CHAPTER XXI. OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS—THEIR DUTIES TO THE POOR, THE INSANE AND BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS. SUPPORT OF THE POOR. § 877. Sites for poor-houses. § 878. Erection of poor-houses. 879. Poor a county charge in certain counties. § 880. Supervisors may abolish distinction between town and county poor. 881. Notice of determination to abolish, etc. §882. Notice that distinction has been abolished. § 883. Filing determination essential to change. $884. Poor, how supported in other counties. § 885. May revive distinction, etc. § 886. Such distinction may be restored in certain counties. § 887. Election and number of Superintendents of the Poor. § 888. Term of office and classification of Superintendents. 889. Term of office when only one Superintendent. 890. Unexpired term of other Superintendents. § 891. Vacancies, how filled. $892. Supervisor not eligible to be Superintendent. 893. Superintendents to give bond. 894. Said bond to be filed. $895. Time of filing bond extended. § 896. Supervisors to fix penalty of such bond. 897. Powers and duties of Superintendents of the Poor. §898. Superintendents' duties as auditing officers. $899. Cannot audit claims for labor, etc. § 900. Nor claims for legal services. § 901. Superintendents are county agents. 902. May be sued on their contracts for supplies. $903. When action does not lie by Justice. 904. May confess judgment. § 905. Superintendents no power to afford temporary relief. § 906. Superintendents when not controlled by Supervisors. § 907. Superintendents not required to audit physician's bill. $908. Income from poor-house farm. § 909. Superintendent's power as to bastards. $910. Superintendents prohibited from sending indigent soldiers to poor-house. § 911. Majority of Superintendents may act. § 912. Superintendents and Overseers may administer oaths. § 919. License fees from excise. § 920. When support of prisoners a county charge. § 921. Children not to be sent to county poor-house. SUPPORT OF THE POOR IN PARTICULAR COUNTIES. 922. In Oneida County. § 932. In Otsego County. § 946. In Dutchess County. IN RELATION TO THE INSANE. 947. Duties of Supervisors in regard to the insane. § 948. Superintendent's power over insane paupers. § 949. Supervisors to designate asylum. § 950. Where relatives are, and are not, able to support lunatics. § 951. Supervisors to raise money to support indigent lunatics. § 952. Supervisors to raise money to support lunatics in asylums. § 953. Expense of removing and support of lunatics by whom borne. INSANE CRIMINALS. § 954. Expense of commission of lunacy, when a county charge. § 955. Support of insane convicts, when a county charge. 956. Support of insane held under criminal process. § 957. Expense of lunatics held under civil process. § 958. Expense of persons acquitted of misdemeanors. § 959. Supervisors to fix expense of transporting lunatics, etc. § 960. Expenses of insane criminals charged with or acquitted of crime. INMATES OF STATE LUNATIC ASYLUM AT UTICA. § 961. Liability for support of lunatics. § 962. County to pay expense-Supervisors to levy tax. § 963. Expenses of removing lunatics from asylums. § 964. Right of county to be re-imbursed. IN THE WILLARD ASYLUM FOR THE INSANE. § 965. County to pay expense—Supervisors to levy tax. § 966. Right of county to be re-imbursed. BINGHAM ASYLUM FOR CHRONIC INSANE § 967. Chronic pauper insane. $968. Expenses of removal. § 969. Supervisors to levy amount, etc. § 971. Support of insane in Dutchess County. § 972. Support of insane in Albany County. § 973. Chronic insane in Erie County. STATE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS. § 974. State benevolent institutions comprise. § 975. Officers making commitments to report. § 976. Keepers, etc., to report. § 977. Report of deaths, removals, etc. § 978. Officers to render verified accounts. § 979. Failure to report forfeits, compensation. § 980. Reports to be filed and presented to Board. § 981. Does not apply to poor-houses. § 982. Nor to Kings County. SUPPORT OF THE POOR. § 877. Sites for poor-houses. Authority was conferred upon Boards of Supervisors by Laws 1849, chapter 194, § 4, and by Laws 1875, chapter 482, § 1, subdivision one, as amended by Laws 1881, chapter 570, to determine upon suitable location and to purchase sites for poor-houses; and this power to purchase sites for poor-houses is broad enough to include so much real estate as the Board may deem necessary to be used in connection with the poor-houses and for effect. uating any proper scheme or plan for utilizing the labor of the inmates of such institutions towards contributing to their support. Such inmates may be required to work, reasonably, according to their ages, capacity and condition of health (as the county is not bound to support in idleness people capable of working), and thereby lightening the burden of the county. 878. Erection of poor-houses. The Board of Supervisors of any county in this state, in which a county poor-house is not already erected, may, at any annual or special meeting thereof, determine to erect such house for the reception of the poor of their county; and upon filing such determination with the clerk of the county, they may direct the Superintendents of the Poor of such county to purchase one or more tracts of land not exceeding two hundred acres, and to erect thereon one or more suitable buildings for the purpose aforesaid. To defray the expenses of such purchase and buildings, the said Board may raise by tax on the real and personal estate of the inhabitants of the same county, a sum not exceeding seven thousand dollars, by such instalments and at such times as they may judge expedient. The said tax shall be raised, assessed and collected in the same manner as the other county charges, and shall be paid by the County Treasurer to the Superintendents of the Poor of the county, to be applied in defraying the expenses aforesaid. 2 R. S. 618, $17 (3 R. S. [8th ed.] 2108). The acts cited in the preceding section modify this section of the Revised Statutes, as to the quantity of land that may be purchased, and as to the amount of money that may be raised to erect such poor-house, by increasing it, and contemplate that such houses should be erected under the direction and control of the Board of Supervisors. § 879. Poor to be county charge in certain counties. In the Counties of Warren, Washington, Saratoga and Genesee, poor persons entitled to support as aforesaid, shall be maintained at the expense of the said counties respectively; and all costs and charges attending the examinations, conveyance, support and necessary expenses of paupers within the said counties, respectively, shall be a charge upon the said counties, without reference to the number or expense of paupers which may be sent to the poor-house of said counties, from or by any of the towns therein. The said charges and expenses shall be reported by the Superintendents of the Pcor of the said counties, to the Boards of Supervisors therein respectively, and shall be assessed, levied and collected of and upon the taxable real and personal estate in said counties, in the same manner as other charges. 1 R. S. 620, § 23; 3 R. S. (8th ed.) 2109. $879. Supervisors may abolish distinction between town and county poor. The Board of Supervisors of any county in this state, at any annual meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, may determine to abolish all distinction between county poor and town poor in their counties respectively, and to have the expense of maintaining all the poor a county charge; and upon their filing such determination, duly certified by the clerk of the Board, with the County Clerk, the said poor shall be maintained, and the expense thereof defrayed in the manner prescribed in the preceding section, relative to the Counties of Warren, Washington, Saratoga and Genesee. Ibid., § 24. § 881. Notice of determination to abolish such distinction. In those counties where the Supervisors shall determine to abolish the distinction between town poor and county poor, and to have all the poor a county charges, it shall be the duty of the clerk of the Board of Supervisors immediately to serve notice of such determination on the Overseers of the Poor of every town in the county. Within three months after the service of such notice, the Overseers of the Poor of every town shall pay over all moneys which shall remain in their hands after discharging all demands against them as such Overseers, to the County Treasurer, to be applied by him |