justice of the peace in the county may so notify the same. 10. When such village belongs to two or more towns, the voters thereof may organize such district at a meeting called and notified as provided in the preceding section by any justice of the peace for the county in which either town is situated, to whom application has been made by at least five voters of each town who are inhabitants of such district. 11. If at any such meeting the voters present determine to establish such district, a clerk shall be chosen, who shall be sworn to keep a true record of the proceedings of all meetings and to perform all duties of clerk of the district so long as he holds the office. He may be removed by the district, or may resign, and in case of a vacancy another may be chosen. 12. A prudential committee of not less than three nor more than five persons shall be chosen by ballot, and shall be sworn. 13. The prudential committee shall annually issue their warrants to the clerk, requiring him to call a meeting in the month of March for the purpose of choosing officers. Such officers shall perform the duties of their offices until others are chosen. 14. Meetings of the district shall be called by the clerk when requested in writing by the prudential committee or seven voters of the district. He shall give notice thereof by posting written notifications in at least six public places in the district, not less than seven days prior to the meeting, which notifications shall contain a brief statement of the purposes of the meeting. At each of the meetings a moderator shall be chosen, who shall have the powers of the moderator of a town meeting. After the choice of a clerk he shall prosido at subsequent meetings with like powers until a moderator is chosen. 15. The district may, at meetings called for the purpose, vote to raise money for the payment of watchmen and other necessary expenses. The prudential committee shall have the superintendence and control of the watchmen, have charge of and be responsible for the property employed, have the custody and management of the money raised, expend the same for the purposes specified in the votes of the district, be accountable to the district for the money received by them, and be liable to a suit for such money or other property of the district, in the name of the inhabitants thereof. 16. The clerk shall certify to the assessors of the town all sums of money voted to be raised, which shall be assessed and collected, by the officers of the town. in the same manner that the town taxes are assessed and collected, and be paid over to the treasurer, who shall hold the same subject to the order of the prudential committee. The assessors, treasurer, and collector, of any town in which such district is organized shall have the powers and perform the duties, in reference to the assessment and collection of said taxes, which they have and perform in the assessment, collection, and abatement, of town taxes: but the sum so voted shall be assessed upon the property real and personal located within such district. 17. When a district is composed of parts of two or more towns, the assessors of such towns shall transmit to the clerk of the district the amount of taxable property in such part of their respective towns as is within the limits of the district; the prudential committee shall thereupon apportion the money voted to be raised by the district among the respective towns according to the returns thus transmitted, and the same shall be collected and held in the manner provided in the preceding section. 18. When the freeholders of a territory adjoining a watch district present to the clerk thereof a petition describing their territory and requesting to be annexed to such district, the clerk shall give notice of the petition at the next annual meeting of the district, whon by a vote of the meeting the inhabitants of such territory may be annexed to the district. 19. Watch districts heretofore legally organized shall continue, and be subject to the provisions of this chapter in relation to watch districts.1 20. Police officers and officers and members of the watch, in any city or town, when on duty, may carry such weapons as the mayor and aldermen of such city or the selectmen of such town shall authorize.2 1 Gen. Stats. ch. 23, §§ 1-19. 2 Stats. 1864, ch. 110, § 1. CHAPTER XX. DUTIES OF OVERSEERS OF THE POOR, AND THE SUPPORT OF PAUPERS. 1. Towns to support poor and indigent persons. 2. Discussion of the subject by Chief-Justice Shaw. 3. Settlement, how acquired by military or naval service. 4. Construction of the word "service." 5. Town to furnish relief to persons and their families in need who have served, &c., as part of quota of such town. 6. Foregoing provision not to apply to persons having received bounty from more than one town, or who have deserted. 7. Pauper may be removed to last-acquired settlement out of this state. 8. Overseers of poor not to remove minors from state without authority from judges of Probate Court, nor to withhold information concerning them, except, &c. 9. Penalty for violation of the preceding section. 10. Persons possessed of property not liable to town furnishing relief at time of need-in absence of fraud. 11 and 12. Overseers of poor when to commit insane pauper to state lunatic hospital; expenses how paid. 13. General powers and duties of overseers of the poor. 14. Towns not liable for supplies furnished by persons for relief of poor settled in such towns, even upon order of overseers, if they have made such provisions; but otherwise for supplies furnished to paupers elsewhere. 15. Power of overseers of the poor same as masters of workhouses. 16. Certain kindred to support, &c. 17. Construction of the words " poor persons," &c. 18. Superior court may assess such kindred. 19. Kindred, meaning of. 20. Meaning of the words "such pauper." 21. Actions lie against such kindred for supplies furnished. 22. Superior court may also assess for future expenses. 23. Costs, how taxed. 24. Court may order with whom pauper shall live. 25. I'roceedings on complaints. 26. Other kindred than those named may be summoned. 27. Court may make new orders. 29. Overseers to provide for immediate relief of strangers, &c. 30. Town furnishing relief may recover of town of pauper's settle ment. 31. Notice from one town to another sufficient to support an action for part expenses. 32. Recovery to establish settlement. 33. Liability when pauper removed, &c. 84. Does not apply to removal of pauper after deceasc. 35. Time, how computed. 30. Overseers shall support, and in case of decenso bury, indigent strangers. Compensation therefor. 87. Towns liable to individuals. 38. "Necessarily incurred," how construed. 39. Force of the word "therein." 40. Importance of "notice and request made," &c. 41. Paupers may be removed, &c. 42. Process in cases of removals; if a removal is not made or objected to by the town notified, then, &c. 43. Importance of the signature of overseers of the poor. 44. Effect of notifications, &c., sent by mail. 45. Penalty for leaving paupers where not settled, &c. 46. Overseers of poor may sell estate of deceased paupers, and apply pro ceeds to reimburse expenses. 47. Overseers may prosecute, &c. 48. Overseers of poor to keep record of paupers supported and relieved. 49. They must make returns respecting them to board of state charities. 50. Penalty for neglect of such duty. 51. Tables of such returns to be made and reported to legislature. 52. Cities and towns may send state paupers to state almshouses, &c. 53. They shall not send lunatics who are dangerous. Inmates becoming furiously mad may be sent to state lunatic hospitals. 54. Nor any person infected with small-pox or dangerous disease. 57. Indians may be sent to state almshouses. 58. Upon complaint of overseers of poor vagabonds, &c., to be com mitted to state almshouse at Bridgewater. 59. Support to be paid for by place of settlement unless removed thereto. 60. Overseers of poor, when to perform duties of superintendent of alien passengers. 61. Authority of overseers as to prosecutions in cases of bastard chil dren. 62. How town may obtain compensation. |