shall, at any time, directly or indirectly, prevent or hinder any such officer or agent from so entering any such premises, or from making such inspection or examination at any reasonable time, he shall, for every such offence, forfeit and pay to the company the sum of twenty-five dollars.

37. Refusal or neglect to pay rent, etc.

§ 9. If any persons or person supplied with gas by any such gas-light company shall neglect or refuse to pay the rent or remuneration due for the same, or for the meter, pipes or fittings, let by the company, for supplying or using such gas, or for ascertaining the quantity consumed. as required by his or their contract with the company, or shall refuse or neglect, after being required so to do, to make the deposit in this act mentioned, and thereby authorized to be required, such company may prevent and stop the gas from entering the premises of such persons or person; and in all cases in which any such gaslight company is or shall be authorized to cut off, prevent or stop the supply of gas from any premises, their officers, agents or workmen may enter into or upon any such premises, between the hours of eight o'clock in the forenoon and six o'clock in the afternoon, and separate, take and carry away any such meter, pipe, fittings or other property of the company, and may disconnect any meter, pipe, fittings or other works, whether the property of the company or not, from the mains or pipes of the company.

38. Injury to any pipe, meter, etc.

§ 10. Every person who shall wilfully or fraudulently injure or suffer to be injured any meter, pipe or fittings belonging to any such gas-light company, or prevent any meter from duly registering the quantity of gas supplied through the same, or shall alter the index of any such meter, or in any way hinder or interfere with its proper

action or just registration, or shall fraudulently burn the gas of said company, or waste the same, shall, for every such offence, forfeit and pay to such company the sum of twenty-five dollars, and in addition thereto shall pay to said company the amount of damage by them sustained by reason of such injury, prevention, waste, consumption or hinderance.

39. Penalty for laying any pipe without the same passing through meter.

§ 11. Every person who shall lay or place, or cause to be laid or placed, any pipe to communicate with any main or pipe belonging to any such gas light company, or shall otherwise burn or use, or cause to be burned or used, any gas supplied or manufactured by said company, without having the same passed through the meter furnished for measuring and ascertaining the quantity of gas supplied to and consumed by such person, shall forfeit and pay to said company the sum of fifty dollars, and in addition thereto shall also pay to said company the amount of damage by them sustained in consequence, or by reason of such forbidden act.

40. Restriction.

§ 12. This act and its provisions shall not be deemed applicable to companies engaged in supplying natural gas

to consumers.

41. Deputy inspector.

(Laws of 1860, ch. 116.)

SECTION 1. The inspector of gas-meters is hereby authorized and required to appoint deputy inspectors of gas-meters, said deputies to reside wherever gas-meters are manufactured, in this state, and who shall, in their respective places of residence, discharge the same duties as are required of the inspector of gas-meters by chapter

three hundred and eleven of the laws of eighteen hundred and fifty-nine, and shall be subject to the provisions of said act; such deputies to be paid by the inspector, out of his salary hereinafter mentioned, at the rate of two dollars per day, while actually engaged in the discharge of such duties, and to hold office during the pleasure of said inspector.

42. Salary.

§ 2. The inspector of gas-meters appointed under and in pursuance of "An act to provide for the inspection and sealing of gas-meters, and for the protection of consumers of illuminating gas," passed April fourteenth, eighteen hundred and fifty-nine, shall receive an annual salary of twenty-five hundred dollars, to be paid in the manner as provided by said act of April fourteenth, eighteen hundred and fifty-nine.

43. Repeal.

§ 3. All acts and parts of acts, so far as they are inconsistent with this act, are hereby repealed.

44. May execute mortgages; organization under this act.

(Laws of 1867, ch. 480.)

SECTION 1. Any gas company organized under the provisions of the general law, being chapter thirty-seven of the laws of eighteen hundred and forty-eight, entitled "An act to authorize the formation of gas-light companies, may, upon obtaining the written assent of the holders of two thirds of its stock, mortgage all or any part of its real estate for the purpose of securing the payment of any bonds that may be issued, or debt that may be contracted for the extension or improvement of its works. And any company incorporated by special act for the purpose of manufacturing and supplying gas in any city or village,

may organize under the act hereby amended by the holders of two thirds of its capital stock, signing, acknowledging and filing a certificate as required by the first section of the said act; whereupon the rights, privileges, franchises and property of such company shall vest in the corporation so organized, subject only to the provisions and restrictions of said act and the acts amendatory thereof.

45. Repeal.

§ 2. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed.

46. Rent for meters not to be charged.

(Laws of 1868, ch. 253.)

SECTION 1. On and after the passage of this act it shall not be lawful for any gas company in this state to charge or collect rent on its gas-meters, either in a direct or indirect manner. Any person, party or company violating any of the provisions of this act shall be liable to a penalty of fifty dollars for each offence, to be sued for and recovered in the corporate name of the city or village where the violation occurs, in any court having jurisdiction, and when collected to be paid into the treasury of said city or village and to constitute a part of the contingent or general fund thereof.

47. Gas-light companies may use electricity.

(Laws of 1879, ch. 512.)

SECTION 1. Any corporation duly organized under the act entitled "An act to authorize the formation of gaslight companies," passed February sixteenth, eighteen hundred and forty-eight, and the several acts amendatory thereof, and any corporation duly organized under the laws of this state for manufacturing and using electricity for producing light, heat or power, may use electricity as

the means for lighting streets, avenues, public parks, and places, and public and private dwellings of cities, villages, and towns within this state. [As amended by Laws of 1882, ch. 73.]

48. Powers.

§ 2. Any such company, described in the first section hereof, shall have full power to carry on the business of lighting by electricity cities, towns and villages within this state, and the streets, avenues, public parks, and places thereof, and public and private dwellings therein; and for the purposes of such business to generate and supply electricity, and to make, sell, or lease all machines, instruments, apparatus, and other equipment necessary therefor; and shall also have power to lay, erect, and construct suitable wires or other conductors, with the necessary poles, pipes, or other fixtures, in, on, over, and under the streets, avenues, public parks, and places of such cities, towns, or villages, for conducting and distributing electricity, with the consent of the municipal authorities thereof, and under such reasonable regulations as they may prescribe.

49. Limitation.

§ 3. The city of Brooklyn and the county of Kings are hereby exempted from the provisions of this act.

GUANO COMPANIES.

1. Corporations, how formed.

(Laws of 1857, ch. 546.)

SECTION 1. At any time hereafter, any five or more persons who may desire to form a company, for the purpose of mining the article of ammoniated or other guano, and importing, exporting, buying or selling the same,