Under what circumstance must such bodies be interred without dissection?

1. If the deceased person during his last sickness of his own accord requested to be buried.

2. If within twenty-four hours after his death any person claiming to be, and satisfying the authorities that he is a friend or of kindred to the deceased, asks to have the body buried.

3. If such deceased person was a stranger or traveller who suddenly died.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

OF CEMETERIES AND BURIALS.

How are cemeteries established and governed?
By corporations formed for the purpose.

How are burial lots held by proprietors?

They are held indivisible and are inheritable. If not devised to a specified devisee, the directors of the corporation designate who shall represent the heirs and become the actual holder of the lot.

What are cities and towns required to do about burial places? They must provide one or more places for the interment of persons dying within their limits.

How can burial grounds be enlarged?

By taking adjoining land by proceedings before the county commissioners.

What is the penalty for impairing, injuring, or removing tombs, gravestones, etc., desecrating, or committing nuisance of any kind in a cemetery?

A fine for each offence of not less than five nor more than one hundred dollars.

TITLE IX.

CHAPTER XXIX.

OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS.

What kind of paper is required for public records? Paper wholly made of linen, preference being given to paper of American or domestic manufacture.

What are county commissioners, selectmen, city officers, and all other officers having charge of records required to do?

1. Have the records properly bound, indexed, and protected from fire and water.

2. When papers are becoming illegible, to have them copied and certified to be true, and take the place of the originals.

What officers are specially forbidden to remove the records under their charge from their sole custody unless summoned to do so by a court of law?

Registers of deeds, registers of courts, and the regis ters and clerks of courts, cities, and towns.

Is the public allowed to inspect records of the counties, cities, and towns?

Yes and the officers, for reasonable fees, will compare and certify to the correctness of the transcripts from their respective records.

TITLE X.

OF PARISHES AND RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES, AND OF RELIGIOUS, CHARITABLE, AND EDUCATIONAL FUNDS AND ASSOCIATIONS.

CHAPTER XXX.

OF PARISHES AND RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

What is the organization of most religious societies?

They are corporate bodies, having power to hold real and personal estate for the purposes of religious worship and work.

What are the rules concerning membership of these societies? 1. Each society may prescribe the manner in which persons may become members.

2. No person except a member of such society shall have a right to vote.

3. No person shall be made a member without his consent in writing.

4. Any member wishing to resign his membership must file a written notice with the clerk of the society. 5. Any society or parish may admit women to all its rights and privileges.

What are the officers of a religious society?

Two or more assessors, a treasurer and collector, and a clerk.

Who manage the affairs of such a society?

The assessors, or a committee specially appointed for that purpose.

What provisions are made to meet the peculiar organization of the Protestant Episcopal Church?

The rector or one of the wardens may exercise the power of a moderator, and the wardens may be the

assessors and standing committee, but they must be elected by ballot.

For what objects may money be raised by assessing the property of members of the society in the same way that town taxes are assessed?

1. For the settlement, maintenance, and support of ministers.

2. For the building or repairing houses of worship. 3. For sacred music.

4. For the purchase and preservation of burial grounds.

5. For all other necessary parish charges.

What kind of property is a pew?

Personal property.

What new method of assessment of taxes is allowed?

An assessment according to the value of the pews

agreed upon, and recorded by the clerk.

What denominations of Christians are allowed to form under this general law their peculiar government, besides that already mentioned?

The Methodist Episcopal and the African Methodist Episcopal.

What limitation is put upon trustees of these denominations? They are not allowed to control property exclusive of the meeting-house which returns an annual income of more than four thousand dollars.

CHAPTER XXXI.

OF DONATIONS AND CONVEYANCES

CHARITABLE USES.

FOR PIOUS AND

How are grants and donations, whether of real or personal estate, taken and held when given to churches, the poor of churches, or the deacons, wardens, or other officers of a church? The deacons, churchwardens, or other similar officers, if citizens of the Commonwealth, are deemed bodies corporate for that purpose.

Can ministers, elders, or vestry be joined in conveyances with the officers before named?

Yes they often are donces or grantees in deeds, and may take in succession any parsonage land granted to them or their successors, and they may prosecute and defend actions touching the same.

How do such corporate bodies derive their power to convey any lands of a church?

1. If made by deacons, the conveyance must be with the consent of the church, or of a committee of the church appointed for that purpose.

2. If made by churchwardens, the consent of the vestry must be obtained.

3. If made by a minister, the conveyance will be valid as long as the grantor is minister of the church where he is settled at the time of the conveyance. The consent of the same persons must be obtained to render the conveyance absolute.

What is the limitation put upon the income to be held as before mentioned?

Two thousand dollars a year, exclusive of the income of any parsonage lands granted to or for the use of the ministry.