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1848 Petition No. 165

A petition from Sundry Citizens of Sevier County praying that a Bill be passed rope (?) Act to Compell Owner's of Mill dams on Little Pigeon River in Said County to put Slopes therein passed 1820.

Ho. of Reps. 4th Jan. 1848 -- Read and referred together with Bill No. 271 -- to the Committee on the January Minutes.

S. D. Mitchell, Clerk

To the Honorable, the Senate and house of Representatives of the State of Tennessee in Session assembled: We the undersigned petitioners Respectfully represent to your honorable body, that on the 24th day of July 1820 an act was passed by the Legislature of this State Entitled "An act to compel owners of Mill dams on little Pigeon river in Sevier County to put slopes therein," which said act was considered so oppressive to mill owners, that by general consent said act was, nor has not been in any instance complied with, and whereas also Boats have ceased to be built above the Town of Sevierville, and whereas also the water in frequently high enough to admit of the passage of fish up said stream. And whereas also a few persons are threatening to enforce said act, the sure result of which mill assuredly be to stop some if not all of the best mills in said county, in as much as slopes as directed to be built by the act referred tog would cost far more to erect them than the profits of any mill on Pigeon is worth, and would be liable to be washed away at least once a year. In order, therefore, to avoid the above consequences to a large numbers of the good citizens of Sevier County and in order to put it out of the power of an ambitious or malicious person to cause so great an evil as the stopping of the various public mills on said River in Sevier County, We humbly petition your honorable body to repeal said act in all its parts, and will hail said repeal as a great public blessing and an in duty bound we will ever pray.

Signed by 85 persons