Duties of the State Board of Charities. SS 117-119 may prescribe, and an opportunity to be heard thereon, or by indictment by the grand jury of the county, or both. 117. Investigations by board or committee; orders thereon. The board may, by order, direct an investigation by a committee of one or more of its members, of the officers and managers of any alms-house, or of the conduct of its officers and employes; and the commissioner or commissioners so designated to make such investigation may issue compulsory process for the attendance of witnesses and the production of books and papers, administer oaths, examine persons under oath, and exercise the same powers in respect to such proceeding as belong to referees appointed by the supreme court. If it shall appear, after such investigation, that the inmates of the alms-house are cruelly, negligently or improperly treated or inadequate provision is made for their sustenance, clothing, care and supervision, or other condition necessary to their comfort and well being, such board may issue an order in the name of the people, and under its official seal, directed to the proper officer of such alms-house, requiring him to modify such treatment or apply such remedy, or both, as shall therein be specified. Before such order is issued it must be approved by a justice of the supreme court, after such notice as he may prescribe, and an opportunity to be heard thereon, and any person to whom such an order is directed who shall willfully refuse to obey the same shall, upon conviction, be deemed guilty of a misdemeaner. § 118. Alms-house construction and administration.-No alms-house shall be built or reconstructed, in whole or in part, except on plans and designs approved in writing by the state board of charities. It shall be the duty of such board to call the attention, in writing or otherwise, of the board of supervisors and the superintendent of the poor, or other proper officer, in any county, of any abuses, defects or evils, which, on inspection, I may find in the alms-house of such county, or in the administration thereof, and such county officer shall take proper action thereon, with a view to proper remedies, in accordance with the advice of such board. it 119. Duties of the attorney-general and the district attorneys. If, in the opinion of the state board of charities, or any three members thereof, any matter in regard to the management or affairs of any such alms-house, or any inmate or person in any way connected therewith, require legal investigation or action of any kind, notice thereof may be given by the board, or any three members thereof, to the attorney-general, who shall thereupon make inquiry and take such proceedings in the premises as he may deem necessary and proper It shall be the duty of the attorney-general and of every district attorney when so required to furnish such legal assistance, counsel or advice as the board may require in the discharge of its duties under this chapter. § 120. State, nonresident and alien poor.-The state board of charities, and any of its members or officers, may, at any time, visit and inspect any alms-house to ascertain if any inmates are state charges, nonresidents, or alien poor; and it may cause to be removed to the state or country from which he came, any such nonresident or alien poor found in any such alms-house. § 121. Visit by the state charities aid association.-Any justice of the supreme court, on written application of the state charities aid association, through its president or other officer designated by its board of managers, may grant to such persons. as may be named in such application, orders to enable such persons, or any of them, as visitors of such association, to visit, inspect and examine, in behalf of such association, any almshouse within the state. The person so appointed to visit, inspect and examine such alms-house and alms-houses, shall reside in the county or counties from which such alms-house or alms-houses receive their or some of their inmates, and such appointment shall be made by a justice of the supreme court of the judicial district in which such visitors reside. Each order shall specify the alms-house to be visited, inspected and examined, and the name of each person by whom such visitation, inspection and examination shall be made, and shall be in force for one year from the date on which it shall have been granted, unless sooner revoked. All persons in charge of any such alms-house shall admit each person named in any such order into every part of such almshouse, and render to such person every possible facility to enable him to make in a thorough manner such visit, inspection and examination, which are hereby declared to be for a public purpose and to be made with a view to public benefit. Obedience to the orders herein authorized shall be enforced in the same manner as obedience is enforced to an order or mandate of a court of record. Miscellaneous Provisions. S$ 130-131 Such association shall make an annual report to the state board of charities upon matters relating to the alms-house subject to its visitation. Such reports shall be made on or before the first day of November for each preceding fiscal year. ARTICLE VIII. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. SECTION 130. Superintendents and overseers may redeem on sheriff's sale. 131. Redemption, how made. 132. Moneys therefor, and how paid. 133. When warrant of seizure may be discharged. 134. Boards of supervisors may abolish or revive distinction between town and county poor. 135. Overseers, when to pay money to county treasurer. 136. Invested town money. 137. Report by supervisors. 138. Register of sex and age. 139. Care of poor persons not to be put up at auction. 141. Alms-house commissioners to report. 142. Report of state board of charities. § 130. Superintendents and overseers may redeem on sheriff's sale. County superintendents and overseers of the poor may redeem real property, which may have been seized by them pursuant to sections nine hundred and twenty-one to nine hundred and twenty-six of the code of criminal procedure, the same as judgment-creditors under sections fourteen hundred and thirty to fourteen hundred and seventy-eight of the code of civil procedure. No such redemption shall be made, unless at the time of such redemption the seizure of the property sought to be redeemed, shall have been confirmed by the county court of the county where the premises may be situated, nor unless such property shall, at the time of making such redemption, be held by the superintendents or overseers, under and by virtue of such seizure. § 131. Redemption, how made.-To entitle such superintendents or overseers to acquire the title of the original purchaser, or to be substituted as purchaser from any other creditor, they shall present to and leave with such purchaser or creditor, or the officer who made the sale, the following evidence of their right: 1. A copy of the order of the county court, confirming the warrant and seizure of such property, duly verified by the clerk of the court. 2. An affidavit of one of the superintendents or overseers that such property is held by them under such warrant and seizure, and that the same have not been discharged, but are then in full force. 132. Moneys therefor, and how paid. The superintendents or overseers of the poor may, for the purpose of making such redemption, use any moneys in their hands belonging to the poor funds of their respective towns or counties, which moneys shall be replaced, together with the interest thereon, out of the first moneys which may be received by them from the rent or sale of the premises so redeemed. § 133. When warrant of seizure may be discharged.—If such redemption shall be made, and the person against whom the warrant was issued and seizure made shall apply to have the warrant discharged, he shall, before such warrant or seizure are discharged, in addition to the security required to be given by section nine hundred and twenty-four of the code of criminal procedure, pay to such superintendents or overseers the sum paid by them to redeem such property, together with interest thereon, from the time of such redemption. 134. Boards of supervisors may abolish or revive distinction between town and county poor.-The board of supervisors of any county may, at an annual meeting or at a special meeting called for that purpose, by resolution, abolish or revive the distinction between town and county poor of such county, by a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to such board, and until such abolition or revival, such county, or the towns. therein, shall continue to maintain and support their poor as at the time when this chapter shall take effect. The clerk of the board shall, within thirty days after such determination, serve, or cause to be served, a copy of the resolution upon the clerk of each town, village or city within such county, and upon each of the superintendents and overseers of the poor therein. Upon filing such determination to abolish the distinction between town and county poor, duly certified by the clerk of the board, in the office of the county clerk, the poor of the county shall thereafter be maintained, and the expense thereof defrayed by the county; and all costs and charges attending the examinations, conveyance, support and necessary expenses of poor per Miscellaneous Provisions. SS 135-137 sons therein, shall be a charge upon the county. Such charges and expenses shall be reported by the superintendent of the poor, to the board of supervisors, and shall be assessed, levied and collected the same as other county charges. § 135. Overseers, when to pay money to county treasurer. Within three months after notice shall have been served upon the overseers of the poor, that the distinction between town and county poor has been abolished, they shall pay over all moneys which shall remain in their hands as overseers for the use of their town, after discharging all demands against them, to the county treasurer, to be applied by him toward the future taxes. of such town; and all moneys thereafter received by them, as such overseers, for the use of the poor of their town, shall be paid by them to the county treasurer within three months after receiving the same, and by him credited to the town whose overseers shall have paid the same. It shall be the duty of all officers or persons to pay to the county treasurer all moneys which shall be received for, or owing by them to the overseers of the poor of any such town, for the use of the poor thereof, pursuant to any law or obligation requiring the same to be paid to such overseers, and credited by such county treasurer to the town for whose use such moneys were received or owing. Any overseer or other person having received or owing such moneys, who shall neglect or refuse to pay the same within thirty days after demand thereof, shall be liable to an action therefor, with interest at the rate of ten per cent thereon, by such county treasurer, in the name of his county. § 136. Invested town money.-When any town shall have any moneys raised for the support of the poor, invested in the name of the overseers of the poor of such town, such overseers shall continue to have the control thereof, and shall apply the interest arising therefrom to the support of the poor of their town, so long as such town shall be liable to support its own poor, but when relieved from such liability by a vote of the supervisors of the county, the money so raised and invested shall be applied to the payment of such taxes upon the town, as the inhabitants. thereof shall at an annual town meeting, or a special town meeting called for that purpose determine. § 137. Report by supervisors.-The supervisor of every town in counties where all the poor are not a county charge, shall report to the clerk of the board of supervisors, within fifteen days |