Chestnut Hill & Spring House Turnpike Road Co. v. Montgomery County

Citations

• 228 Pa. 1
• 76 A. 726
• 1910 Pa. LEXIS 420

Syllabus

<p>Statutes — Construction —Reasonable meaning- — Rules of grammar.</p> <p>1. In construing a statute effort should be made to find a reasonable meaning for all of the words used and to give force and effect to every part. The construction placed upon each part should be logical in itself, and consistent with that given to every other.</p> <p>2. All phrases and sentences are to be construed according to the rules of grammar; and these require, as a general thing, that a limiting elause or phrase following several expressions to which it might be applicable, should be restrained to the last antecedent.</p> <p>Turnpike companies — Condemnation of road — Practice, C. P.— Practice, Q. S. — Jury of view — Confirmation of report — Appeals—Act of June 2,1887, P. L. 306--Construction of act.</p> <p>3. Sections 6 and 8 of the Act of June 2, 1887, F. L. 306, relating to proceedings for condemning a turnpike road are thus construed: (1) Exceptions may be filed within thirty days from the time the report is filed; (2) if the exceptions filed are withdrawn or dismissed, and the report is not referred back to the jury or set aside, then it is to be marked confirmed nisi, which is equivalent to the approval referred to in sec. 8; (3) another thirty days is then given to allow time for an appeal to the common pleas, and if no appeal is taken within that period, the report is to be finally confirmed or disapproved at the end thereof; (4) if an appeal is taken, then the final confirmation cannot take place until thirty days after the result of the appeal is remitted from the common pleas and filed in the quarter sessions; (5) if no exceptions are filed or appeal taken to the common pleas within the times fixed by the act, the court may of its own motion confirm or dismiss the report.</p> <p>Turnpike companies — Condemnation proceedings — Damages—Evidence.</p> <p>4. On a proceeding to condemn a turnpike road evidence as to the quality and value of the masonry in a bridge along the lin