Section 1

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the court of quarter-sessions of the county of Philadelphia, on being petitioned to grant a view of or for opening any street, lane or alley, within the city of Philadelphia, shall have power, and by virtue of this act are directed and required, as often as they judge it useful, in open court, to order and appoint twelve discreet and disinterested freeholders, neither of whom shall reside or own real estate in the city aforesaid, who, being first sworn or affirmed, shall, together with the commissioners of the county for the time being, or a majority of them, view the ground proposed for opening such street, lane or alley, and if they, or any ten of them, view the said ground, and any seven of the actual viewers, exclusive of the county commissioners, agree that there is occasion for such street, lane or alley to be opened, they shall proceed to lay out the same, as agreeably to the desire of the petitioners as may be, in such manner as to do the least injury to private property, and shall make report thereof, stating particularly, whether they judge the same necessary, together with a plot or draft thereof, to the next court of quarter- sessions; and if then and there the court aforesaid shall approve of the same, it shall, at the next court thereafter, be entered on record, and thenceforth shall be taken, deemed and allowed to be a public street, lane or alley, compensation being first made to the owner of the ground or other property, as herein-after directed: Provided, That no street, lane or alley, so opened, shall, in any case exceed, fifty feet in breadth.