Acts of 1806 Chapter 27

SECTION 1. That the county of Jackson shall be reduced to constitutional limits, to wit: Beginning at the north east corner of Smith county, running thence east with the northern boundary of the state, to the south bank of Cumberland river, being the north east corner of the military reservation; thence south with the military line, twenty-one miles; thence south, twentythree degrees east, so far as is necessary to leave six hundred and twenty-five square miles in the county of Jackson; thence west to the eastern boundary of Smith county, and with the same to the beginning.

SECTION 2. That Thomas Draper, Henry M’Kinney, Ferdinand Hamilton, William Sullivan and John Dillingham, be, and are hereby appointed commissioners, who, or a majority of them, shall have full power and authority to purchase or procure sixty acres of land, as near the center of said county, as water and other conveniences will admit or is practicable, on some part of which shall be erected the court house, prison and stocks for the said county, upon the best terms it can be obtained, either by donation or otherwise, and to take a deed or deeds of conveyance for the same, in their own names, as commissioners in trust for the county, which shall be good or valid in law or equity, and shall vest in them and their successors in office, a complete title for the uses in this act expressed; and the said commissioners shall, by a majority, have full power and elect any person or persons to fill any vacancies that may happen in their own body.

SECTION 3. That the said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall, within one month after obtaining a title to sixty acres of land, as aforesaid, cause a town to be laid off thereon, to be called and known by the name of Williamsburg, for county purposes, reserving two acres as near the centre thereof, as may be convenient, on which shall be erected the court house, prison and stocks for said county, which two acres in the plan of said town, shall be denominated the public square.

SECTION 4. That the said commissioners, be, and are hereby authorized to sell the lots of said town at public sale, on a credit of twelve months, giving sixty days previous notice in the Tennessee Gazette, and by advertisement at six of the most public places in said county, and shall take bond and security for the payment of the purchase money, to themselves and successors in office; and the said commissioners, or a majority of them, are hereby authorized to execute in due form of law, deeds of conveyance in fee simple for the same, to each purchaser, which shall be good and valid in law to all intents and purposes, and the money arising from the sale of the aforesaid lots, shall be applied by the said commissioners to the building of the court house, prison and stocks; and they are authorized to contract with a suitable person or persons to erect the same, and the court house, to contain convenient rooms for juries, and the prison to consist of two rooms at least.

SECTION 5. That the said commissioners shall keep a fair and regular account of all monies by them received and expended, which shall be laid before the court of the said county, when demanded; and if the monies arising from the sale of said lots, shall not be sufficient to defray the expenses of sixty acres of land, and erecting the court house, prison and stocks thereon, the court shall have full power by a county tax to make up the deficiency: Provided, that two thirds of the acting justices are present when the taxes are laid: Any provided also, That the said tax shall not exceed twelve and one half cents on each white poll: not exceeding twenty-five cents on each black poll; not exceeding one dollar upon each stud horse kept for mares; not exceeding twelve and one half cents on every hundred acres of land; not exceeding five dollars on each merchant, peddler or hawker, in any one year; which tax shall be collected in the same manner, and by the same persons, as public taxes are; and the monies arising from the taxes shall be paid by the collector thereof, first deducting the same per cent as is by law allowed for the collection of public taxes, into the hands of the aforesaid commissioners, or a majority of them, to be applied to the purposes aforesaid.

SECTION 6. That the aforesaid commissioners shall give bond with sufficient security, in the sum of five thousand dollars, payable to the chairman of the court of said county, and his successors in office, conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties enjoined on them by this act.

SECTION 7. That the courts of pleas and quarter sessions for the county of Jackson, shall have power to compel the said commissioners to lay before them, as soon as said buildings are finished, a fair and regular statement of the costs and expenses of the said purchase and buildings, together with their receipts for disbursements, and shall allow them a reasonably compensation for their services: Provided, a majority of said court be present when said allowance is made, and shall have them a certificate for the same, signed by the clerk thereof, which shall be paid by the county as aforesaid.

COMPILER’S NOTE: The remainder of this act applied to Overton County, and therefore, was not included herein.

Passed: September 11, 1806.