In re Incorporation of Forest Hills
In re Incorporation of Forest Hills
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
This was a proceeding for the incorporation of a borough. Under the Act of Assembly of May 14,1915, P. L. 312, Ch. 2, Article -I, Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4, after providing for the application, its presentation to the court and notice, the act requires, “the court at said term, if it shall find that the conditions prescribed by the article
By the erection of this borough, a small triangular piece of ground was cut off from the rest of the township and it is argued that this renders the incorporation of the borough illegal. Article VIII, Section 11, of the Constitution provides that townships shall form or be divided into election districts of compact and contiguous ■territory in such manner as the court of quarter sessions may direct, and it is argued that the separation of the portions of this township violates this provision of the Constitution. We find nothing on the record to impeach the regularity of the proceedings. The cutting out of a small portion of the township is merely incidental to the defining of the boundary of the new borough. There is nothing to show that the separated parts cannot form separate election districts. We have no complaint here from any one residing in either part that he is disfranchised. In the extension of cities and boroughs, situations necessarily arise which destroy the regular contour of townships and reduce election districts very materially, but unless voters are disfranchised, we see no reason for holding that such changes are unlawful. All the Constitution requires is that election districts shall be composed of compact and contiguous territory. Both of the parts of the township which are left after the erection of this borough can properly be said to be of compact and contiguous territory.
Decree affirmed. Appellants for costs.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- In re Incorporation of Borough of Forest Hills
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Boroughs — Borough code — Incorporation—Act of May II, 1915, P. L. 812, Chapter 2, Article I. On. a petition for the incorporation of a borough the court may refer the task of taking testimony to an examiner, for the purpose of making an investigation, under the provisions of the Act of May 14, 1915, P. L. 312, Chapter 2, Article I, Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4. Constitutional law — Election districts — Incorporation of borough. The fact that a small triangular piece of ground will be cut off from the rest of a township, by the incorporation of a borough, does not violate Section 2, of Article VIII, of the Constitution, providing that townships shall form or be divided into election districts of compact and contiguous territory, etc. The mere separation of portions of the township is not contrary to the provisions of the Constitution, unless such separation results in the disfranchisement of the voters in the districts affected.