The Portland daily press., 1865-02-17
The Legalization Act.

The following is the act legalizng the votes
of towns in paying and agreeing to pay boun-
ties to volunteers, just passed by the Legisla-
ture:-
Sec. 1. The past acts and doings of cities,
owns and plantations in offering, paying, and
agreeing TO pay, and in raising and providing
the means to pay bounties to, and all notes
and town orders given by the municipal Off
GERS OF any city, Town, or plantation in pur-
suance OF previous vote, Tor the benefit OF
volunteers, drafted men, or substitutes of draft
ed or enrolled men, who have been or shall
hereafter be actually mustered into the mill
tary or naval service OF the United States, are
hereby made valid.
Sec. 2. ALI contracts heretofore made by
the municipal officers of any city, town, or
plantation, that has voted to raise bouniies,
with any volunteer, drafted man or substitute,
lor the payment of the bounty thus voted, and
all contracts heretofore made by said officers
or their duly authorized agents, with third
persons, corporations or associations, for the
purpose OF raising means to pay such bounties
so voted, are hereby made valid.
Sec. 3. All contracts heretofore made by
such municipal officers. or by third persons, in
oehaIf of any city, town or plantation, but
without previous authority therefor, to pay
bounties to such volunteers, drafted men or
substitutes, or to raise money to pay such
bounties where such volunteers, drafted men
Or substitutes have been or hereafter shall be
actually mustered into the military or naval
service OF the United States, may be ratified
or confirmed by said city, town or plantation.
Sec. 4, ALI votes of cities, towns or planta-
tions to pay expenses of recruiting for their
several quotas, and all contracts heretofore
made in pursuance of such votes, are hereby
made valid.
Sec. s. All taxes that have been assessed
to raise funds to pay bounties, or to fulfil con-
tracts for the objects named in this act, are
hereby made valid.
Sec g. Authority is hereby conferred on
cities, towns and plantations to Offer pay and
agree to pay bounties to volunteers, drafted
men or substitutes required to fill their quotas.
under any cal for soldiers by the President or
government of the United States heretofore
made, where such volunteers, drafted men or
INSTITUTES have been or shall hereafter be ac-
tually mustered into the military or naval force
of the United States, and to assume and to pay
to persons or associations, where they have
advanced the bounty, or have by private sub
scription given bounty to such volunteer,
drafted man or substitute: provided, that no
town, city or plantation is authorized by the
provisions of this act to hereafter offer, pay or
agree to pay as bounty for any volunteer, draft
Id man or substitute, sum exceeding three
hundred dollars for the first year the person so
enlisted or drafted shall be mustered for, and
one hundred dollars for each additional year;
and provided further, that no bounty shall be
paid from the treasury of the State to any per-
son enlisted or drafted into the service OF the
United States prior to the second day of Feb
ruary, 1864, except upon his subsequent re en-
iistment and muster into such service; nor
snail any bounty be paid by any town. city or
plantation LOT the assignment to such town,
city or plantation of any person heretofore
enlisted or drafted into the service of the
United States, except on subsequent re-enlist-
ment where such enlisted or drafted man has
been or may be credited to the state without
the payment of such bounty; and nrovided
further, that nothing in this act shall antbor-
ize the municipal officers of any city, town or
plantationto pay any man more than shall bavs
been actually paid for his substitute.
SEC. 7. Any city, town or plantation hav.
ing voted, or that shall so vote, may fund the
debt incurred in raising means to paw The
bOunties and expenses authorized by this ACT
or any prior act of the legislature, and NAV
issue bonds therefor, with coupons attached.
for interest at a rate not exceeding six per
cent. per annum. payable sem-annually, said
bonds redeemable any time within twenty
wears from the date of their issue: such bonds
to be signed by the mayor and treasurer of
cities; the treasurer and selectmen or ma
ior part thereof of towns; the treasurer and
assessors or major part thereof OF plantations.
The treasurer's signature only to the coupons
shall be required.
SEC. 8 The treasurers Of the several cities