[1872, 79: 1875, 67.]

Chap. 70 AN Acr in addition to an Act to supply the City of Lawrence with

City of Law. rence Water

Loan, $100,000 additional.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

Water.

SECTION 1. The city of Lawrence is authorized to issue from time to time notes, scrip, bonds or certificates of debt, to be denominated on the face thereof "City of Lawrence Water Loan," to an amount not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars, in addition to the amount authorized by chapter seventy-nine of the acts of the year eighteen hundred and seventy-two and chapter sixty-seven of the acts of the year eighteen hundred and seventy-five; and the provisions of section nine of said chapter seventynine, shall be applicable to the issue provided by this act. SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. Approved March 28, 1876.

Chap. 75 AN ACT to incorporate the Owners of Meadow Lands lying on Neponset River.

Corporators.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

SECTION 1. The owners of the meadow lands lying on each side of Neponset River, in the towns of Sharon, Canton, Milton, Norwood, Dedham and Hyde Park, in the county of Norfolk, included between two parallel lines, the lower and north-easterly line crossing said river at Paul's Bridge, so called, at right angles with said river at said point, and the upper and south-westerly line crossing Tadpole Brook, so called, a tributary of said river, at the point where said brook meets the north-easterly dividing Îine between said towns of Norwood and Sharon, excepting that part of said lands known as the Common Field, in Purgatory Meadow, are hereby made a corporation by Name and pur. the name of The Neponset Meadow Company, with power to drain and improve said meadows from time to time for the purpose of saving the grass growing thereon, and improving the quality thereof, with the powers and privileges, and subject to the duties, restrictions and liabilities set forth in the general laws which now are or hereafter may be in force relating to such corporations. Said corporation may sue and be used by its corporate name, and shall have power to prosecute and maintain complaints under chapter one hundred and forty-nine of the General Statues.

рове.

Powers and duties.

of owners of meadow lands.

SECTION 2. Any justice of the peace, upon application First meeting in writing from ten or more of said owners, shall issue his warrant to one of the owners aforsaid, requiring him to notify and warn a meeting of said owners, for the purposes to be expressed in said warrant, by posting copies of said warrant in at least two public places in each of said towns, and by publishing the same once each week, for three successive weeks, in some newspaper published in one of said towns, said posting and said publication to be at least fourteen days before said meeting; and said owners, when legally assembled as aforesaid, may adopt by-laws for the government of said corporation, and may also choose a clerk, treasurer, assessors and collector, who shall be sworn to the faithful discharge of their duties, and shall continue in office until others are chosen and sworn in their stead which said officers may exercise the same power and authority in performing the duties of their appointment, as town officers of the like description.

structions from Neponset River.

Money to be

raised to be assessed upon

proprietors.

SECTION 3. In addition to the powers already granted, May remove obsaid corporation shall have power to remove grass, weeds and other natural obstructions, and all illegal obstructions in said Neponset River and its tributaries, whereby the drainage of their said meadow lands is obstructed or prevented, and to vote and raise moneys for said purposes, and for all other necessary expenses of said corporation; and all moneys which may be voted to be raised as aforesaid, shall be assessed upon each proprietor in said meadows, according to the number of acres owned by him, and the benefits likely to be received; and any owner who is aggrieved by the amount of the tax levied on his land, may at any time within thirty days after said assessment, appeal to the county commissioners for said county of Norfolk, who shall have power to reduce or increase the amount of said tax, and to make the same as said corporation should have made it, under the provisions of this bill; and if any owner shall refuse or neglect to pay the sum or sums assessed upon him as aforesaid for sixty days after demand thereof, so much of his said land may be sold as will be sufficient to pay the same, together with costs, in the same way and manner as non-resident owners' lands in this Commonwealth are sold to pay town taxes; but nothing herein contained shall authorize arrest of the person, nor the sale of any property except said meadow lands: : provided, that this act shall not take effect until Proviso.

Penalty for neglect to pay

assessment.

the owners of three-quarters of all of the meadow lands included herein shall have expressed in writing their acceptance of this act, which acceptance, together with the oath of at least three of said owners, that, in their belief, the owners of three-quarters of all of said meadow lands have signed said acceptance, shall be filed in the office of the secretary of state, and the certificate of said secretary, that such alleged acceptance has been so filed, shall be prima facie evidence of such acceptance.

Approved March 28, 1876.

[Accepted Sept. 22, 1876.]

[1855, 13; 1867, 40, 221; 1871, 245; 1873, 242; 1874, 192.]

Chap. 77 AN ACT to authorize the Town of Arlington to issue Additional Water Scrip, and to limit the Amount thereof.

May issue additional water scrip; whole

amount not to

exceed $300,000.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

SECTION 1. The town of Arlington, for the purposes mentioned in the eighth section of chapter two hundred and forty-two of the acts of the year eighteen hundred and seventy-three, may issue notes, scrip or certificates of debt, to be denominated on the face thereof "Arlington Water Scrip," to an amount not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars, in addition to the amount authorized by the first section of chapter one hundred and ninety-two of the acts of the year eighteen hundred and seventy-four, to be issued upon like terms and conditions and with like powers in all respects as are provided in said acts for the issue of "Arlington Water Scrip," by said town: provided, that the whole amount of such water scrip, bonds, notes or certificates issued by said town under the authority given by this act and by all other acts, shall not in any event exceed the amount of three hundred thousand dollars.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved March 30, 1876.

Chap. 78 AN ACT to authorize the Appointment and to define the Duties of a

Harbor-master may be appointed.

Harbor-Master for the Port of Salem.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

SECTION 1. The board of mayor and aldermen of the city of Salem may appoint a harbor-master for the port of Salem, who shall continue in office until a successor is qualified, and who, before entering upon the duties of his To give bonds. office, shall give to the treasurer of said city a bond, which

a deputy.

shall be satisfactory to the board of mayor and aldermen, in the sum of two thousand dollars, conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties; and said harbor-master shall have the power to appoint a deputy when, in the May appoint opinion of the board of mayor and aldermen, it is necessary; and such appointment shall be subject to their approval, and said board shall fix the salaries of both of said officers. Said harbor-master shall enforce the provisions of this act.

SECTION 2. All vessels entering the said harbor shall be anchored according to the direction of said harbor

master.

SECTION 3. Every vessel, before unloading lumber in the stream, shall get a permit from said harbor-master, designating where such lumber may be rafted to avoid obstructing the channel or hindering the movements of other vessels.

SECTION 4. Every vessel lying in the harbor, or at any wharf or pier, in said port, shall, when directed by said harbor-master, cockbill the lower yards, brace the topsail yards, fore and aft, and rig in the jib-boom.

SECTION 5. Said harbor-master may cause to be moved, any vessel lying in the harbor and not anchored according to his directions, and not moving when directed by him so to do, and the expense thereof shall be paid by the master or owners of such vessel; and in case of neglect or refusal to pay after the same shall have been demanded, said expense may be recovered of said master or owners by said harbor-master to the use of the said city, in an action of

contract.

Vessels to be direction of har

anchored under

bor-master.

To get a permit

from harbormaster before

unloading.

to be deposited in harbor.

SECTION 6. No person shall throw or deposit in said Gravel, etc., not harbor, or any part thereof, any stones, gravel, ballast, cinders, ashes, dirt, mud or other substance which may in any way tend to injure the navigation thereof.

be obstructed by warps or lines.

SECTION 7. No warp or line shall be passed across the Channel not to channel or any dock, so as to obstruct vessels passing along the same.

SECTION 8. If any vessel occupying a berth at any of the wharves or piers of said city, either with or without the consent of the wharfinger thereof, shall fail to vacate such berth upon notice from the wharfinger or his agent to the master, or those having such vessel in charge for the time being, in a reasonable time, to be adjudged by said harbormaster, said harbor-master shall then cause such vessel to

Vessels to change berths

when directed.

To be stationed in stream as harbor-master may order.

Penalty for disobeying instructions.

Liability for damages.

Masters of ves

sels to be furnished with

be moved to some other berth or anchored in the stream, and the expense thereof may be collected of the master or owners thereof, by said harbor-master, to the use of said city, in an action of contract.

SECTION 9. Said harbor-master shall have authority to regulate and station all vessels in the stream of said harbor, and to remove such as are not employed in receiving or discharging their cargoes, to make room for such others as require to be more immediately accommodated for the purpose of receiving or discharging their cargoes, and as to the fact of their being fairly and actually employed in receiving or discharging their cargoes, the said harbor-master is hereby constituted the sole judge.

SECTION 10. Whoever shall refuse or neglect to obey the instructions of said harbor-master, or shall resist him in the execution of his duties, shall forfeit and pay a fine not exceeding fifty dollars.

SECTION 11. Any person violating the provisions of this act, in addition to any fines imposed in accordance herewith, shall be liable in an action of tort to any person suffering damage by such violation.

SECTION 12. It shall be the duty of said harbor-master to place in the hands of the master of every vessel arriving copy of this act at the port of Salem, a copy of this act.

SECTION 13. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved March 30, 1876.

[1873, 269.]

AN ACT to extend the Time for building the Sqantum Free Bridge.
Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

The time fixed in section four of chapter two hundred and sixty-nine of the acts of the year eighteen hundred and seventy-three, for commencing and completing the Squantum Free Bridge, is hereby extended three years. Approved March 30, 1876.

[1879, 145.]

Chap. 82 AN ACT to incorporate the New Bedford Marine Insurance Company. Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

Corporators.

Name and pur. pose.

SECTION 1. Samuel H. Cook, Jireh Swift, Jonathan Bourne, junior, their associates and successors, are hereby made a corporation by the name of the New Bedford Marine Insurance Company, in the city of New Bedford,