ive officers. for the period of two years from and after the Monday next succeeding the day of such election, and until their successors are elected and qualified. The board of trustees may in their Appointdiscretion appoint a poundmaster, also a superintendent of streets, and a city engineer, all of whom shall hold office during the pleasure of the board. SEC. 2. This act shall take effect immediately. CHAPTER XXXIX, An act to amend section 1882 of an act entitled "An act to establish a Political Code of the State of California, approved March 12, 1872, relating to the issue of bonds of school districts." [Approved February 26, 1903.] The people of the State of California, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section eighteen hundred and eighty-two of an act entitled "An act to establish a Political Code in the State of California, approved March twelfth, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, relating to the issue of bonds of school districts," is hereby amended so as to read as follows: 1882. Such notice must contain: 1. Time and place of holding such election; 2. The names of inspectors and judges to conduct the same; 3. The hours during the day in which the polls will be open; 4. The amount and denomination of the bonds; the rate of interest and the number of years, not exceeding forty, the whole or any part of said bonds are to run. SEC. 2. This act shall take effect immediately. School bond elections. CHAPTER XL. An act restricting the powers of boards of supervisors in the matter of imposing licenses upon the business of raising, herding, grazing, and pasturing sheep. [Approved February 26, 1903.] The people of the State of California, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: tax on SECTION 1. No license or licenses greater than five cents per License head shall be imposed by the board of supervisors of any county sheep. on the business of raising, herding or pasturing sheep, and any and all licenses imposed by the board of supervisors of any county on the business of raising, herding or pasturing sheep, in excess of five cents per head, shall be and are hereby declared invalid; provided, the provisions of this act shall not apply to any license tax the validity of which is involved in any suit now pending, or to any such license tax due when this act takes effect. SEC. 2. This act shall take effect immediately. Investment of school funds. CHAPTER XLI. An act to amend section 680 of the Political Code of the State of [Approved February 26, 1903.] The people of the State of California, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section six hundred and eighty of the Political Code of the State of California is hereby amended so as to read as follows: 680. Whenever and as often as there is in the state treasury the sum of ten thousand dollars as the proceeds of the sale of state school lands, the board must invest the same in the civil funded bonds of this state, or in the bonds of the United States, or in the bonds of the several counties, city and county, cities or towns or school districts of this state; the investments to be made in such manner and on such terms as the board shall deem best for the fund; provided, that no bonds of any county, city and county, city or town or school districts, shall be purchased of which the debt, debts, or liabilities at the time exceed fifteen per cent of the assessed value of the taxable property of such county, city and county, city or town or school district. SEC. 2. This act shall take effect immediately. Clerk to keep ballots unopened. CHAPTER XLII. An act to amend and re-enact section 1265 of the Political Code relating to election ballots, their custody after election and their final destruction. [Approved February 26, 1903.] The people of the State of California, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 1265 of the Political Code is hereby amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows: 1265. On receipt of the packages the clerk must file the one containing ballots, and must keep it unopened and court may ballots unaltered for twelve months, after which time, if there is not a contest commenced in some tribunal having jurisdiction about such election, he must burn the package without opening or examining its contents; provided however, that after the Judge of time limited for a contest, and in the event any contests have superior been commenced, then after said ballots have been opened and order counted by the superior court in said contests, a judge of the opened. superior court of the county wherein said ballots were voted may order said packages to be opened for inspection in any case being tried in his court where he has jurisdiction of the same, whenever he shall deem it necessary to inspect the ballots contained in said packages in order to produce testimony to establish the proof of any material issue of fact arising in the course of the trial of said case. In no event shall the said packages, or any of them, or the ballots contained therein, be taken from the custody of the county clerk. Whenever said packages, or any of them, shall have been inspected and examined, and a record made of the testimony therein contained, the same shall be restored to the exclusive control and custody of the county clerk, who shall reseal the packages with the ballots contained therein, and keep the same until he shall burn them, in accordance with the direction of this section; provided further, that if in any congressional district within Congresthis state there has been or shall be filed a contest of the elec- election tion of any person declared to have been elected a member of contest. congress, and the county clerk or registrar of voters in any county or city and county be notified by the contestant, that such congressional election contest is pending, then and in that case such county clerk or registrar of voters shall not destroy the ballots in that county or city and county, or in the part or portion thereof within such congressional district in which such contest is pending, until the final determination of such contest before the house of representatives of the congress of the United States; and such county clerk or registrar of voters shall hold such ballots in his custody subject to the inspection of any committee of the house of representatives or sub-committee thereof, having in charge the investigation of such contest, and Clerk to shall produce such ballots for examination before any such Buc committee of the house of representatives or sub-committee or before any commissioner designated by such congressional committee or sub-committee or before any officer designated by act of congress and duly selected to take depositions and proof in any such contest of the election of any person to congress. SEC. 2. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. sional ballots. Protection of dependent children. ent child" CHAPTER XLIII. An act defining and providing for the control, protection, and treatment of dependent and delinquent children; prescribing the powers and duties of courts with respect thereto; providing for the appointment of probation officers, and prescribing their duties and powers; providing for the separation of children from adults when confined in jails or other institutions; providing for the appointment of boards to investigate the qualifications of organizations receiving children under this act, and prescribing the duties of such boards; and providing when proceedings under this act shall be admissible in evidence. [Approved February 26, 1903.] The people of the State of California, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: SECTION 1. This act shall apply only to children under the age of sixteen years not now or hereafter inmates of a state institution, or any reform school for juvenile offenders, or any institution incorporated under the laws of the state for the care and education of children. For the purposes of this act "Depend, the words "dependent child" shall mean any child under the defined. age of sixteen years that is found begging, or receiving or gathering alms (whether actually begging or under the pretext of selling or offering for sale anything), or being in any street, road, or public place for the purpose of so begging, gathering, or receiving alms; or that is found wandering and not having any home or any settled place of abode, or proper guardianship, or visible means of subsistence; or that is found destitute, or whose home, by reason of neglect, cruelty, or depravity on the part of its parents, guardian, or other person in whose care it may be, is an unfit place for such child; or that frequents the company of reputed criminals or prostitutes, or that is found living or being in any house of prostitution or assignation, or that habitually visits, without parent or guardian, any saloon, place of entertainment where any spirituous liquors, or wine, or intoxicating or malt liquors are sold, exchanged, or given away, or who is incorrigible, or who is a persistent truant from school. The words "delinquent child" shall include any child under the age of sixteen years who violates any law of this state, or any ordinance of any town, city, county, or city and county of this state. "Delin quent child." Judges of superior court, SEC. 2. In counties having more than one judge of a superior court, the judges of such court shall from time to time duties of designate one or more of their number whose duty it shall be to hear all cases coming under this act. In the cities of the first class such designation shall be made by the presiding judge. The orders and findings, if any, of the superior court, in all cases coming under the provisions of this act, shall be entered in a book to be kept for that purpose courts. sessions. and known as the "juvenile record," and the court acting under this act, for convenience, may be called the "juvenile court." In justices' courts having more than one justice of Justices' the peace, and in police courts having more than one judge, the justices of the peace, and the judges of the police courts, from time to time shall designate one of their respective number whose duty it shall be to hear all cases coming under this act. All cases coming under the provisions of this act Special shall be heard at a special session of the court, and no matter other than cases under this act shall be on the calendar, or shall be heard at such session, nor shall there be permitted to be present at such special session any person on trial, or awaiting trial, who does not come under the provisions of this act. SEC. 3. Any citizen of the state may file with the county Filing clerk a petition showing that there is within the county a dependent child, and praying that the superior court deal with such child as provided in this act. Such petition shall be verified, and shall contain a statement of the facts constituting such dependency as provided in section one of this act. petition. issue. child to be SEC. 4. Upon the filing of the petition, provided for in section Citation to three hereof, a citation shall issue, requiring the person having custody or control of the child, or with whom the child may be, to appear with the child at a place and time stated in the citation. Service of such citation must be made at least twenty-four hours before the time stated therein. The parents Relative of of the child, if living, and if their place of residence be known, notified. and it be within the county in which the court sits, or his legal guardian, if any, or if there be neither parent nor guardian, or if his or her residence is not known, then some relative, if there be any, and if his residence be known, and it be within the county where the court sits, shall be notified of the proceedings, and in any case, the judge may appoint some suitable person to act in behalf of the child, and may order such further notice of the proceeding to be given as he may deem proper. If the person cited as herein provided, shall fail, without reason- Failure to able cause, to appear and abide by the order of the court, or to obey citabring the child, he may be proceeded against as in case of contempt of court. In case the citation cannot be served, or the party served fails to obey the same, and in any case in which it shall be made to appear to the court that such citation will be ineffectual, a warrant of arrest may issue on the order of the court, either against the parent or guardian, or the person having the custody of the child, or with whom the child may be, or against the child itself, or any of said persons. On the return of the citation or other process, or as soon thereafter as may be, the court shall proceed to hear and dispose of the case in a summary manner. Until the final disposition of any case the child may be retained in the possession of the person having charge of the same, or may be kept, upon the order of the court, in some suitable place, provided by the county, or city and county, or may be held otherwise, as the court may direct. tion. |