children before sending to superintendents Examination of county shall bring any child before the judge of probate for examination as to his alleged dependence, as provided in section sixteen school-duty of of this act, they shall present to said judge an application in writing, which shall be filed in his office, for such examination, which shall be signed by at least two of said superintendents, in which they shall certify that in their opinion the child named is dependent on the public for support, and that he has no parents against whom his support can be enforced, as provided in chapter fortynine of the compiled laws of eighteen hundred and seventy-one. SEC. 22. The [that] said board of control is hereby authorized to Bent to adoption consent to the adoption of any child who has or shall become an inmate of said institution, by any person, pursuant to the provisions of an act entitled "An act to provide for changing the names of minor adopted children and other persons," approved February two, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, and that on such adoption and proceedings had under such act, whereby the child takes the name and becomes the heir of the person so adopting him or her, then said board of control shall cease to be the guardian of said child. Board may con of children. Manner of per fecting the rec etc., affecting lands in two or all the counties, shall bave been recorded in any one of them. SEC. 3. This act shall take immediate effect. [ No. 59. ] AN ACT to provide for recording certified copies of lost deeds, and other instruments affecting the title to real estate. SECTION 1. The People of the State of Michigan enact, In all ords when deeds, cases where a deed, mortgage, or other instrument affecting the title to real estate, shall have been, or shall be executed, affecting land in two or more counties, and when the same shall have been destroyed before duly recorded in the office of the register of deeds in any county in being recorded in which any part of the lands to be affected thereby is situate, and when the same such instrument shall have been lost or destroyed before being recorded in other counties in which land affected thereby shall be situate, it shall be lawful for any party or parties, interested in such lost deed or other writing, or in the real estate the title to which shall be affected thereby, to apply to the judge of the probate court of the county where such real estate may be situate in which the record shall not have been made, for an order to record a duly certified transcript of such deed, mortgage, or other instrument, in such county, and thereupon such judge of probate shall give notice by publication, in accordance with the practice of such court, for three successive weeks, of such application, and of the time and place when and where a hearing will be had thereon, and on such hearing, if it shall appear to such probate judge that such deed, mortgage, or other instrument was duly executed and has been legally recorded in any county in this State, and that the same was lost or destroyed before being recorded in other counties in which real estate to be affected thereby was situate, such probate judge shall make an order authorizing a certified transcript of such deed, mortgage, or other writing, to be recorded in said county, and shall annex a duly certified copy of such order to such copy of such deed, mortgage, or other instrument, and thereupon such certified copy of deed, mortgage, or other instrument, and such order authorizing a record thereof, may be recorded in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which such order shall be made, and such record shall have the same force and effect as the record of the original would have had, had the same been recorded before being lost or destroyed. Approved March 26, 1875. [ No. 60. ] AN ACT to amend section three thousand nine hundred and thirty-four of the compiled laws of eighteen hundred and seventy-one, being section eight of an act entitled "An act to provide for the selection, care, and disposition of the lands donated to the State of Michigan by act of Congress, approved July second, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, for the endowment of colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts," approved March eighteen, eighteen hundred and sixty-three. SECTION 1. The People of the State of Michigan enact, That scC- Section amended tion three thousand nine hundred and thirty-four of the compiled laws of eighteen hundred and seventy-one, being section eight of an act entitled "An act to provide for the selection, care, and disposition of the lands donated to the State of Michigan by act of Congress approved July second, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, for the endowment of colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts," approved March eighteen, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, be amended to read as follows: received from of. (3934.) SEC. 8. The money received from the sale of said lands How money shall be paid into the State Treasury, and shall be placed in the sale of lands to general fund, but the amount thereof shall be placed to the credit be disposed of. of the Agricultural College fund upon the books of the Auditor General, and the annual interest thereon computed at seven per How interest cent, shall be regularly applied under the direction of the State shall be disposed Board of Agriculture to the support and maintenance of the State Agricultural College, where the leading object shall be,- Leading object without excluding other scientific and classical studies, and includ- of college. ing military tactics,-to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and mechanic arts, in order to promote the liberal and practical education of industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life. SEC. 2. This act shall take immediate effect. Section amended Classification of directors, their election and term of office. [ No. 61. ] AN ACT to amend section three of article two of act number one hundred and ninety-eight of the session laws of eighteen hundred and seventy-three, entitled "An act to revise the laws providing for the incorporation of railroad companies, and to regulate the running and management, and to fix the duties and liabilities of all railroad and other corporations owning or operating any railroad in this State," approved May one, eighteen hundred and seventy-three. SECTION 1. The People of the State of Michigan_enact, That section three of article two of act number one hundred and ninetyeight of the session laws of eighteen hundred and seventy-three, entitled "An act to revise the laws providing for the incorporation of railroad companies, and to regulate the running and management, and to fix the duties and liabilities of all railroad and other corporations owning or operating any railroad in this State," approved May one, eighteen hundred and seventy-three, be amended so as to read as follows: SEC. 3. At any meeting of stockholders for the election of directors, it shall be lawful for the stockholders to classify the directors in three equal classes, as near as may be, one of which classes shall hold their office for one year, one for two years, and one for three years, and until their successors are respectively elected; and at all subsequent elections directors shall be elected for three years to fill the places made vacant by the class whose term of office shall expire at that time. In case no such classification shall at any time be made, the persons elected at any such meeting shall hold their office for one year, and until their successors shall be elected; and it shall be the duty of the directors to provide for by by-law and to call; and in case of their neglect so to do, a majority of the stockholders may call an annual election of directors, at such time and place as may be appointed, in some county in which the road is to, or shall run, and at which time and place there shall be a general meeting of the stockholders in Special meetings person or by proxy. And a special meeting of the stockholders may be called at any time by the directors, or by the stockholders owning not less than one-fourth of the stock in value, by giving notice of such meeting as hereinafter provided. At least thirty Notice thereof. days' notice of the time and place of every general or special meeting of the stockholders shall be given in one or more daily newspapers printed in the city of Detroit, and also in one or more newspapers printed in the county where the principal office of the company is situated, if it be not in said city: Provided, That such notice, when given by the stockholders, shall state the object of such meeting. Evidence of such notice may be perpetuated by the affidavit of any person having knowledge thereof, and at any meeting of the stockholders held pursuant to this act. The stockholders representing a majority in value of the stock may remove from office any of the directors, or other officer of the company, and elect others in their stead. And the president, and directors, of stockholders. Proviso. Evidence of notice perpetuated by affidavit. Removals from office. controls. and officers, and agents of the company, in the exercise of their Majority of stock respective powers and duties, shall at all times be governed by, and be subject to, such rules, regulations, and directions, as the stockholders holding a majority in value of the stock may adopt at such meeting (and at every such meeting it shall be competent for any stockholder to appear and vote by proxy as well as in person). Proxy. If at any meeting of the stockholders, a majority in value of the Adjournments, stock which, by the provisions of section one of article two of this act, is entitled to vote, is not represented in person or by proxy, the same shall be adjourned by such as are present from day to day, not exceeding three days, without doing any business, when, if such majority do not appear and attend, the meeting shall be dissolved. Approved March 26, 1875. [ No. 62. ] AN ACT granting and defining the powers and duties of incorpo- SECTION 1. The People of the State of Michigan enact, That all villages hereafter incorporated shall be subject to the provis ions of this act. etc. boundaries, pro SEC. 2. The boundaries of the village, the time and place for the Act incorpofirst election therein, the time and manner of registering voters, and rating must pro the manner of giving notice of such election, shall be provided for vide for first by the special act incorporating such village. election, etc. first election. SEC. 3. On the day of election, and at the hour for the opening Inspectors of of the polls, the qualified electors present shall choose from among their number present three inspectors of election, who shall be qualified electors under the constitution, and who shall take the oath prescribed by law to be taken by inspectors of election. All Voters at first persons residing within said village, and having the qualification of electors under the constitution, shall be permitted to vote at such election. election. SEC. 4. The inspectors of such election, after the close of the Inspectors to polls, shall canvass the ballots, and declare and determine the result. canvass ballots and declare result. SEC. 5. All villages hereafter incorporated shall be bodies politic Corporation shall be body and corporate under and by the corporate name assumed by or politic and cordesignated for them as herein before provided, and by such name porate. may sue and be sued, contract and be contracted with, acquire and hold real and personal property for the purposes for which they were incorporated, have a common seal, and change the same at pleasure, and exercise all the powers in this act conferred. cess in suits SEC. 6. Service of process in suits against corporations organized Service of prounder this act may be made on the president or clerk of the village, against corpors or, in their absence, upon any of the trustees thereof, by leaving tion. Board of registration. Completion of registration of electors. Rules for making registration. certified copies of such process with the officer served, at least eight days before the return day of such process. SEC. 7. The village clerk and two of the trustees to be appointed each year by the the council shall be the village board of registration. On the Saturday previous to the day of holding any annual or special election, and on any other days that the village council may appoint, the board shall be in session for the purpose of completing the registration of the electors of the village. Notice of the time. and place of such meeting shall be given with the notice of said election. SEC. 8. In making and completing any such registration, the and completing board shall proceed in the same manner and conform to the same rules, as near as may be, as are provided by law for registering electors in townships. Officers elected. CHAPTER II. OFFICERS. SECTION 1. In villages incorporated subject to the provisions of this act the following officers shall be elected, viz: a president, six trustees, one clerk, one treasurer, one street commissioner, one Village council, assessor, and one constable, and the president and trustees shall constitute the village council. Officers appointed. Time of appointment. certain officers. SEC. 2. The council shall appoint a village marshal, an engineer of the fire department, and may appoint a village attorney, a village surveyor, one or more fire wardens, a pound-master, and such number of policemen and night watchmen as they shall deem expedient. The council may also, from time to time, provide by ordinance for the appointment of, and appoint for such term as may be provided by the ordinance, such other officers whose election or appointment is not herein specially provided for, as they shall deem necessary for the execution of the powers granted by this act, and may remove the same at pleasure. The powers and duties of all such officers shall be prescribed by ordinance. SEC. 3. Appointments to office by the council, excepting appointments to fill vacancies, shall be made on the second Monday in April in each year; but appointments which for any cause shall not be made on that day may be made at any subsequent regular meeting of the council. Term of office of SEC. 4. The president, clerk, treasurer, street commissioner, assessor, and constable shall hold their respective offices for the term of one year from the second Monday of March of the year when elected, and until their successors are elected and qualified and enter upon the duties of their offices. Term of office of trustees. SEC. 5. The trustees shall hold their offices for the term of two years from the second Monday in March of the year when elected, and until their successors are qualified and enter upon the duties of their offices; except that at the first election held in any village incorporated, subject to the provisions of this act, six trustees shall be elected, three for the term of one year, and three for the term of two years, from the second Monday of March in the year when |