lot, is hereby released to Mary Cook, the widow, and to Sally Cook, the daughter of the said Robert Cook, to be held by them, subject to the payment of all debts charged on said land, and to the payment of all debts and liabilities of the said Robert Cook, in the same manner as they could have held the same if the said Robert Cook and Mary Cook had been naturalized citizens of the United States at the time of his death. § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. CHAP. 453. AN ACT to amend the acts to improve the navigation of the Albany basin, passed April 27, 1835, and April 14, 1836. Passed May 16, 1837. The People of the State of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: Act to take effect. how to be § 1. It shall be the duty of the commissioners to be ap- Expenses pointed under the provisions of the acts hereby amended, to estimated. consider and include as a part of the expenses of the improvements contemplated in said acts, all the interest which have and may accrue upon all moneys now and hereafter to be advanced by the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city of Albany, in the prosecution of said improvements; the amount of said interest to be computed and certified to the said commissioners at the rate of seven per cent by the chamberlain of the said city, and the same shall be collected as part of said expenses in the manner provided by the said acts. CHAP. 454. AN ACT to authorize the comptroller to loan money to the town of Hoosick, and for other purposes. Passed May 16, 1837. The People of the State of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: § 1. The comptrolier is hereby authorized to loan to the Loan of town of Hoosick, the sum of two thousand dollars, out of $2,000. any money in the treasury belonging to the capital of the common school fund, for the purpose of enabling the commissioners of highways of said town to rebuild a bridge at Money to be raised by tax Rond to be given. Act to take effect. Income limited. the village of Hoosick Falls, in said town, which sum of money, together with annual interest at the rate of six per cent per annum, shall be paid into the treasury in two equal annual payments; the first payment to be made on the tenth day of February next, and the amount so loaned shall be charged on the books of the comptroller as a debt against the said town of Hoosick. § 2. The act entitied "An act authorizing the board of supervisors of the county of Rensselaer, to raise money to' build a bridge in the town of Hoosick, ín said county,' passed April 28, 1837, is hereby amended, so as to require the money authorized to be raised by said act, to be paid to the treasurer of the county of Rensselaer, in place of the commissioners of highways of the town of Hoosick, and the said treasurer is hereby required to pay the said moneys into the treasury of this state, agreeable to the provisions of this act. § 3. The commissioners of highways of the town of Hoosick, shall give a bond to the board of supervisors of the county of Rensselaer, in the penal sum of four thousand dollars, to be approved by the treasurer of said county, conditioned for the faithful expenditure of the money to be loaned by virtue of this act. § 4. This act shall take effect on the passage thercof. CHAP. 455. AN ACT for the relief of the new south Dutch church, on Passed May 16, 1937. The People of the State of New York, represented in Se nate and Ássembly, do enact as follows: § 1. It shall be lawful for the religious corporation in the city of New-York, known as the new south Dutch church, on Washington Square, to take and hold real and personal estate, the nett annual income of which shall not exceed the sum of twenty thousand dollars, for the term of three years from the passage of this act; and at the expiration of said term of three years. it shall be lawful for the said corpora tion to hold real and personal estate, the annual income of which shall not exceed the sum of twelve thousand dollars. CHAP. 456. AN ACT confirming the acts of John A. Seeber, a commissioner of deeds in the town of Lenox, in the county of Madison. Passed May 16, 1837. The People of the State of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: firined. 1. All the acts of John A. Seeber, a commissioner of Acts con deeds of the town of Lenox, in the county of Madison, since the fourteenth day of November, eighteen hundred and thirty-six, shall be of the same effect and validity as if the said John A. Seeber had taken the oath required by the constitution and law within the prescribed time. remitted. § 2. All liabilities or forfeitures incurred by the said John Forfeitures A. Seeber, for having executed any of the duties of the said office of commissioner of deeds, without having taken the oath of office as required by law, are hereby remitted. clause. § 3. The passage of this act shall not affect or impair any Saving suit or legal proceedings that may have been had or commenced, in consequence of the invalidity of any act done by the said Secber, as such commissioner as aforesaid. § 4. This act shall take effect on its passage. CHAP. 457. AN ACT to amend the Revised Statutes in relation to escapes from prisons, and assisting therein. Passed May 16, 1837. The People of the State of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: Act to take effect. § 1. The thirteenth section of article third, chapter one, Penalty for title four, part four of the Revised Statutes, is hereby amended, to read as follows: 66 "§ 13. Every person who shall convey into a state prison, jail, or other place of confinement, any disguise, instrument, arms, or other thing proper or useful to aid any prisoner in his escape, with intent thereby to facilitate the escape of any prisoner lawfully committed to, or detained in, such prison, jail or place, for any felony whatever, or on a charge for any telony, whether such escape be effected or attempted or not, shall, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment in a state prison not exceeding ten years." giving prisoners arms, &c. $2. The fourteenth scution of the said article and chap- Repeal ter is hereby amended to read as follows: Penalty for aiding to es cape. "S 14. Every person who shall by any means whatever, aid and assist any prisoner lawfully detained in a state prison, or in any jail or place of confinement, for a felony, or on a charge for any felony, to escape therefrom, whether such escape be effected or not; or who shall forcibly rescue any prisoner held in legal custody upon any criminal charge, shall, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment in a state prison not exceeding ten years." § 3. The fifteenth section of said article is hereby amended to read as follows: "§ 15. Every person who, by any means whatever, shall aid or assist any prisoner lawfully committed to any jail or place of confinement, in execution of any conviction, or on a charge, for any criminal offence other than felony, wheth er such escape be effected or not; or who shall convey into such jail or place of confinement, any disguise, instrument, arms, or other thing proper or useful to facilitate the escape of any prisoner, with intent to facilitate the escape of any prisoner so committed, whether such escape be effected, or attempted, or not, shall, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or both such fine and imprisonment." New check CHAP. 458. AN ACT for the relief of the president, directors and company of the New-York State bank. Passed May 16, 1837. The People of the State of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: § 1. The treasurer shall issue to "Railroad," his check to be issued. for nine hundred and forty-seven dollars and ninety-eight cents, being the amount of check number eighty-three, warrant number eighty-four, dated the tenth day of Ootober, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-four, drawn by the treasurer and countersigned by the comptroller, on the Commercial bank of the city of Albany, for a debt due from the state for the services of Benjamin Wright, in surveying the New-York and Erie rail-road, which check has been lost or destroyed, the president directors and company of the NewYork State bank being the owners thereof. Act to take effect. Bank to in § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. 3. Before issuing such check, the said State bank shall demnify the make and deliver to the state treasurer, a satisfactory guarantee to indemnify the people of this state against said lost check. state. CHAP. 459. AN ACT to incorporate the American society for the diffusion of useful knowledge. Passed May 16, 1837. The People of the Stute of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: § 1. James Brown, Thomas De Witt, John Torrey, John Corporation Proudfit, Alonzo Potter, Jacob Abbott, W. Fiske, Bela B. created. Edwards, Leonard Bacon, Calvin E. Stowe, John L. Blake, Samuel F. B. Morse, Thomas Cock, A. W. Ives, W. Cooper, William A. Tomlinson, John T. Gilchrist, Edward S. Gould, T. R. Green, M. Willett, C. F. Hoffinan, W. Betts, Arthur Bronson, Gorham D. Abbott, and their successors, are hereby constituted a body corporate, by the name of "The American Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge," for the purpose of advancing the cause of general education, by obtaining and publishing statistics and facts relative to the history, the progress, and the improvements of the school systems of our own and other countries; of promoting associations among professional teachers for purposes of mutual improvement and co-operation; and for the establishment more generally throughout our country of libraries and reading-rooms for popular use; of establishing correspondence with similar institutions in Europe, with a view to procure facilities for promoting by all laudable means, the general interest of literature, education, science and the arts, to be located in the city of New-York, with power to take, hold and convey real and personal estate, in fee simple or otherwise; and the same to lease, sell, dispose of and convey, for the better enabling said corporation to carry into effect the objects thereof; but the clear annual income of such real and personal property shall not exceed the sum of seven thousand dollars. The above named persons shall be the first trustees of said corporation, and shail continue in office for the term of one year, and until others are duly appointed in their places. § 2. The said corporation shall possess the general pow- General ers and be subject to the liabilities and provisions contained powers. in title third of chapter eighteen of the first part of the Revised Statutes. |