Miscellaneous Acts:  Including Emancipations of Slaves and Minors

The following private or local acts constitute part of the administrative and political history of Jefferson County but are today no longer operative because they have either been superseded, repealed, or failed to receive local approval. Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

1. Acts of 1794, Chapter 2, Page 55, established a schedule of fees which could be charged by the clerks of the various courts, the Clerk and Master of the chancery court, the Sheriff, the Register, the Justices of the Peace, and the Constables. Anyone convicted of failure to comply with this law could be fined and, in addition, forfeit the office.
2. Acts of 1796, Chapter 6, Page 12, set up a Treasurer for the Districts of Washington and Hamilton who would have his office at Knoxville, and another for the District of Mero who would be headquartered at Nashville. The Treasurer was primarily charged with keeping accounts of all transactions concerning the Districts including the receipt and disbursement of funds.
3. Acts of 1799, Chapter 38, Page 90, fixed the county seat of Jefferson County at Dandridge.
4. Acts of 1801, Chapter 5, Page 23, promulgated regulations for the inspection of pork, beef, hog lard, butter, hemp, and kiln dried flour before the same could be sold in counties, or between the States. Warehouses were to be erected and kept at the points specified in theAct to which goods could be brought to be stored and inspected. In Jefferson County the warehouses to be used for these purposes would be located in Dandridge, at the Mossy Creek Iron Works, and at Colonel Alexander Outlaw's boat on the Nollichucky River.
5. Acts of 1801, Chapter 69, Page 154, in its preamble pointed to the necessity of navigable streams if the State and counties were to continue to grow, therefore, this Act made it lawful for the citizens of Washington County, Greene County, and Jefferson County to clear and remove every obstruction in the bed or channel of the Nollichucky River which flowed through their boundaries. For this purpose one thousand shares of stock could be sold at $10.00 per share in the above named counties to produce the funds to accomplish the purpose stated.
6. Acts of 1806, Chapter 28, Page 120, stated that five commissioner's would be chosen in and for the towns of Dandridge, Gallatin, and Rogersville on the day appointed by the Quarterly Courts of those respective counties. The Sheriff of the county was directed to hold the election on the day selected.
7. Acts of 1811, Chapter 79, Page 83, established a Bank at Knoxville with an authorized capital of $400,000 with the authority to set up branch banks in various counties. There would be a Branch of this Bank in Jefferson County under the directorship of Hugh Martin, David Morrow, and Henry Bradford.
8. Acts of 1813, Chapter 90, Page 115, incorporated Joseph Hamilton, Baldwin Harle, and Augustine F. Fore, all of Jefferson County, plus other citizens from Washington County and Greene County, as the Nollichucky Navigation Company, which had the obligation to improve the navigation of the said river from Sluice Hill in Washington County to the mouth of the river located in Jefferson County. If certain conditions were strictly observed, the incorporators could publish a lottery to help raise funds.
9. Acts of 1820, Chapter 37, Page 41, stated that it had been represented to the General Assembly that navigation of the south sluice of the Nollichucky, near George Gordon's paper mill, would be greatly improved for boats going up and down the river if a dam were to be constructed at that place. This Act authorized Gordon to build the dam with a bridge on the top of it so travel by road could continue. Gordon was allowed to charge the usual toll rates when the work was completed.
10. Acts of 1821, Chapter 94, Page 100, authorized the Treasurer of East Tennessee to pay to John Northern of Jefferson County, the sum of $18.00 for the value of arms he owned being pressed into the service of the State and Country during the recent war.
11. Acts of 1821, Chapter 183, Page 175, appointed Jacob Peck, of Jefferson County, John Glass, of Greene County, and John Blair, of Washington County, as commissioners to execute a final settlement with the Nollichucky Navigation Company which would be made at Greenville and reported to the Quarterly Courts of the counties mentioned.
12. Acts of 1823, Chapter 93, Page 103, enabled John Potter to build a mill and erect a mill-dam across the south sluice of the French Broad River in Jefferson County, opposite to Hamston's large island. The mill-dam would extend from the south bank of the River to an island in the sluice.
13. Acts of 1823, Chapter 123, Page 126, permitted James A. Turnly, of McMinn County, the further time of nine months to procure a survey of an entry in the 5th Surveyor's District of three acres of land lying in Jefferson County, and to secure the issue of a grant for the same.
14. Acts of 1825, Chapter 91, Page 143, Section 2, was the enabling legislation for William Graham to keep up a mill-dam and race which had previously been erected by him on the north side of the French Broad River in Jefferson County, provided the dam would in no wise obstruct the free navigation of the said river.
15. Acts of 1826, Chapter 34, Page 46, named commissioners from the counties of Cocke, Sevier, Knox, Blount, and William Hill, from Jefferson County, who would perform the duties of earlier commissioners specified in a prior Act in the settlement of land claims in certain areas for which they would be compensated as was provided in this Act.
16. Acts of 1826, Chapter 187, Page 164, declared that a town heretofore laid out by James Roddy and William Deadrick in Jefferson County would hereafter be known as Russellville for which John Potter, William Felts, James Phagan, James L. Neal, John Cox, and Joseph Austin were named as Commissioners.
17. Acts of 1833, Chapter 278, Page 153, made it lawful for the county court of Jefferson County, upon the petition of Elisha Hamner of that county, stating that he desired to emancipate his female slave, Sally, to do so accordingly, provided that Hamner gave bond with good securety, payable to the Chairman of the Court, in a sum equal to the value of the slave conditioned to indemnify anyone injured by the misbehavior of the said slave.
18. Acts of 1841-42, Chapter 86, Page 95, declared that all marriage licenses heretofore issued by any person, or persons, by permission of the Clerk of the County Court of Jefferson County would be as good, valid, and effective in law as if they had been issued by the Clerk in person and all marriages taking place and performed under their authority were likewise declared to be valid and binding in all respects.
19. Acts of 1843-44, Chapter 2, Page 1, was the incorporation of Dandridge under the Mayor-Alderman form of municipal government with grants of specific powers under which the corporation would operate. The Sheriff, after giving ten days notice, would hold an election on the first Saturday in January, 1844, to elect seven Aldermen to two year terms who would then select one of their own number to serve as Mayor of the city, and appoint a Constable and a Recorder. If the Sheriff could not hold the election, one of his Deputies was authorized to do so.
20. Acts of 1845-46, Chapter 35, Page 90, was the legal authority for the Jefferson County Quarterly Court to appoint a Revenue Collector to collect the 1844 taxes, who would have the same power as the Sheriff, and his Deputies, to do so and would be subject to the same regulations including the making of proper reports. All who had paid their 1844 taxes, or a part thereof, were exempted from the provisions of this Act.
21. Acts of 1845-46, Chapter 208, Page 321, Section 23, extended the limits of the City of Dandridge south to the opposite side of the French Broad River, and north to the distance of one-half mile from the court house and also one-half mile from the court house on the east and on the west.
22. Acts of 1847-48, Chapter 111, Page 168, Section 17, provided that the limits of the city of Dandridge would be extended only one-quarter of a mile in each direction from the court house instead of the one-half mile previously allowed.
23. Acts of 1853-54, Chapter 47, Page 117, Section 2, extended the city limits of Dandridge so as to embrace the French Broad River commencing at a point 40 poles above Faine's Warehouse and continuing along the route described in the Act which area would be added to the town.
24. Acts of 1855-56, Chapter 11, Page 17, Section 5, incorporated John S. GoForth, William Dick, and Patton Howell as the New Market Building and Loan Association, and Daniel Gass, James Cox, and James Mitchell were established as the Dandridge Building and Loan Association.
25. Acts of 1855-56, Chapter 106, Page 118, Section 2, gave the counties of Jefferson, Washington, and Claiborne the right for their county court to direct that the sums raised by taxation in their counties as a sinking fund to discharge their bonded indebtedness invested in railroads, be invested in State, or County, bonds when they could be purchased in the market place.
26. Acts of 1855-56, Chapter 223, Page 456, was the legal authority for Jefferson County to purchase its own bonds which were issued under any Act for internal improvement purposes and to cancel them rather than to invest them in State bonds as the former Act required. All of the above authority to act would be under the control of the county court.
27. Acts of 1857-58, Chapter 67, Page 140, formed a corporation to be named the Marshland Cemetery with the authority to buy, hold, develop, improve, and dispose of a lot suitable for burying the dead near the St. Paul Presbyterian Church in Jefferson County. The Board of Trustees were allowed to enact rules and regulations. The Act named Augustus Rice, William McFarland, Harris E. Dewitt, William McClister, David McClister, John W. Moser, Augustus F. Moser and Joseph Hamilton as the first Board of Trustees.
28. Acts of 1865-66, Chapter 32, Page 144, was the legal authority for William Harris and J.M. Thornburg, of Jefferson County, to open books and subscribe stock up to $500,000 to organize, operate, and manage under the stipulated limitations a bank which would be located at Dandridge. The Bank was required to pay one-half of one percent of its capital stock to schools.
29. Acts of 1868-69, Chapter 9, Page 92, Section 3, moved the Branch of the Bank of discount and deposit formerly located in Dandridge to Knoxville.
30. Acts of 1869-70, Chapter 47, Page 322, Section 91, incorporated James H. Carson, William H. Eckel, Temple Harris, John Smith, and William Dean, and their successors in office, as the Board of Trustees of the Dandridge Baptist Church in Jefferson County which would have all the rights, privileges, and powers incidental to religious corporate institutions.
31. Acts of 1877, Chapter 144, Page 170, specifically repealed Section 25, Chapter 67, Acts of 1867, which incorporated the Dandridge Railroad Company.
32. Acts of 1879, Chapter 233, Page 274, repealed the 1843 Act, which incorporated the town of Dandridge, and its amendments, and the town was abolished. All the books and records of the town were to be turned over immediately to the County Court Clerk.
33. Acts of 1893, Chapter 46, Page 57, incorporated the City of White Pine under the Mayor-Alderman system of government, describing the area encompassed by the city and directing the Sheriff, or Deputy, to hold an election to choose five Aldermen and a Mayor, a Constable, and a Magistrate, all of whom would be sworn into office, and some of them were to be bonded for performance of their duties. This Act was repealed by the one following.
34. Acts of 1895, Chapter 45, Page 60, repealed Chapter 46, Acts of 1893, above which incorporated the city of White Pine in Jefferson County, and abolished its charter. The records were to be delivered to the Magistrate of that Civil District and any money on hand would be applied to unpaid debts.
35. Acts of 1897, Chapter 124, Page 282, set the annual salaries of the county officials according to the population class of the county in which they operated. The officials were deprived of all their fees which were to be paid over to the Trustee. Itemized and sworn statements showing the amount of fees collected were to be filed periodically with the County Judge, or Chairman, but in no case would the salary exceed the amount of fees paid in. This Act was declared unconstitutional in Weaver v. Davidson County (1900), 104 Tenn. 315, 59 SW 1105, but it and those to follow became the harbingers of the salary statutes under which the State of Tennessee now operates.
36. Private Acts of 1907, Chapter 419, Page 1423, incorporated the Mayor and Aldermen of the city of Dandridge as the limits were specifically described in the Act. The Mayor and six aldermen were to be elected by popular vote and then they would appoint a Recorder and the police for one year terms. The city was further entitled to a Justice of the Peace in addition to the other Justices. The Mayor and Aldermen must be resident property owners of the city. The remainder of the Act contained the usual provisions found in corporate municipal charters.
37. Private Acts of 1929, Chapter 337, Page 877, authorized Jefferson County, acting by and through its Quarterly Court to levy a special tax for the employment of an Industrial Agent whose salary would not exceed $3,600 annually and the tax levied could not produce any more than that amount. The agent's duties were to develop the natural resources of the county by correspondence, or advertisement, or by inviting agents of industrial concerns to see the minerals, timber, farms, or other county resources.
38. Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 769, Page 1784, was applicable only to Jefferson County. This Act amended Section 10731 of the Tennessee Code to provide that any petition to a court to increase the salaries or the numbers of assistants, or deputies, must first be approved by a majority of the Quarterly Court before being filed and Section 10732 of the Tennessee Code was amended to provide that the Quarterly Court could adopt a Resolution in normal form and manner citing the need for salary decreases in the positions of assistants, or deputies, and then file a proper petition in the appropriate court reflecting the contents of the Resolution whereupon the court could hear proof accordingly.
39. Private Acts of 1937, Chapter 422, Page 1305, removed the disability of infancy from Mrs. Ruth Blazer Ailey of Jefferson County, conferring upon her all the rights, privileges, and obligations of an adult.