after its publi- Take effect. cation in the Gate City and Times published at the City of Keokuk.

I certify that the foregoing act was published in the Gate City, July 26 and Keokuk Times on the 25th day of July, 1856.

GEO. W. MCCLEARY,

Secretary of State.

CHAPTER 18.

MUSCATINE.

AN ACT to amend the act to incorporate the City of Muscatine.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Boundaries. State of Iowa, That from and after the passage of this act, the following shall be the boundaries of said City of Muscatine, commencing at a point in the centre of the main channel of the Mississippi River, where the south line of section, ten, tp. seventy-six, north of range two west, of 5th P. M. should strike, thence west and along said section line to the west line of said section ten; thence north and along the

Road districts

Extension of

alleys.

Damages.

section lines of sections ten, three, thirty-four and twentyseven, to the north west corner of the south west quarter of section twenty-seven, township seventy-seven, north of range two west of 5th P. M. thence east through the cen ter of sections twenty-seven, twenty-six and twenty-five, to a point where said line strikes the township line, between ranges one and two west; thence south and along said township line, to a point in the center of the main channel of the Mississippi river; thence along the centre of said channel, and with the course of the same to the point of beginning. SEC. 2. That said City of Muscatine, as above bounded may hereafter form two Road Districts, the boundaries of which shall be determined by the City Council, and until so determined it shall constitute one Road District, and the Road taxes assessed by the County authorities upon the persons and property in said City, shall hereafter only be payable to such persons as the City Council may authorize to receive the same. And the County Collector is hereby prohibited from paying said road taxes to any other person or officer than such as shall be authorized to receive and receipt for the same by the City Council.

SEC. 3. That it shall be competent for the Council of streets and said city to take any steps which they may deem necessary to secure the extension of the present streets and alleys of the old city limits through the grounds which by this act are added thereto: Provided, that in no case shall such extension be made and dedicated to the use of the public without the city being liable for full compensation to the owners of all such property as may be thus taken and dedicated.

Change of sts.

Vacate old and make Rew.

SEC. 4. That it shall and may be lawful for the City and & alleys. Council of said city to make any changes in the shape and width of any streets or alleys of said City, either in the old or new limits. To shut up old and make new streets and alleys: Provided, that in all and every such case the said City shall be liable to make full compensation at the fair cash value to the owners of all property which shall thus be taken for public use and for all damages which the owners may sustain by any change which said City Council may any time see proper to make.

Damages.

acre

SEC. 5. That all lands lying within the Territory here- Taxed by the by brought into the City,and not laid out into lots or out lots shall not be assessed or taxed otherwise than by the acre according to its value for agricultural, horticultural, mining or other purposes, but improvements thereon may be taxed their full value.

SEC. 6. The City Council shall have full power to establish grades for contemplated streets and alleys in the new limits and may make such grades conform to the grades of the old limits of said city or not, as they may deem advisable and said city shall not be liable for any damage done to buildings by grading in the new limits, unless said buildings shall have been erected before the establishment of the grades in this section contemplated.

Grades

SEC. 7. This act shall take effect from and after its ac- Take effect. ceptance by the City Council of Muscatine and its publication in the "Mucatine Journal " and "Iowa Democratic Enquirer”—the expense of said publication to be paid by the City of Muscatine.

APPROVED, July 14th, 1856.

I certify that the foregoing act was published in the Iowa Democratic Enquirer July 31st, and in the Muscatine Journal July 26, A. D. 1856.

GEO. W. MCCLEARY,,

Secretary of State.

CHAPTER 19..

BLOOMFIELD..

AN ACT to amend "an act.to incorporate the town of Bloomfield, Iowa.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Mayor's juris-State of Iowa, That section third of said act, be amended diction. as follows: The Mayor of said town shall have concur

rent jurisdiction with Justices of the Peace over all crimes committed in the corporate limits of said town.

SEC. 2. Changes of venue to the Courts of Justices of the Venue Peace, shall be allowed for the causes, and according to the