local acts, SEC. 23. The binding of the public acts, local acts, Senate Public and and House Journal, shall be either full sheep or half sheep, how bound. or partly in each style, as the Board of State Auditors shall deem necessary, and a good quality of "sheep" or "law skiver" leather shall be used, and all work done in first-class style. This act is ordered to take immediate effect. Approved June 18, 1903. [No. 226.] AN ACT to provide for the appointment of state trespass agents, to prescribe their powers and duties, and to provide for the disposition of moneys received by them. The People of the State of Michigan enact: appoint. tion. SECTION 1. It shall be the duty of the Commissioner of the Who to State Land Office to appoint such persons state trespass agents as he may deem necessary to protect the timber on all state lands and to prohibit trespass upon the same. Such trespass agents shall hold their office at the will of the commissioner. The commissioner shall not pay to any appointed Compensaagent more than four dollars a day, and the number of such appointed agents who may receive such per diem shall not exceed three. All other trespass agents shall receive not to exceed three dollars per diem. All trespass agents shall be To be paid reimbursed monthly for their per diem and actual expenses necessarily incurred by them in the performance of their duties, to be paid on the warrant of the Auditor General on the approval of itemized vouchers therefor by the Board of State Auditors. monthly. duties. SEC. 2. It shall be the duty of such trespass agents to Powers and watch all state tax lands, state swamp lands, primary schools and university lands, agricultural college, asylum, salt springs, state building and tax homestead lands, and to seize and mark with the state mark and take into their possession all timber or the products therefrom cut from such lands. Such seizures may be made without a warrant. They shall make a report each week in such form as the commissioner shall prescribe, and shall report therein the work done the preceding week, and the timber seized and marked. Such timber as is seized by said trespass agents shall be disposed of by them as directed by the commissioner. SEC. 3. Such trespass agents shall enforce all the laws of Idem. the state for the protection of timber upon such lands as are set out in section two of this act. They shall make complaint before the officer having jurisdiction of such causes and cause proceedings to be instituted against all persons violating any of the laws of this state for the protection of timber upon When to give bonds. Accounting of moneys. state lands, and shall collect evidence and aid in the prosecution of persons violating such laws. They shall be furnished with plats by the Commissioner of the State Land Office and the Auditor General of this state, showing the lands belonging to the state which it is the duty of such agents to protect. SEC. 4. The Commissioner of the State Land Office may require of each trespass agent before entering upon the duties of his office, a bond to the people of the state of Michigan in the penal sum of two thousand dollars, with good and sufficient sureties, not less than two in number, to be approved by the commissioner, conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties as trespass agent. SEC. 5. All moneys received by such trespass agents from the disposition of timber cut from state lands shall be forwarded to the commissioner and shall by him be paid into the state treasury. The moneys so received from state swamp, school, university, salt spring, asylum, state building and agricultural college lands shall be credited to the several funds to which they belong. The money so received from tax homestead and state tax lands shall be credited to the general fund. The Commissioner of the State Land Office shall keep a complete and itemized record of all moneys received by him through the operation of this act, and of all seizures made and trespasses reported by said agents. Approved June 18, 1903. Section amended. [No. 227.] AN ACT to amend section one of act number forty-five of the public acts of eighteen hundred eighty-seven, entitled "An act to facilitate the disposal and settlement of taxes on vacant or part-paid swamp, school and other lands," approved March twenty-fourth, eighteen hundred eightyseven, as amended by act number sixty-nine of the public acts of eighteen hundred eighty-nine, the same being section three thousand nine hundred seventy-eight of the Compiled Laws of eighteen hundred ninety-seven, as amended by act number one hundred twenty-one of the public acts of nineteen hundred one. The People of the State of Michigan enact: SECTION 1. Section one of act number forty-five of the public acts of eighteen hundred eighty-seven, entitled "An act to facilitate the disposal and settlement of taxes of vacant or part-paid swamp, school and other lands, approved March twenty-fourth, eighteen hundred eighty-seven, as amended by act number sixty-nine of the public acts of eighteen hundred eighty-nine, the same being section three thou sand nine hundred seventy-eight of the Compiled Laws of eighteen hundred ninety-seven, as amended by act number one hundred twenty-one of the public acts of nineteen hundred one, is hereby amended so as to read as follows: the extinguish SECTION 1. It shall be lawful for the township board of any Relative to township, or the common council of any city of this state, ment of certo make a compromise, settlement, and determine thereby tain taxes. the sum which the Commissioner of the State Land Office may receive in extinguishment of the ditch, drain, or other taxes charged against any description of vacant or part-paid swamp, school, or other state lands lying in such township or city, previous to the year nineteen hundred three, which sum, when so determined by the township board of such township or common council of such city, and certified to the Commissioner of the State Land Office as to any specific description of such lands, may be paid in lieu of all such ditch, drain or other taxes, interest and charges on the books of said office against such descriptions: Provided, That it shall be the duty Proviso. of the several township boards before making such adjustment and settlement to examine each description of land affected thereby, also to ascertain the amount of taxes and charges against said lands: And provided further, That said Further authority to compromise shall not extend to taxes legally levied and assessed against the interests held in part-paid lands by individuals. proviso. clause. SEC. 2. All acts or parts of acts in anywise contravening Repealing any of the provisions of this act are hereby repealed. Approved June 18, 1903. [No. 228.] AN ACT to regulate the accounting of state institutions, boards and commissions, to provide for the examination and inspection thereof, the removal of officers therefrom, and to repeal act one hundred twenty-three public acts of eighteen hundred ninety-five and all other acts or parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act. The People of the State of Michigan enact: eral to inspect SECTION 1. That the Auditor General, by himself, his Auditor gendeputy, general accountant or such other person or persons accounting. as he may designate, shall visit at least once in each year each of the several state institutions and the receiving and disbursing officer of every board and commission required to file vouchers in the Auditor General's department, showing the receipts and disbursements of public money, and thoroughly examine and inspect the books and accounts thereof for the purpose of ascertaining if such books and accounts To report irregularities to governor. Governor to nvestigate. are accurately and properly kept, and to ascertain if the moneys received and disbursed are correctly and properly stated in the accounts of such institution, board or commission. In case the Auditor General, by himself, his deputy, general accountant or such other person or persons as he shall designate, shall find any irregularity or irregularities in the accounting of any state institution, or by any officer receiving or disbursing moneys on account of the state of Michigan, or shall find that the funds of any state institution or in the custody of any receiving, disbursing or accounting officer have been or are being used for any purpose other than that for which they have been appropriated or received, the Auditor General shall immediately report the facts in the case in writing to the Governor. SEC. 3. Upon receiving such report from the Auditor General the Governor shall immediately, or as soon thereafter as may be practicable, proceed in such manner as he may deem proper to make inquiry and investigation for the purpose of verifying the statements made in such report of the Auditor General, and if satisfied that the statements and representations made by such Auditor General are true and of a character to warrant such action on his part, or if he shall find that any receiving or disbursing officer or custodian of funds of any state institution, board or commission is negligent or incompetent, he may in his discretion suspend or remove from office the person or officer offending or who is responsible for the custody and keeping of such funds: Proviso as to Provided, however, That in cases of removal the officer or son removed. person offending shall have a hearing before the Governor upon written charges preferred by the Governor or other peror persons, and shall be given ten days' time after service of such charges in which to prepare and present an answer to the Governor, but such officer shall be and remain suspended pending such proceedings. hearing by per Powers of auditor gen son SEC. 4. The Auditor General, by himself, his deputy, general accountant or such other person or persons as he shall to inspection. designate, shall at all times have access to the books and eral relative accounts of each and every state institution or in the hands of any officer or person receiving or disbursing money on account of the state, and shall direct and instruct as to the manner of keeping the books and accounts therein so that the workings and transactions of each and every department of such institution shall be clearly shown and exhibited to his satisfaction; and upon receiving such direction and instruc tion from said Auditor General, his deputy, general accountant or such other person or persons as he shall designate, the officer responsible for the accounting in such institution or for the custody of the moneys or funds received or disbursed on account of the state of Michigan shall immediately proceed to inaugurate such system of bookkeeping as the Auditor General may direct or prescribe. order special SEC. 5. The Governor may at any time order a special Governor may investigation to be made by the Auditor General and require investigation. a report thereof to be made to him in writing of the condition of the accounts or funds of any state institution or officer receiving or disbursing moneys on account of the state: Pro- Proviso. vided, That the special investigation made may be made at any time under direction and authority of the Auditor General either upon his own motion or at the request of the governing board of any state institution, and the Auditor General may employ such assistance in making such investigations or in examining the books and accounts of any state institution or officer receiving or disbursing moneys on account of the state, as may to him appear necessary for the prompt and proper performance of the work; and payment for any special examination of the accounts of any institution, board or commission shall be made only where such examination has been conducted under the provisions of this act and in such case from the funds and in the manner prescribed by the provisions of this act. eral to make statement. SEC. 6. The Auditor General shall make to the Governor Auditor genquarterly, and as much oftener as the Governor may require, quarterly a statement of the receipts and disbursements of money by each and every state institution or officer receiving or disbursing moneys on account of the state. paid. SEC. 7. All expenses incurred by the Auditor General, his Expenses. how deputy, general accountant or such other person or persons whom he shall designate in carrying out the provisions of this act, shall be paid out of the general fund of the state from any moneys not otherwise appropriated, upon vouchers duly verified and allowed by the Board of State Auditors. . SEC. 8. Act one hundred twenty-three, public acts of eight Act repealed. een hundred ninety-five and all other acts or parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed. Approved June 18, 1903. [No. 229.] AN ACT making appropriations for the Industrial School for Boys for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred four, for rebuilding boiler house destroyed by fire April sixth, nineteen hundred three, repairing and extending coal shed and purchasing four new boilers and attachments thereto, and to provide a tax therefor. The People of the State of Michigan enact: SECTION 1. There is hereby appropriated for the Indus- Appropria trial School for Boys for the fiscal year ending June thirty, tion. |