1819.-CHAPTER VIII.

AN ACT regulating the Fees of the Coroner in the City of New York. Passed January 29, 1819.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That the coroner for the city and county of New York, shall not be entitled to receive more than five dollars for viewing a body, and taking and returning an inquisition.

1819. CHAPTER LXIX.

AN ACT authorizing the Mayor, Aldermen and Commonalty of the City of New York, to take possession of certain unclaimed lands.— Passed March 26, 1819.

I. Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That it shall be lawful for the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York, and they are hereby authorized and empowered to take peaceable possession of, or sue for and recover, and to hold, occupy and enjoy all lots or pieces or parcels of land, situate, lying and being in the said city, which have or which may be sold for a term of time for the payment of any taxes or assessments in the said city, after the expiration of the term for which the same may have been or shall be so sold: Provided, The rightful owner of the same shall not then claim possession of the same; and to have, hold and occupy the same until the rightful owner shall claim possession of the same, and shall pay all sums which may be due thereon for taxes, assessments, and also the value of the improvements which may be made, or erected upon the same by the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York, over and above all the rents, issues and profits which may be received by the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York, for or on account of the rents, issues and profits of any such premises: Provided, always, That the said mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York, shall not be entitled to demand any sum of money for any such improvements, unless they shall have caused to be published in at least two of the public newspapers printed in the said city, for at least three months previous to the making of such improvements, a notification to the owners of the said lots, to appear and take possession of their said premises: And further, That in no case shall the owners of the said premises be compelled to pay, for any such improvements, a sum exceeding two-thirds of the value of their said lots of land: And provided, also, That nothing herein

contained shall interfere with or repeal the provisions of an act entitled, "an act authorizing the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York to close streets and roads," passed April 20th, 1818.

II. And be it further enacted, That the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York, shall account for and pay over to the rightful owner of any such lots of land, all the rents, issues and profits which they may receive on account of such premises, over and above the amount of all taxes and assessments due for or on account of the said premises, and over and above the value of all such improvements thereon, as shall be made after the notification mentioned in the first section of this act, and as shall not exceed two-thirds of the value of said lots of land.

1819.-CHAPTER LXXI.

AN ACT to amend an act, entitled "an act to reduce several laws relating particularly to the city of New York into one act," so far as relates to the Justice's Court in the said city.-Passed March 26, 1819.

I. Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That the Justice's Court in the city of New York, having marine jurisdiction, shall be called and known by the name of the Marine Court of the city of New York; and the justices of the said court shall be called and known by the name of the justices of the Marine Court of the city of New York: Provided always, That the several persons now holding the said offices, shall continue to hold the same until others shall be appointed and commissioned in their stead.

II. And be it further enacted, That the assistant justices of the city of New York, shall not have jurisdiction to hear and determine any actions to be brought by any seaman or mariner, or other person belonging to any ship or vessel for seaman's wages, particularly mentioned and specified in the one hundredth and sixth section of the act hereby amended.

1819. CHAPTER CCII.

AN ACT relative to Harman street in the City of New York.-Passed April 13, 1819.

I. Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York may suspend the extending, enlarging and improving of Harman street for such time or times as they shall think proper: And further, That the said mayor, aldermen and commonalty shall not be required to pay any sums of money which have been awarded to any person on account of the extending, enlarging and improving said street, until the expiration of four months after the expiration of the time or times which may be appointed by them as aforesaid, for carrying the said improvements into effect.

II. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York, to or der that all the proceedings which have taken place relative to the extending, enlarging and improving the said street shall be vacated and annulled; and thereupon all the said proceedings shall cease to have any force or validity whatever.

1819. CHAPTER CCXXXVIII.

AN ACT in aid of the Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb.-Passed April 13, 1819.

I. Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That the treasurer shall, on the warrant of the comptroller, pay to the treasurer of the institution for the instruction of the deaf and dumb, in the city of New York, the sum of ten thousand dollars: Provided, That no part of the moneys hereby granted shall be applied for the purchase of land or the erection of buildings.

II. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the president and directors of the said institution, to report to the next Legislature the amount of receipts and expenditures of the preceding year, the number of pupils received and discharged, the state of their improvement, as well moral as intellectual, the number and quality of teachers, and the general state and condition of the said institution.

1820. CHAPTER I.

AN ACT to amend an act, entitled "an act to reduce several laws relating particularly to the City of New York, into one act," so far as it relates to Assistant Justices.-Passed January 4, 1820.

Whereas, the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of Preamble. New York, have, by their memorial to the Legislature, prayed that the laws establishing courts of assistant justices in the said city, may be amended, and that the number of assistant justices may be reduced, and they allowed salaries, to be paid by the said mayor, aldermen and commonalty, instead of fees, and also that the said law be amended in other respects, in the manner hereinafter provided for: Therefore,

justices be

appointed,

I. Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented Assista to in Senate and Assembly, That the person administering the govern- and powers. ment of this state, for the time being, by and with the advice and consent of the council of appointment, shall appoint and commission suitable persons to be assistant justices of, in and for the following wards in the city of New York, to wit: one for the First, Second and Third wards; one for the Fourth and Sixth wards; one for the Fifth and Eighth wards, and one for the Seventh and Tenth wards, to be known and distinguished by the name of assistant justices of the city of New York: each of which said assistant justices respectively, are hereby authorized and required to hold a court for the trial of causes to the amount of fifty dollars and under, in all actions in which jurisdiction is given to the assistant justices of the city of New York, in and by the act hereby amended: And further, That the said assistant justices respectively, shall be invested with all the jurisdiction, power and authority, with respect to matters cognizable before them, with which the assistant justices of the city of New York have heretofore been invested, and shall also be subject to the performance of all the duties imposed upon the said assistant justices: And further, That during the sickness or inability of either of the said justices to act, it shall and may be lawful for any other justice in the said city, to exercise every jurisdiction, notwithstanding any provision in this act contained.

provided.

II. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Rooms to be mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York, to provide suitable rooms for the accommodation of the courts to be held by the said assistant justices, and that they shall respectively be held within the wards for which the said assistant justices shall respectively be appointed, and at such places as the mayor, alder

men and commonalty of the city of New York may, from time to time, provide for that purpose.

Jurors, how III. And be it further enacted, That the jurors who shall be nom

selected, and

fined to the

wards.

suits con- inated for the trial of actions before the said assistant justices, shall be selected out of the wards for which they shall respectively be appointed: And further, That all suits shall be commenced before the assistant justice of the wards in which either the plaintiff or defendant shall reside, except in suits brought by, or in behalf of the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York, or by, or against non-resident plaintiffs or defendants, which may be commenced and prosecuted before either of the said assistant justices: And further, That it shall not be lawful for either of the parties to any suit, before any assistant justices of the city of New York, or before the justices of the Justice's [Marine] Court in and for the city and county of New York, after the day in which an order has been made for an adjournment, to demand of the said court that such action be tried by jury.

Salaries be paid.

justice.

to

IV. And be it further enacted, That the said assistant justices, instead of receiving for their own use the fees now allowed by law to the assistant justices of the city of New York, shall each be paid a yearly salary of one thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars, in equal quarterly payments, by the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York, out of which the said assistant justices shall pay all the necessary expenses of their said courts, including fuel, the usual blank forms and stationary: And further, That all such fees as may accrue or become payable, shall be received for the use of the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York, in the manner hereinafter directed.

Clerk to each V. And be it further enacted, That each of the said assistant justices shall have a clerk, who shall be appointed and paid for his services by the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York, and shall be removable at their pleasure; that each of the said clerks, before he shall enter upon the duties of his office, shall take an oath before the mayor of the said city, faithfully and honestly to discharge the duties of his office, and shall also enter into a bond, with one or more sufficient sureties, to the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of New York, in the penal sum of two thousand five hundred dollars, and conditioned that the said clerk shall well and faithfully discharge all the duties of his office, according to law.

Dutyof clerk;

VI. And be it further enacted, That the said clerks shall make out signed, etc. and sign all process, and cause to be entered in proper books to be

process how