11 each ward, and also to give in their votes for mayor 12 and six aldermen, one from each ward, four common 13 council men, one overseer of the poor, three mem14 bers of the school committee, and one assessor from 15 each ward; and the transcripts of the records of 16 each ward, specifying the votes given for a mayor, 17 six aldermen, four common council men, one overseer 18 of the poor, three members of the school committee, 19 and one assessor, certified by the warden and clerk 20 of such ward, shall, at said first election, be returned 21 to the said selectmen, whose duty it shall be to ex22 amine and compare the same; and in case said 23 elections should not be completed at the first elec24 tion, then to issue new warrants until such elections 25 shall be completed, and to give notice thereof in the 26 manner herein before directed to the several persons 27 elected.

28 And at said first meeting, any inhabitant of said 29 ward, being a legal voter, may call the citizens to 30 order, and preside until a warden shall have been 31 chosen. And at said first meeting, a list of voters 32 in each ward, prepared and corrected by the select33 men for the time being, shall be delivered to the 34 clerk of each ward, when elected, to be used as 35 herein before directed. And the selectmen shall 36 appoint such time for the first meeting of the city 37 council as they may judge proper after the choice of 38 the city officers as aforesaid, or a majority of the 39 members of both branches, not later than the first 40 Monday of May, in the year of our Lord one thous41 and eight hundred and forty-five, and shall also fix 42 upon the place and the hour of said first meeting, 43 and notice of the day, hour and place of said first

44 meeting shall be published in one or more newspa45 pers printed in said town, and a written notice there46 of shall be sent, by said selectmen, to the place of 47 abode of each of the city officers chosen as provided 48 in this section. And after this first election of city 49 officers, and this first meeting for the organization of 50 the city council, as in this section is provided, the 51 day of holding the annual elections, and the day and 52 hour for the meeting of the city council, for the pur53 pose of organization, shall remain as provided in the 54 sixth section of this act.

55 And it shall be the duty of the city council, imme56 diately after the first organization, to elect all neces57 sary city officers, who shall hold their offices respec58 tively until the first Monday in April then next, and 59 until others are chosen. And at the meetings to be 60 called as provided in this section, for the choice of 61 ward and city officers, the said inhabitants may and 62 shall also give in their votes for county officers, 63 which votes shall be recorded, certified and returned 64 in the manner provided in the 17th section of this 65 act.

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SECT. 21. The city council shall have power to 2 make all such salutary and needful by-laws as towns, 3 by the laws of this Commonwealth, have power to 4 make and establish, and to annex penalties not ex5 ceeding twenty dollars, for the breach thereof, which 6 by-laws shall take effect and be in force from and 7 after the time therein respectively limited, without 8 the sanction of any court, or other authority what9 ever; provided, however, that all laws and regulations

10 now in force in the town of New Bedford shall, until 11 they shall expire by their own limitation, or be re12 vised or repealed by the city council, remain in force, 13 and all fines and forfeitures for the breach of any 14 by-law, or ordinance, shall be paid into the city trea15 sury.

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SECT. 22. The annual town meeting for the town 2 of New Bedford, which by law is to be held in the 3 month of February, March or April, is hereby sus4 pended, and all town officers now in office shall hold 5 their places until this act shall go into operation, and 6 in case this charter shall not be accepted in the man7 ner and form as hereinafter provided, then the select8 men shall issue their warrant according to law for 9 holding the annual town meeting of the inhabitants 10 in which all the proceedings shall be the same, as if 11 this act had not been passed.

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SECT. 23. All officers of the town of New Bed2 ford having the care and custody of any records, 3 papers or property belonging to said town, shall 4 deliver the same to the city clerk, within one week 5 after his entering upon the duties of his office.

SECT. 24. All such acts and parts of acts as are 2 inconsistent with the provisions of this act, shall be, 3 and the same are, hereby repealed.

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SECT. 25. Nothing in this act contained shall be 2 so construed as to prevent the Legislature from alter3 ing or amending the same, whenever they shall deem 4 it expedient.

1 SECT. 26. This act shall be void, unless the in2 habitants of the town of New Bedford, at a legal 3 town meeting called for that purpose, shall, by a 4 majority of the voters present and voting thereon, 5 by a written vote, determine to adopt the same 6 within fourteen days after its passage.

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SECT. 27.

This act shall go into operation from 2 and after its passage.