AN ACT extending the time for the construction of the Lebanon Springs Chap. 9. Railroad. Be it enacted, &c., as follows: struction ex ing damages ex The time, within which the Lebanon Springs Railroad Time for conCompany may construct that portion of their railroad which tended. was originally incorporated as the "Williamstown and Hancock Railroad Company," is hereby extended to April twentyfourth, eighteen hundred and sixty-two: provided, however, Time for estimat that the time, within which application to the county com- tended. missioners to estimate damages for land and materials taken, as provided in the fifty-eighth section of the thirty-ninth chapter of the Revised Statutes, be, and the same is hereby extended, in this case, until one year after the entire road is completed and opened for use. [Approved February 25, 1857.] AN ACT to incorporate the Young Men's Union of Salem. Be it enacted, &c., as follows: Chap. 10. SECTION 1. George M. Whipple, A. Augustus Smith, Corporators. Alfred Stone, Sidney C. Bancroft and George R. Emmerton, their associates and successors, are hereby made a corpora- Name. tion, by the name of the Young Men's Union of Salem, for Purpose. the purpose of diffusing and promoting knowledge, among young men now engaged in, or destined for, mercantile and other pursuits, by opening a reading-room, establishing a library, and by such other means as they may think expedient; with all the powers and privileges, and subject to all the Privileges, reduties, restrictions and liabilities, set forth in the forty-fourth chapter of the Revised Statutes. strictions, &c. estate not to ex tees. SECTION 2. The said corporation may hold real and per- Real and personal sonal estate, to be used for the purposes aforesaid, not ceed $60,000, to exceeding in all, the value of sixty thousand dollars, the be held by truslegal title to which shall be in five trustees, to be appointed by a majority of the members of the corporation, in the manner prescribed by their by-laws. All the trustees shall be of adult age, and shall be subject, in the care, management and disposal of said property, to the control and direction of a majority of the board of government named in the fourth section of this act. SECTION 3. Persons engaged in mercantile and other laud- Eligibility of able pursuits, or preparing themselves therefor, and above members, &c. the age of sixteen years, and no others, shall be eligible as members of the corporation, and entitled to vote and act as officers thereof, excepting that in no case shall a person under twenty-one years of age be a trustee. Board of govern ment. SECTION 4. The persons holding the following offices shall constitute the board of government of the association, to wit: the president, vice-president, corresponding secretary, recording secretary, treasurer and board of directors, consisting of not more than thirteen members; and said board May receive sub- of government may receive as subscribers to the library or reading-rooms, and admit to the privileges thereof, any person or mercantile firm, who may not be eligible as a member or members of the association under this act, upon the payment of a subscription, and complying with such other terms and conditions, as the said board may prescribe. scribers, &c. Chap. 11. Act repealed. SECTION 5. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. [Approved March 4, 1857.] AN ACT relating to the Public Library in the City of Boston. SECTION 1. So much of the act of March twelfth, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, as limits to ten thousand dollars the appropriations, authorized to be made annually by the city of Boston, to maintain a public library, is hereby repealed. SECTION 2. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. [Approved March 4, 1857.] Chap. 12. AN ACT in addition to an Act to incorporate the Berkshire Mutual Fire Real estate not to exceed $5,000. Chap. 13. Salary established. Inconsistent acts repealed. Insurance Company. Be it enacted, &c., as follows: The Berkshire Mutual Fire Insurance Company is hereby authorized to purchase and hold real estate in Pittsfield, necessary for the transaction of its business, to an amount not exceeding five thousand dollars. [Approved March 4, 1857.] AN ACT concerning the Police Court of the City of Worcester. Be it enacted, &c., as follows: SECTION 1. The standing justice of the police court of the city of Worcester, shall receive a sum not exceeding fifteen hundred dollars annually, in full for his services in criminal prosecutions, the same to be paid according to the existing provisions of law. SECTION 2. All acts and parts of acts, inconsistent with the provisions of this act, are hereby repealed. SECTION 3. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. [Approved March 4, 1857.] AN ACT to incorporate the Boston Kansas Company. Be it enacted. &c., as follows: Chap. 14. SECTION 1. Charles G. Nazro, John L. Emmons, Jona- Corporators. than Ellis, Oliver Carter and John H. Thorndike, their associates, successors and assigns, are hereby made a corporation, by the name of the Boston Kansas Company, for Name. the purposes of directing emigration westward, and aiding Purpose. in providing accommodations for the emigrants after arriving at their place of destination; and for these purposes they Privileges, rehave all the powers and privileges, and are subject to all the strictions, &c. duties, restrictions and liabilities, set forth in the forty-fourth chapter of the Revised Statutes. $100,000. SECTION 2. The capital stock of said corporation shall Capital stock not exceed one hundred thousand dollars: said capital stock How invested. may be invested in real or personal estate provided, the Proviso. said corporation shall not hold real estate in this Commonwealth to an amount exceeding twenty thousand dollars. SECTION 3. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. [Approved March 4, 1857.] AN ACT to amend the twenty-first section of the eighty-third chapter of Chap. 15. the Revised Statutes, relative to the Bonds of Registers of Probate. Be it enacted, &c., as follows: bate to give bond, The twenty-first section of the eighty-third chapter of the Registers of proRevised Statutes is so amended, that the bond required of &c. registers of probate shall be given to the county treasurer in a sum not less than one thousand, and not over ten thousand dollars, as the judge of probate for the county may order, and with sufficient sureties to be approved by said judge. [Approved March 9, 1857.] AN ACT concerning Probate Courts in the County of Berkshire. Be it enacted, &c., as follows: Chap. 16. established. SECTION 1. There shall be a probate court for the county Probate courts of Berkshire, at Lenox, on the first Tuesday of January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October and December; on the third Tuesday of July, and on the second Tuesday of November ;-at Great Barrington on the Wednesday next after the first Tuesday in February and May, respectively; on Wednesday next after the third Tuesday in July, and on Wednesday next after the second Tuesday in November; at Lanesborough, on the second Tuesday in January and October; on the fourth Tuesday in April and on the fourth Tuesday in July ;-at Adams, on the Wednesday next after the second Tuesday in January and October, Acts repealed. When to take effect. and on the Wednesday next after the fourth Tuesday in April and July. SECTION 2. So much of the fifty-fifth section of the eightythird chapter of the Revised Statutes, as provides for the holding of probate courts in the county of Berkshire, chapter forty-first of the statutes passed in eighteen hundred and forty-nine, and chapter thirty-third of the statutes passed in eighteen hundred and fifty-five, are hereby repealed. SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on the first day of July next. [Approved March 9, 1857.] Chap. 17. AN ACT in addition to an Act to incorporate the Medford and Charlestown Railroad Company. Act amended. Time for acceptance of act extended. Chap. 18. City established. Government. Be it enacted, &c., as follows: SECTION 1. The eighth section of the act of eighteen hundred and fifty-five, chapter three hundred and thirty-six, entitled, "An Act to incorporate the Medford and Charlestown Railroad Company," is hereby amended, by striking out the words "one hundred," which occur therein, and substituting therefor the word "fifty." SECTION 2. The time, within which the original act aforesaid shall be accepted by the selectmen and by the corporation, and within which the ten per centum shall be paid in, as provided by the twelfth section of the act to which this act is in addition, is hereby extended for the term of two years. [Approved March 9, 1857.] AN ACT to establish the City of Chelsea. SECTION 1. The inhabitants of the town of Chelsea shall continue to be a body politic and corporate, under the name of the City of Chelsea, and as such, shall have, exercise and enjoy, all the rights, immunities, powers and privileges, and shall be subject to all the duties and obligations now incumbent upon, and appertaining to, the said town, as a municipal corporation. SECTION 2. The administration of all the fiscal, prudential and municipal affairs of the said city, with the government thereof, shall be vested in one municipal officer, to be styled the mayor; one council of eight, to be called the board of aldermen; and one council of twenty, to be called the common-council; which boards, in their joint capacity, shall be denominated the city council, and the members thereof shall be sworn to the faithful performance of their respective offices. A majority of each board shall constitute a quorum for doing business. wards. revise wards. SECTION 3. It shall be the duty of the selectmen of Chel- City divided into sea, as soon as may be after the passage of this act, and its acceptance by the inhabitants, as hereinafter provided, to divide the said town into four wards, to contain, as nearly as conveniently may be, an equal number of legal voters, which proceedings of the selectmen shall be subject to the revision of the city council, within one year after the passage of this act. And it shall be the duty of the city council, city council to once in three years, and not oftener, to revise, and, if it be needful, to alter the said wards, and increase their number, in such manner as to preserve, as nearly as may be, an equal number of legal voters in each ward: provided, how- Proviso. ever, that in case the number of wards shall be increased, each ward shall continue to be entitled to elect two aldermen and five members of the common-council, any thing in the second section of this charter to the contrary notwithstanding. officers. absence of warden, clerk, inspector, any legal voter SECTION 4. On the first Monday in December, annually, Election of city there shall be chosen by ballot, in each of the said wards, a warden, clerk and three inspectors of elections, who shall be different persons, residents of wards in which they are chosen, who shall hold their offices for one year, and until others shall have been chosen and qualified in their stead. It Duty of warden. shall be the duty of such wardens to preside at all ward meetings, with the power of moderators of town meetings; and In if at any meeting the warden shall not be present, the clerk and of such ward shall call the meeting to order, and preside may preside, &c. until a warden, pro tempore, shall be chosen by ballot; and if both the warden and clerk shall be absent, either of the inspectors of said ward may call the meeting to order, and preside till a warden and clerk, pro tempore, shall be chosen as aforesaid; and in case of the absence of all of said officers, any legal voter present, resident in the ward, may preside until a warden, pro tempore, shall be chosen by ballot; and in like manner, whenever any ward officer may be absent, or neglect or refuse to perform his duties, his office shall be filled pro tempore. The clerk shall record all the Clerk to record proceedings, and certify the votes given, and deliver to his successor in office, all such records and journals, together with all other documents and papers held by him in the said capacity. It shall be the duty of the inspectors of elections Duty of inspecto assist the warden in receiving, assorting and counting the votes. The warden, clerk and inspectors so chosen, Oaths, how adshall respectively make oath or affirmation, faithfully and impartially to discharge their several duties relative to all elections, which oath may be administered by the clerk of proceedings, &c. tors. ministered. |