qualified to vote in town affairs, present and voting thereon at any legal meeting called for that purpose ; whereupon all the rights, privileges and liabilities herein granted to or imposed upon said town of Middleborough shall vest in and be assumed by said fire district. At such meeting the check list shall be used and the voting shall be by ballot written or printed, Yes, or No. The number of meetings called in one year shall not exceed three.

SECT. 10. The said fire district may for the purpose of paying the cost of carrying the provisions of this act into effect, issue from time to time bonds, notes or certificates of debt to an amount not exceeding in the aggregate seventy-five thousand dollars ; such securities shall be denominated the Middleborough Fire District Water Loan;" shall be payable at the expiration of periods not exceeding thirty years from the date of issue; shall bear interest payable semi-annually at a rate not exceeding six per cent. per annum, and shall be signed by the treasurer of said fire district and be countersigned by the water commissioners hereinafter provided for. The said fire district may sell such securities at public or private sale, or pledge the same for money borrowed for the purposes of this act, upon such terms and conditions as it may deem proper. The said fire district shall provide, at the time of contracting said loan, for the establishment of a sinking fund, and shall annually contribute to such fund a sum sufficient, with the accumulations thereof, to pay the principal of said loan at maturity. The said sinking fund shall remain inviolate and pledged to the payment of said loan and shall be used for no other purpose.

Sect. 11. The said fire district shall raise annually by taxation a sum which, with the income derived from the water rates, will be sufficient to pay the current annual expenses of operating its water works and the interest as it accrues on the bonds, notes or certificates of debt issued by said fire district; and to make such contributions to the sinking fund and payments on the principal as may be required under the provisions of this act. Said fire district is further authorized to raise by taxation any sum of money for the purpose of enlarging or extending its water works, not exceeding three thousand dollars in any one year.

SECT. 12. Whenever a tax is duly voted by said fire district for the purposes of this act, the clerk shall render a certified copy of the vote to the assessors of the town of Middleborough, who shall proceed within thirty days to assess the same in the same manner in all respects as other taxes in said fire district are by law required to be assessed. The assessment shall be committed to the town collector, who shall collect said tax in the same manner as is provided for the collection of town taxes, and shall deposit the proceeds thereof with the treasurer of the fire district for the use and benefit of said fire district. Said fire district may collect interest on taxes when overdue at a rate not exceeding one per centum per month, in the same manner as interest is authorized to be collected on town taxes : provided, said fire district at the time of voting to raise a tax shall so determine, and shall also fix a time for payment thereof.

Sect. 13. The said fire district shall after assuming the authority con-ferred by this act as provided in section nine, at a legal meeting called for the purpose, elect by ballot three persons to hold office, one until the expiration of three years, one until the expiration of two years, and one until the expiration of one year from the next succeeding annual meeting to constitute a board of water commissioners; and at each annual meeting thereafter, one such commissioner shall be elected by ballot for the term of three years. All the authority granted to the said fire district by this act, and not otherwise specifically provided for, shall be vested in said board of water commissioners, who shall be subject, however, to such instructions, rules and regulations as said fire district may impose by its vote; the said commissioners shall be trustees of the sinking fund herein provided for, and a majority of said commissioners shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business relative both to the water works and to the sinking fund. Any vacancy occurring in said board from any cause may be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by said fire district at any legal meeting called for the purpose. No money shall be drawn from the district treasury on account of said water works except by a written order of said commissioners or a majority of them. Said commissioners shall annually make a full report to said fire district, in writing, of their doings and expenditures.

SECT. 14. The said fire district may adopt by-laws prescribing by whom and how meetings may be called and notified ; but meetings may also be called on application of seven or more legal voters in said fire district by warrant from the selectmen of said town, on such notice as may be prescribed therein. The said fire district may also provide rules and regulations for the management of its water works not inconsistent with this act, or the laws of the Commonwealth, and may choose such other officers not provided for in this act as it may deem proper and necessary.

Sect. 15. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Approved March 6, 1884.

[CHAP. 60.] An Act to repeal the Public Statutes relating to the Annual Election

Sermon. Be it enacted, etc., as follows :

Sections twenty-four and thirty-five of chapter two of the Public Statutes, relating to an annual election sermon and the compensation of the preacher thereof, are hereby repealed. [Approved March 6, 1884.

[CHAP. 61.] Ax Act to change the name of the Hovey and Crandon Publishing Com

pany. Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

The pame of the “ Hovey and Crandon Publishing Company,” incorporated under chapter one hundred and six of the Public Statutes, is changed to that of the " Manufacturers' Gazette Publishing Company.” [Approved March 6, 1884.

[CHAP. 62.] An Act to authorize the Hingham Cordage Company to hold additional

real and personal estate. Be it enacted, etc., as follows :

The Hingham Cordage Company, for the purposes set forth in its charter, is hereby authorized to hold real and personal estate to an amount not exceeding one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. [Approved March 6,1884.

[CHAP. 63.]

AN ACT to change the name of the Worcester Lyceum and Natural History Association.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

SECT. 1. The name of the Worcester Lyceum and Natural History Association is hereby changed to the Worcester Natural History Society. SECT. 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Approved March 6, 1884.

[CHAP. 64.]

AN ACT to prevent the spread of Contagious Diseases through the Public Schools.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

The school committees shall not allow any pupil to attend the public schools while any member of the household to which such pupil belongs is sick of small-pox, diphtheria or scarlet fever, or during a period of two weeks after the death, recovery or removal of such sick person. [Approved March 7, 1884.

[CHAP. 65.]

AN ACT to establish the Salary of the Clerk of the Police Court of Holyoke.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

SECT. 1. The annual salary of the clerk of the police court of Holyoke shall be one thousand dollars.

SECT. 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

7, 1884.

[CHAP. 66.]

[Approved March

AN ACT relating to clerical assistance in the office of the Secretary of, and for lectures before, the Board of Agriculture.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

SECT. 1. The secretary of the board of agriculture may expend for other clerical services in his office, and for lectures to be given before the board at its annual and other meetings, a sum not exceeding eight hundred dollars per annum.

SECT. 2. So much of section four of chapter twenty of the Public Statutes as is inconsistent with this act is hereby repealed.

SECT. 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Approved March 7, 1884.

[CHAP. 67.]

AN ACT in addition to the acts to supply the city of Holyoke with pure Water.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

SECT. 1. The city of Holyoke by its water commissioners, for the purposes mentioned in chapter sixty-two of the acts of the year eighteen hundred seventy-two, may take and hold the waters of the "Whiting Street Brook," so called, in the cities of Holyoke and Northampton, and may convey the same into and through all parts of said city of Holyoke; and may also take and hold by purchase or otherwise, all lands, rights of way and easements, necessary for raising, flowing, holding, conveying and pre

serving such waters; and may erect thereon suitable dams, buildings, fixtures and structures, and make excavations and embankments, procure and operate machinery, and provide such appliances as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this act; and may construct and lay down conduits, pipes and other works, under or over any lands, water-courses, public or private ways, and along any such way, in such manner as not unnecessarily to obstruct the same; and for the purpose of constructing, maintaining and repairing such conduits, pipes and other works, and for all proper purposes of this act, may dig up, raise and embank any such lands, street, highway, alley or other way in such manner as to cause the least hindrance to public travel thereon: provided, that all work of construction, maintenance and repairs, done and performed in the public highway in the city of Northampton, shall be executed in the place designated by and agreeably to the order of the mayor and aldermen of the said city of Northampton.

SECT. 2. The city of Holyoke shall, within ninety days after taking of any lands, water-rights, rights of way or easements as aforesaid, otherwise than by purchase, file in the registry of deeds for the county within which are situated such lands, rights or other property, & description thereof, sufficiently accurate for identification, with a statement of the purposes for which the same were taken, signed by the water commissioners of said city.

Sect. 3. The said city shall pay all damages sustained by any person in property by the taking and holding of any water, water-rights, land, right of way or easement, or by any other thing done by said city, under the provisions of this act. Any person sustaining damages as aforesaid, who fails to agree with said city as to the amount of damages sustained, may have the same assessed and determined in the manner provided by law when land is taken for the laying out of highways, on application at any time within one year from the taking of such land or other property, or the doing of other injury under the authority of this act; but no such application shall be made after the expiration of said one year.

SECT. 4. For the purpose of paying all necessary expenses and liabilities incurred under the provisions of this act, said city by its water commissioners shall have authority to borrow from time to time such sums of money as they shall deem necessary, to an amount not exceeding thirty thousand dollars, and to issue therefor bonds, notes or certificates signed by the said water commissioners and countersigned by the mayor and auditor of said city, to be denominated on the face thereof the “Holyoke Water Loan Act of eighteen hundred and eighty-four," payable after one year, in instalments of not less than five thousand dollars each year, and bearing interest at a rate not exceeding six per cent. per annum. The said city by said water commissioners may sell or pledge the same or any portion thereof, or make other proper disposal of the same for the above purpose. The loan herein authorized may be paid as herein provided year by year from the sinking fund created in section seven of chapter sixty-two of the acts of the year eighteen hundred seventy-two: provided, that it can be so paid after contributing not less than one per cent. per annum to said sinking fund, from the surplus receipts of the water works for that year, on the whole amount of the water debt outstanding; otherwise the said debt herein authorized shall be paid by taxation.

Sect. 5. Whoever wilfully or wantonly corrupts, pollutes or diverts any

of the waters taken or held under this act, or injures any structure, work or other property, owned, held or used by said city, under the authority and for the purposes of this act, shall forfeit and pay to said city three times the amount of damages assessed therefor, to be recovered in an action of tort; and upon conviction of either of the above wilful or wanton acts shall be punished by fine not exceeding one hundred dollars or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both said penalties.

SECT. 6. The water commissioners of the city of Holyoke shall superintend and direct the performance of all the works, matters and things mentioned in this act, and exercise all the rights, powers and privileges hereby granted and not otherwise specifically provided for herein. They may fix and establish a reasonable compensation for their services, subject to the concurrent vote of the city council, said compensation to be paid as a part of the current expenses of the water works.

SECT. 7. This act shall take effect upon its acceptance by a two-thirds vote of each branch of all the members of the city council of said city present and voting thereon, if accepted within three years from its passage. [Approved March 7, 1884.

[CHAP. 68.]

AN ACT to authorize Court Little John, Number Six, Independent Order of Foresters, to change its name.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

SECT. 1. The Court Little John, Number Six, Independent Order of Foresters is hereby authorized to change its name to Court Little John, Number Fifty, United Order of Foresters.

SECT. 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Approved March 10, 1884.

[СНАР. 69.]

AN ACT relating to Instruction in the elementary use of Hand-Tools in Public Schools.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

Section one of chapter forty-four of the Public Statutes, relating to the branches of instruction to be taught in public schools, is amended by striking out, in the eighth line, the words " and hygiene," and inserting instead the words "hygiene and the elementary use of hand-tools," and in any city or town where such tools shall be introduced, they shall be purchased by the school committee, at the expense of such city or town, and loaned to such pupils, as may be allowed to use them, free of charge; subject to such rules and regulations, as to care and custody, as the school committee may prescribe. [Approved March 10, 1884.

[CHAP. 70.]

AN ACT in addition to an Act to regulate the sale of Coal by measure. Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

SECT. 1. The capacity of the baskets or measures mentioned in chapter two hundred and eighteen of the acts of eighteen hundred and eighty-three, shall be plainly marked or stamped thereon by the sealer of weights and measures. Coal sold in accordance with the provisions of said chapter