AN ACT

To confirm the title to real estate in Nebraska city, N. T., and for other purposes.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Nebraska, That whereas, Mills S. Reeves, mayor of Kearny city, and his successors in office, have made and executed deeds to occupants and claimants under the act of congress of the 23d of May, A. D. 1844, and the act of the legislative assembly, approved the day

of A. D. 1857; and whereas, in all of the said deeds the lots and land therein described are represented "according to the recorded plat now on file" in the office of the register of deeds, and whereas the said recorded plat alluded to in all of said deeds was burned and destroyed by fire in the spring of A. D. 1860, and whereas another plat of said Kearny city has been recorded in the office of register of deeds in and for Otoe county, N. T., said plat is hereby legalized and for all purposes the one now recorded shall be regarded and considered in all courts of this territory, as the plat referred to in the said deeds, and a certified copy thereof may be read in any court of this territory.

§ 2. All deeds and conveyances made and signed by M. S. Reeves, mayor of Kearny city, or by James H. Decker, mayor of Nebraska city, shall be legal and good in law and equity in any court in this territory, and said deeds shall be construed to convey an absolute title in fee to the grantee therein, and all the official acts of the said mayors are hereby legalized in all respects.

§ 3. This act shall not be so construed as to impair the rights of any person or persons who have a suit or suits now pending in any court in which the title to any property is in question.

§ 4. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. Approved January 11th, 1861.

AN ACT

To amend an act, entitled "An act to consolidate. Nebraska city, Kearny city and South Nebraska city," approved Dec. 31st, 1857.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Nebraska, That hereafter Nebraska city shall be divided into three wards, to wit: All that part of Nebraska city, comprised in what was formerly known as Nebraska city, shall constitute the first ward; and all that part that is comprised in what was formerly known as Kearny city, shall constitute the second ward; and all that part that is comprised in what was known as South Nebraska city and Hail & Co.'s addition, shall constitute the third ward; and each ward shall be entitled to one councilman.

§ 2. The city council shall levy the same rate of tax not exceeding

three mills on the dollar, on the taxable property within the limits of the city, and the amount expended for improvements in each ward by the city council, shall be in proportion to the amount of taxes collected in such ward, unless the said council shall otherwise direct, by a unanimous vote at a regular meeting.

§ 3. If the city council at any time shall be of opinion that the public interest requires the levying of a higher rate of tax, than is provided for by this act, or if twenty citizens of said city shall petition for any expenditure or improvement, which can not be met by the ordinary revenue, the question of levying such increased rate of tax or incurring such expense, shall be submitted to the qualified voters of said city, in the same manner and under the same regulations, as is provided by law for submitting similar questions to the people of a county: Provided, that a majority of the votes cast in each and every ward, shall be necessary to authorize such increased tax or expense.

§ 4. A majority of the qualified voters in any ward, may, in the manner provided in the foregoing section, provide for the levying and collection of a special tax in such ward, for any improvement of general utility in said ward: Provided, That the improvement and the amount of tax required, shall be specially set forth in the notice for said election, as is provided by law in similar cases in county affairs.

§ 5. Nothing in this act contained, shall be construed to affect the term of office of any officer of said city, or any tax heretofore levied. § 6. This act to take effect and be in force from and after its passage. Approved January 11th, 1861.

AN ACT

To confirm the title of Henry Brown to certain real estate in the city of Omaha, in the territory of Nebraska.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Nebraska, That all actions at law and in chancery brought for any cause whatever, for the purpose of setting aside, impairing, canceling, or in any manner affecting the validity of a certain deed of conveyance, executed by George Armstrong, mayor of the city of Omaha, to Henry Brown, of said city of Omaha, dated the third day of March, 1859, and recorded in the office of the register of deeds of the county of Douglas and territory of Nebraska, in book "H," page 509, of the following described real estate, to wit: The middle twenty-two (22) feet of lot number two (2), in block one hundred and eighteen (118), in the city of Omaha, as designated on the latest edition of the map of Omaha, published by Messrs. Poppleton and Byers, of Omaha city, the said lot being in said city in the county of Douglas, and territory of Nebraska, and being part of the property sold by the city of Omaha, at public sale, for the purpose of obtaining money to aid in completing the capitol building of said territory in said city, shall be

brought within sixty days after the passage and approval of this act, or the said action and the cause thereof, shall be forever barred.

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§ 2. The said deed of conveyance, described and set forth in section one of this act, is hereby declared to be a strict, full, and complete compliance with the provisions of an act of congress, passed and approved May 23d, A. D. 1844, and entitled "An act for the relief of the citizens of towns upon the lands of the United States, under certain circumstances," and also with the provisions of an act of the Legislative Assembly of the territory of Nebraska, passed and approved February 10th, A. D. 1857, and entitled “ An act regulating the disposal of lands purchased in trust for town sites," and the event arising under said act in respect to said real estate in said George Armstrong, mayor of the city of Omaha, as aforesaid, as entered in trust for the use and benefit of the towns and occupants thereof, is hereby declared to have been faithfully, impartially, legally, and equitably fulfilled and consummated in every particular, by such deed of conveyance of the same, is hereby ratified and confirmed.

-§ 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Approved January 11th, 1861.

AN ACT

To change the geographical limits of the city of Bellevue in Sarpy county, and for other purposes.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Nebraska, That the geographical limits of the city of Bellevue, in Sarpy county, Nebraska, shall be as hereinafter described, to wit: commencing at the south-west corner of section one (1), in township thirteen (13), north of range thirteen (13) east, thence east to the main channel of said Missouri river, thence up the main channel of said river to the north line of section nineteen (19) in township fourteen (14) east, thence west to the north-west corner of section twenty-four (24) in township (14) north of range thirteen (13) east, thence south to the place of beginning, and that all the territory included within the above boundaries is hereby declared to be within the incorporated limits of said city.

§ 2. That all that portion of the land described in a deed from Reuben Lovejoy and wife, to John Q. Gross, as mayor of the city of Bellevue, and his successors in office, which said deed is recorded on pages 529 and 530 of book "D" of the records of Sarpy county, Nebraska, and which said lands have been deeded to the said city of Bellevue for cemetery purposes, be and the same is hereby declared to be within the limits and boundaries of said city, and under its control, and the title in and to said land is hereby vested in the said city of Bellevue.

§3. That at the annual election of city officers for said city to be held on the first Tuesday of April, 1861, there shall be elected three persons

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to be designated cemetery directors"" one for one year, one for two years, and one for three years, the length of time each person voted for to serve being stated on the ballot, and yearly thereafter there shall be elected one such director, who shall hold his office for the term of three years, and until his successor is elected.

§ 4. That said directors when so elected shall have charge of the land and all property belonging to such cemetery, and shall do and perform all acts that the city council of said city may from time to time direct, and said city council is hereby authorized to adopt such rules and regulations in relation to the laying out into lots the grounds of said cemetery and all matters pertaining to the proper regulation and government of said cemetery and its directors, as they may deem necessary.

§ 5. That all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed.

§ 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Approved January 11th, 1861.

AN ACT

Supplement to an act entitled "An act to incorporate the city of Rulo, approved November 1st, 1858."

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Nebraska, That all the territory included within the geographical limits of Rulo city, in Richardson county, together with the additions thereto, according to the survey and plat of the same, and all additions that may be hereafter made thereto, according to law, is hereby declared to be a corporation by the name and style of the "city of Rulo."

§ 2. The said city is hereby constituted a body corporate and politic by the name and style of the "City of Rulo," and is invested with all the powers and attributes of a municipal corporation; and by that name shall be known in law, sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, complain and defend in any court of record, may grant, lease, purchase, receive and hold property, real and personal, within said city and no other, and may have a common seal and alter it at pleasure.

§ 3. The legislative authority of the city shall be vested in a city council, consisting of a mayor and a board of aldermen, composed of five members.

§ 4. Every legal voter of the territory, who shall have been a resident of said city forty days next preceding a city election is declared a citizen of said city and is entitled to vote at the election thereof.

§ 5. The election of city officers shall be conducted in a manner similar to township elections as near as the nature of the case will permit.

§ 6. A person offering to vote may be challenged as in other elections

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in the townships, and an oath may be administered to him in like manner, naming the qualifications herein prescribed.

§ 7. No person shall be eligible to any elective office mentioned in this act, unless he be a legal voter of the city, and has been a resident thereof six months, next preceding his election.

§ 8. That the qualified electors of said city shall, on the first Monday in April, A. D. 1861, and annually thereafter, elect a mayor, five aldermen, a recorder, assessor, treasurer and marshal, who shall hold their respective offices for the term of one year and until their successors are elected and qualified.

§ 9. The mayor and aldermen shall constitute the city council of which the mayor shall be the presiding officer, but he shall not vote only in case of a tie. The aldermen, at their first meeting after their election, shall choose one of their own number a president pro tempore, who shall preside at their meetings in the absence of the mayor.

§ 10. If the mayor or any aldermen shall remove from out the city his office shall thereby be vacated.

§ 11. The city council shall be the judge of the qualifications and election of its own members, and shall determine all contested elections.

§ 12. A majority of the city council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business, but a smaller number may adjourn from time to time and shall have power to compel the attendance of absent members under such penalties as may be provided by rules for their own government.

§ 13. The city council shall have power to determine and provide the rules for its own government, punish disorderly conduct, and with the concurrence of two thirds of its members, expel any member.

§ 14. All vacancies in any elective office shall be filled by appointment of the city council until the next regular election.

§ 15. The mayor, aldermen, treasurer, recorder, assessor, and marshal shall, before entering upon the duties of their offices, respectively take an oath to support the Constitution of the United States and the territorial laws of this territory, and faithfully and impartially to perform their duties to the best of their knowledge and ability. Other city officers shall qualify in such manner as shall be prescribed by the city council. The oath of office may be administered by the mayor or recorder, and in the transaction of the business of the corporation, these officers and the president pro tempore may administer oaths, which shall have the same effect as if administered by other officers authorized therefor.

§ 16. No member of the city council shall be eligible to any office within the gift of the city council during the term for which he is elected, nor shall he be interested, either directly or indirectly, in the profits of any contract, job or work or service to be performed for the city.

§ 17. The city council may hold its meetings as it sees fit, having fixed stated times for them by ordinance, and its meetings shall be public, but the mayor may call a meeting at any time.

§ 18. Ordinances passed by the city council shall, before they take effect, be signed by the mayor, attested by the recorder, and be published at least ten days in some newspaper published in the city, or in case