LEVIN WINDER, ESQ. GOVERNOR.

67

moved all decayed or dead trees on either side of the said
public roads, whose limbs or any of them hang over the
same, and maybe their falling injure travellers, or shall
not lop and cutoff all limbs or branches of trees hanging
or projecting over the said roads within fifteen feet above
the surface thereof, or shall in any other manner fail or
neglect to perform the duties of a contractor for the re-
pair of the public roads according to the directions of
this act, every such contractor so failing and neglecting,
shall forfeit and pay a fine of five dollars for every such
offence, in addition to a forfeiture of his bond, as prescrib-
ed by the sixth section of this act.

Dec. Sess.

1813.

9. AND BE IT EN ACTED, that it shall and maybe
lawful for the several and respective contractors for the
repair of the said roads, and they are hereby authorised
and empowered as often as need shall require to dig,
take and remove any stones, gravel or earth which may
be found on any land adjoining the roads for which the
same may be necessary, and to employ the same in the
repairing of the said roads, and for the making or re-
pairing of bridges over the heads of rivers, creeks,
branches, swamps or other low and marshy places,
through and over which the said roads may pass, and to
cut down or cause to be cut down any tree or trees
growing on any of the adjacent lands to such places where
bridges may be necessary as aforesaid, and the same trees
to maul and carry away from off such lands, and to ap-
ply the same to the making or repairing of the said

Materials for
repair.

bridges: Provided, that it shall be the duty of each and
every contractor as aforesaid, to render a true account cer-
tified under their hands and seals respectively, of all and
singular such tree or trees by them cut down and taken
for the purpose aforesaid, with a description of the size
and quality of such tree or trees, together with their es-
timation of the value thereof, to the owner, tenant or
overseer of the lands from whence the same shall have
been taken, and to return a duplicate of such account on
oath to the next levy court of the county, in order that
the justices of the said court may be enabled to estimate
the real value thereof, to be allowed or paid to such ow-
ner or owners in such manner as said justices shall ap-

Provisos.

point and direct. Provided always, AND BE IT EN-
ACTED, That nothing in this act contained shall be
construed to make it the duty of the contractors for the
repair of the public roads as aforesaid, to make or re-
pair any framed bridge or bridges above fifteen feet in
length; but they shall continue to be built and repaired
in the same manner as at present; and it is hereby de-
clared to be the duty of every contractor aforesaid, having
any such bridge or bridges within their respective limits,
to clear the same of all drift logs or other obstructions
to the free passage of the water as often as need shall
require, under the penalty of five dollars for every neg-

Bridges.