general poor laws, and the bill herewith submitted is their compliance with such direction, and includes the remaining unrepealed parts of title I, chapter 20, part I, of the Revised Statutes, and other general acts relating to the poor as contained in the Session Laws and Revised Statutes. It has been the aim of the commissioners to make the system of administering relief to all classes of the unfortunate poor as simple, uniform and certain as possible, so that no officer or bodies having this business in charge shall be excusable for neglect. For this attainment, slight changes in existing laws are, therefore, necessarily made. Federal soldiers and their families, when in need, are to be supported at their homes, and there furnished necessary care and relief upon the demand of the proper officers of the Grand Army post having jurisdiction; but such relief is not made dependent upon the action or existence of such officers or their compliance with law. The duty to grant relief is imposed directly upon the public authorities. Other modifications are made to harmonize these provisions with our system, and to remove occasion for certain criticisms. Article 7 contains the provisions of various statutes relating to the powers and duties of the State Board of Charities in administering the poor laws; and also the provisions of existing laws relating to the right of visitation of alms-houses by the State Charities Aid Association. In connection with the revision of the law relating to the care of the poor, we have prepared a chapter called the "Charities Law," embracing the law concerning the creation of the State Board of Charities and its general powers and jurisdiction and especially with reference to its control and supervision of charitable institutions; and this proposed chapter also contains a revision of the statutes relating to the several charitable institutions of the State. In the present bill we have only retained so much of the law relating to the State Board of Charities as directly concerns the care of the poor in alms-houses or outside of the so-called charitable institutions. The table immediately following the repealing schedule shows the disposition of laws repealed by this chapter in the revision or elsewhere. Respectfully submitted, CHARLES Z. LINCOLN, Dated January 23, 1896. THE POOR LAW. AN ACT in relation to the poor, constituting chapter twentyseven of the general laws. The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: Article CHAPTER XXVII OF THE GENERAL LAWS. The Poor Law. I. County superintendents of the poor. (§§ 1-14.) II. Overseers of the poor. (§§ 20-29.) III. Settlement and place of relief of poor persons. (§§ 40-56.) IV. Support of bastards. (§§ 60-75.) V. Soldiers, sailors and marines. (§§ 80-84.) VI. State poor. (§§ 90-104.) VII. Duties of state board of charities; powers of state charities aid association. (§§ 115-121.) VIII. Miscellaneous provisions. (§§ 130-147.) IX. Laws repealed; when to take effect. (§§ 150-151.) ARTICLE I. County Superintendents of the Poor. Section 1. Short title. 2. Definitions. 3. County superintendents of the poor. 4. Appointment of superintendent as keeper of alms house. 5. When they may direct overseers of the poor to take charge of county poor. Section 6. Idiots and lunatics. 7. Pestilence in alms-house. 8. Accounts of county treasurer with towns. 9. Annual apportionment of town expenses. 10. Tax levy on towns. 11. Expense of county poor. 12. Superintendents' report to the state board of chari ties. 13. Supervisors may direct as to temporary or outdoor relief to poor. 14. Penalty for neglect or false report. Section 1. Short title.- This chapter shall be known as the poor law. [New.] § 2. Definitions.- A poor person is one unable to maintain himself, and such person shall be maintained by the town, city. county or state, according to the provisions of this chapter. In counties having but one superintendent of the poor, the term "superintendent" or "superintendents of the poor," when used in this chapter, means such superintendent; and in towns or cities having but one overseer of the poor, the term overseers or overseers of the poor," when used in this chapter, means a town or city overseer of the poor. An "alms-house" is a place where the poor are maintained at the public expense. The town poor are such persons as are required by law to be relieved or supported at the expense of the town or city; the county poor are such persons as are required by law to be relieved or supported at the expense of the county; and the state poor are such persons as are required by law to be relieved or supported at the expense of the state. [R. S., pt. 1, ch. 20, tit. I, § 14; R. S., 8th ed., p. 2106, L. 1873, ch. 661, § 14; R. S., 8th ed., p. 2145. Definition of a poor person changed so as to conform to what has been the general practice by the different local authorities in administering relief to the poor. |