such person to the common Goal of that County or City there to remain by the space of three Months. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED by the Authority aforesaid. That if the Justices of the Peace shall at their General or Quarter Sessions upon any Appeal before them there had concerning the settlement of any Poor Person determine in favor of the Appellant that such poor Person or Persons was or were unduly removed, that then the said Justices shall at the same General or Quarter Sessions order and Award to such Appellant so much Money, (besides his Costs and Charges,) as shall appear to the said Justices to have been reasonably paid by the Parish or other place on whose behalf such Appeal was made, for or towards the Relief of such Poor Person or Persons between the Time of such undue Removal and the Determination of such Appeal, the said Money so awarded to be recovered in the same Manner as Costs and Charges upon an Appeal are above prescribed to be recovered. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED by the Authority aforesaid. That the Father and Grandfather, Mother and Grandmother (being of sufficient Ability) of any Poor lame or decrepit Person or Persons whomsoever not being able to maintain themselves, and becoming chargeable to any City, Town Manor, Precinct or District within this Colony, and the Children and Grand Children (being of sufficient Ability) of every Poor, old, blind, lame or impotent person not being able to maintain themselves, and becoming chargeable as aforesaid, shall severally at his, her or their Charges and Expences relieve and maintain every such Poor Person as aforesaid in such Manner as the Justices of the Peace of the County, City or Town Corporate where such sufficient person shall dwell at their General or Quarter Sessions of the Peace shall order and direct, on Pain of forfeiting and paying ten Shillings for each Person so ordered to be relieved for every Week they shall fail therein to be sued for and recovered by the Church Wardens or Overseers of the Poor of the place to which such Poor Person or Persons shall be chargeable for the use of the Poor of the same Place, in the Manner herein before directed, with respect to Costs and Charges upon an Appeal. AND WHEREAS it sometimes happens that Persons run away, or abscond from their places of abode and legal Settlement, and leave their Wives and Families a Charge to the Public although such Persons may have some Estate real or Personal whereby the place might be eased in whole or in part, which is most just and reasonable. BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the Authority aforesaid. That it shall and may be lawful for the Church Wardens or Overseers of the Poor of any City Town Manor Precinct or District within this Colony where any Father or Husband shall run away or absent himself from his Wife and Children, or any Widow shall run away or absent herself from her Children and leave them a public Charge, to apply to any (1773) (1773) *Chapter 1604 two Justices of the Peace of the County, City or Town Corporate where such Estate Real or personal, or any part thereof may be, and by Warrant under the Hands and Seals of the said two Justices to take and seize so much of the Goods and Chattels, and to let out and receive so much of the annual Rents and Profits of the Lands and Tenements of such Father Husband or Mother so absconding as aforesaid as such Two Justices shall order and direct for and towards the maintaining bringing up and providing for such Wife Child or Children so left as aforesaid; and so soon as the said Seizure shall be allowed of, and confirmed by the Justices in their General or Quarter Sessions of the Peace, it shall and may be lawful for the said Overseers or any two of them from Time to Time and as often as the Case may require to sell and dispose of so much and so many of the said Goods and Chattels at Public Vendue to the highest Bidder, and to receive the said Rents and profits or so much of them as shall be ordered by the Said Sessions, and to apply the Money arising thereby towards the Maintenance of such Poor Family so left as aforesaid. AND BE IT ENACTED by the Authority aforesaid, That the Freeholders and Inhabitants of each respective Town Manor or Precinct not already impowered by Law to appoint Church Wardens or Overseers of the Poor shall and may on the first Tuesday in April in every Year, or at their annual Meetings for the electing of Officers, elect and choose so many Persons to be Overseers of the Poor as the Majority of the Freeholders and Inhabitants then present, shall judge necessary, which Overseers of the Poor so elected shall have all the Powers and be subject to all the Duties and Penalties required by this Act, or any general Law of the Colony, relating to the Poor, and this Act shall extend to every City and Manor in this Colony as well as to other places. PROVIDED NEVERTHELESS, That Nothing herein before enacted shall extend or be construed to extend to set aside or make void any Judgment Order or Decree which hath been made or shall be made by any Court in this Colony respecting the settlement of any Poor Person before the making of this Act, which is to continue and be in force from the passing hereof until the first Day of May which will be in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six. Provided also that all Suits or Processes that shall be commenced by virtue of this Act may be proceeded on and determined notwithstanding the Expiration hereof. Reviving an act to restrain hawkers and peddlers Vol. V, page 526 from selling without a license. Moiety of penalty to be applied toward maintenance of the poor. *Volume and page refer to "Colonial Laws of New York," from which those notes and transcripts are made. The chapters agree with those of Livingston & Smith, and Van Schaack. An act to prevent aged and decrepit slaves from becoming burthensome. Persons allowing their slaves to go about begging, to forfeit £10, a moiety of which is to go toward the support of the poor. An act to prevent the sale of goods at night by vendue, auction or outcry in the city of New York. A moiety of penalty for violation to be applied for the benefit of the poor in New York city. An act for the relief of the poor in the county of Albany. Overseers of the poor to be elected to set poor able-bodied persons to work and apprentice poor children. AN ACT FOR THE RELIEF OF THE POOR IN THE 66 (Passed, March 8, 1773). BE IT ENACTED by his Excellency the Governor the Council and the General Assembly and it is hereby enacted by the Authority of the same, That the Act entitled "An act for the 'Relief of the Poor in the Counties of Ulster and Orange and "to enable the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the several "Towns and precincts thereof to elect Overseers of the Poor "at their annual Meetings," passed the thirty-first Day of December one thousand seven hundred and sixty-eight; shall be and hereby is extended to every District in the City and County of Albany, any Law, Usage or Custom to the contrary thereof notwithstanding. PROVIDED ALWAYS That Nothing in the said Act shall be construed to abridge or diminish the Rights and Privileges of the Corporations of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Churches in the City of Albany and of the Township of Schenectady. Continuing an act to restrain hawkers and peddlers from selling without a license. Moiety of penalty to go to overseers of the poor for the maintenance of the poor. An act to lay a tax on dogs in the cities of New York and Albany, and the counties of Queens and Suffolk. Amounts collected including fines and penalties to be applied to support of the poor. Volume and page refer to "Colonial Laws of New York," from which those notes and transcripts are made. The chapters agree with those of Livingston & Smith, and Van Schaack. (1773) *Chapter 1608 Vol. V, page 533 Chapter 1615 Vol. V, page 547 Chapter 1625 Vol. V, page 585 1774 *Chapter 1656 Vol. V, page 643 *Vol. V, page 659 (1774) Vol. V, page 689 "Laws of New York" Chapter 25 1775 Chapter 23 Chapter 63 Chapter 1695 Vol. V, page 719 Chapter 1697 Vol. V, page 720 Chapter 1699 Vol. V, page 729 Chapter 1710 Vol. V, page 771 *Chapter 1750 Vol. V, page 872 An act for the relief of parishes and other places from such charges as may arise from bastard children born within the same. Defining the duties of overseers of the poor, and mothers and putative fathers of bastard children. Tax on dogs in the cities of New York and Albany and in the counties of Queens and Suffolk, and a moiety of penalties, to be applied to support of the pcor. Two overseers of the poor may be elected in all manors and patentships in Queens and Suffolk counties. Appropriating certain money in the treasury of Queens county to the support of the poor. Monies collected by town collectors in the counties of Dutchess and Ulster for the support of the poor, to be paid over to the overseers of the poor. Altering the time of assessing and collecting taxes for the support of the minister and the poor. Vestrymen to rate and assess tax for support of the minister and the poor in New York city. The Provincial Legislature granted £4,000 towards rebuilding Hospital of the City of New York which had been destroyed by fire. Amending an act for the relief of the poor in the manor of Cortlandt in the county of Westchester, allowing each of the three districts to elect one overseer of the poor. (See chapter 1224.) Manor of Rensselaerwyck empowered to elect two additional overseers of the poor. *Volume and page refer to "Colonial Laws of New York," from which those notes and transcripts are made. The chapters agree with those of Livingston & Smith, and Van Schaack. THE STATE OF NEW YORK 1776 TO 1900 The first Legislature of the State of New York met at Kingston on September 10, 1777, and the first statute was enacted February 6, 1778. Of the great majority of the laws which have been enacted in this State affecting the administration of charity and the care of the poor, it is possible to give a brief abstract only, referring the student of these questions to the laws themselves for fuller information should such be desired. To facilitate reference, however, especially of those to whom the laws of the State may not be accessible, a few of the more important statutes, such as the general poor laws, are printed in full. Appointing Commissioners in Tryon, Saratoga, Albany and Charlotte counties to collect and distribute charitable donations among distressed inhabitants on frontiers of eastern and western districts of State who, during late campaign, were obliged to abandon their homes by devastation of the enemy. Appointing a Commissioner to superintend the poor removed from New York into Dutchess county, and appropriating £600 from State treasury to each of the Commissioners for superintending poor removed into Dutchess, Westchester and Ulster counties. Providing for the election of overseers of the poor at the annual town meetings in August. Directing Justices of the Peace to furnish the necessaries of life to the families of soldiers in Continental service at moderate prices; balance to be paid by State. First session 1778 Chapter 6 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 45 |