Year: 1878



 aE .l .aEa ,, House Bill Mo- 6.

 .l .t. CHAPTER xCIV.

 s-,79 An Act relating to Paupers Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep

 resentatives in General Assembly convened Section l. Every person who shall have re- sided subject to the provisions of this act four years continuously from and after any day af- ter the twentieth day of August, A. D. 1875, in any town in this State, and shall have main tained himself and family during the whole of said period, without becoming chargeable to such town, shall thereby gain settlement therein.

 Sec. ?. If any person, having had a contin- uous residence in any town in this State from and after the date aforesaid, for part only of said period of four years, and having during such time thus maintained himself and family, without becoming chargeable, has died, or shall die during such residence and before the expiration of said four years, leaving widow or minor child or minor children, such widow, minor child or minor children, by continuing her or their residence in such town from the date of the death of such husband or father for the remaining part of said period of four years, without becoming chargeable to such town, shall gain a settlement therein. The settlement of every female at the time of her l l marriage to man not having settlement in this State shall continue to herself and her mi nor children until her husband shall have gath cred settlement in his own right or until she and her minor children shall have gained set clement under the provisions of this act.

 Sec. 3. All persons needing relief, who have no settlement in any town in this State, shall be State paupers, and shall, when need ing relief, be provided for by the comptroller for the period of six months after they come into this State, and all indigent persons dis charged from the State prison or county pris- on, or from the State or county work-house, who were not inhabitants of any town in this State at the time of their commitment to such prison or work-house and who have no rela- tions in this State liable and able to support them, together with all children born of such persons while serving out a sentence in such prison or work house shall be deemed State paupers, and shall, if needing relief, be provid- ed for by the comptroller for the period of six months after such discharge.

 Sec f. No child born of any State pauper in the poor-house of the State, or while it's meth CT shall be maintained by any contractor for the State poor, nor any child born in any hes pital or other benevolent institution, while it's mother is residing therein as beneficiary thereof, shall be deemed, by reason of such birth alone, to be settled in the town where such child is born.

 Sec 5. All persons who have not estate suf- ficient for their support, and have no relations of sufficient ability who are obliged by law to support them, shall be provided for and sup ported at the expense of the town where they belong and every town shall maintain and support all the poor inhabitants belonging to it, whether residing in it, or in any other town in the State.

 Sec 6. The parent of any minor child, who shall neglect or refuse to provide for his sup port, and abandon him to be supported as a pauper, and as such shall be subject to all the provisions of this act.

 Sec 7. The town in which any person is le- gally settled, whe shall gain legal settlement in another State and afterwards return to this State and become pauper shall be chargea- ble with his support

 Sec S. When person not an inhabitant of the town in which he resides shall become poor and unable to support himself, the selectmen of such town shall furnish him with necessary support as soon as his condition shall ceme to their knowledge; and each selectman neglect ing such duty shall forfeit seven dellars to him who shall sue for the same.

 Sec. 9. The selectman of each town shall be overseer of the poor, and shall, at the expense of the town, provide all articles necessary for the subsistence of all paupers belonging to it, and whenever any person has been or shall be supported as pauper by any town in this State, such persons shall be liable to pay for such support reasonable sum and on his fail ure to pay the same his executor or admins trator shall be so liable prO0ided, they have sufficient assets in their hands belonging to such paupers estates which sum may be re- covered in an action of assumpsit, and the stat ute of Limitations shall not be pleaded against any portion thereof.

 Sec. 10. Paupers shall be liable to be re- moved to such places as the selectmen may designate, to be supported as the town or se- lectmen may direct, and shall be subject to the orders of the selectmen; and no individual shall have any claim against a town for sup plies or assistance furnished to pauper, against the express directions of the selectmen, nor be- fore he has given notice to one of the selectmen where the pauper resides. All paapers shall be supported at some place or places within the town to which they belong, and it shall not be lawful for any town, or the selectmen thereof, to remove any paupers out of the town to which paupers belong, to be supported in any other town.

 Sec. Ii. Any town may establish one or, more poor houses for the admission of poor persons, and adopt bylaws for their manage ment, which may at any time be repealed by the superior court.

 Sec. 12. When a pauper not an inhabitant of the town where he resides or state pauper shall die, the selectmen of said town shall give said pauper decent burial and for the ex- penses thereof, the town where such pauper belongs, or if State pauper, the State, shall pay a sum not exceeding fifteen dollars to the town burying such pauper.

 Sec. 13. The selectmen of every town in which a pauper belongs to another town is chargeable, shall give notice of bis condition to such othertown, when it is within twenty miles of their own town, within five days after they shall know it's name, and in all other cases within fifteen days thereafter and letter de- posted in the post office, postage paid, stating the name of the pauper, and that he is charge able, signed by selectman of the town where he resides, directed to the selectmen of the town where he belongs, shall be sufficient evil dence that notice was given at the time that such letter would, in the usual course of the mail, reach the selectmen to whom it was di- rected, and actual notice in writing, sent in any other mode, shall be swfficient and when the selectnen have knowledge of the town where such pauper belongs, such town shall not be liable for any expense for the time dur ing which there was neglect to give such mo- tice; and such town shall not be liable to pay at greater rate than three dollars week for each person over fourteen years of age and two dollars a week for each person between six and fourteen years of age, and one dollar and fifty cents week for each person less than six years of age.

 Sec. IA. Every town mourning any necessa- " expense pursuant to the two preceding sec tions, for pauper belonging to another town, may recover it from such town.

 Sec. 16 When any person supported at the expense of any town shall die, leaving person. al estate not exceeding fifty dollars in value, the selectmen of such town may sell it, for the use of such town, unless some person interest ed in such estate shall take out letters of ad- ministration thereon, within ninety days after such death

 Sec 16 When any person who is an inhab- itant of some ether State or country shall come to reside in any town in this State, and shall become chargeable during the first year of his residence in such town, the selectmen may at . any time during such period apply to any jus tice of the peace therein, who shall issue his warrant to either constable of said town, erder- ing him to transport such pauper to the place in the adjoining State from whence he came to this State or to the place of his former resi- dence at the discretion of the selectmen apply ing for such order: said constable shall execute