Chap. 188.—An ACT to create drainage districts of adjoining or adjacen
owners of low lands, and to give jurisdiction to the circuit court in whict
said lands lie to enforce its provisions.

Approved March 14, 1906.

1. Be it enacted, That whenever a number of adjacent landowner:
exceeding five are so situated that their lands can be properly drained
by a common drain or canal, they are authorized to file a bill in the
circuit court of the county in which said Jands are situated, stating facts
which make it proper to have their lands, and others named, drained by
a common drain or canal.

2. Five or more of the said parties shall be made plaintiffs and all
others claimed to be interested shall be defendants; a copy of said bill
shall be served upon the defendants; upon the hearing of the bill the
said court shall have jurisdiction to create a drainage district of the lands
of the plaintiffs and defendants, or such of them as would be benefited by
said drain or canal.

3. The said court shall, by its commissioner in chancery, ascertain the
proper width and depth of said drain or canal to properly drain the lands
in said drainage districts, the probable cost thereof, the lands of the par-
ties that would be benefited by said drain or canal, the acreage and as-
sessed value of said lands, the proportion in which each tract of Jand
ought to contribute to the expense of cutting of said canal; also the value
of the land to be taken for said canal, and the damage to the owners of
said land to the residue thereof, if any, which value and damage shall be
added to the other expenses of cutting said canal.

4. Upon the confirmation of the report of the said commissioner in
chancery, the said court is authorized to appoint a special commissioner,
or commissioners, to collect the assessments reported, and to contract for
and supervise the eutting of the said canal.

5. The assessments reported and confirmed shall be liens on the lands
of the respective owners, and if not paid to the special commissioner, or
commissioners, in a time to be specified by the court, may be enforced by
the said court as a judgment lien is enforced.

6. The landowners assessed for the cutting of the said canal. their
heirs, devisees, and alienees, shall be entitled to the privilege of draining
their lands into the said canal, and subject to all the liabilities of the
original owners, and no other parties shall be entitled to the privilege of
draining into the said canal, except petition filed in the said court, and
upon terms ordered by it.
7. When the said canal shall be completed and: the rights of all the
parties before the court determined in reference thereto, the court shall
dispose of any funds in the hands of the said special commissioner, or
vomumissioners, as it may seem equitable, and remove the cause from the
docket.