Quorum of directors. for bounty money to volunteers enlisted in the service of the United States subsequent to the call made by the President on the second day of July, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, for additional forces for the army, or for the support of their families, or for the incidental expenses of enlistment, is hereby ratified and confirmed, and such tax is declared to be valid and effectual for all intents and purposes, from the time the same was so assessed or imposed; and all proceedings had or taken for the collection of the same are hereby affirmed, and the several county treasurers are hereby authorized to receive in payment or part payment of any tax, from the collectors of the several towns, and pay and discharge such checks or orders on the county treasurer as have been drawn or issued by the board of supervisors. S2. This act shall take effect immediately. CHAP. 20. AN ACT declaring the acceptance by this state, of the provisions of an act of the congress of the United States, entitled "An act donating public lands to the several states and territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts," approved second July, eighteen hundred and sixty-two. PASSED March 4, 1863. The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: S1. The State of New York, by its legislature, hereby declares its acceptance of the provisions of an act passed by the congress of the United States entitled "An act donating public lands to the several states and territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts," approved July second, eighteen hundred and sixty-two; and the governor is hereby authorized to give such notice of the said acceptance as may be proper. S2. This act shall take effect immediately. CHAP. 22. AN ACT to amend an act entitled "An act to authorize the business of banking," passed April eighteen, eighteen hundred and thirty-eight. PASSED March 4, 1863. The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: 1. In all cases where the articles of association of any banking association do not prescribe as to the number of directors necessary to constitute a quorum, and make no provision for determining the same, such banking association may, by its direction, declare and fix the number of directors necessary to be present to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, which number shall not be less than five, with the same effect as if the same was prescribed in the articles of association of such banking association. Ante, vol. 4, p. 127. СНАР. 27. AN ACT to appropriate the proceeds of the state tax for the support of common schools. PASSED March 12, 1863; three-fifths being present. The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: propriated. 51. The sum of one million eighty-six thousand nine hun- Amount ap dred and seventy-seven dollars and ninety-six cents, being the proceeds of the state tax levied and assessed by virtue of chapter one hundred and eighty, of the Laws of eighteen hundred and fifty-six, for the support of common schools during the present fiscal year, and also five hundred and eighty-four dollars and ninety-six cents, being a part of the balance in the treasury unappropriated and placed to the credit of the fund denominated in the books of the treasury the "Free School Fund," are hereby appropriated to the support of common schools, to be distributed during the current fiscal year, according to law. propriated. $2. The further sum of nine hundred and sixty-nine dol- Amount ap lars and fifty-three cents, being the residue of the money in the treasury to the credit of the aforesaid fund, and also the sum of one thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be returned to the treasury on account of any errors in the apportionment of the school moneys for the present year, or so much of said sums as may be necessary, are hereby appropriated to the support of common schools, to enable the superintendent of public instruction to make supplementary apportionments to delinquent districts, pursuant to the provisions of section fourteen of chapter four hundred and eighty of the Laws of eighteen hundred and forty-seven; and the authority therein granted to him shall, for the present year, include the "one-third apportionment," now withheld from any district in which a school was not taught six months by a qualified teacher during the preceding school year. Ante, vol. 3, p. 468. $3. This act shall take effect immediately. Amount appropriated and weigh masters. CHAP. 31. AN ACT making appropriations for the canal debt and the maintenance of the canal for the fiscal year commencing on the first day of October, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three. PASSED March 14, 1863; three-fifths being present. The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: $1. The following sums are hereby appropriated out of the and applica- revenues of the state canals, for the fiscal year commencing tion thereof. on the first day of October, eighteen hundred and sixty-three: for the expense of the collection of tolls, superintendence and ordinary repairs of the public works, salaries of canal commissioners, state engineer and surveyor, auditor of the canal department, clerk hire and incidental expenses, and of the canal appraisers, the sum of eight hundred thousand dolCollectors lars, or so much thereof as may be necessary; but no more of the above appropriation than seventy thousand dollars shall be paid and applied on and for the salaries of collectors of canal tolls and their clerks, and on and for the salaries of the weighmasters and their assistants, including the incidental expenses of such collectors and weighmasters. And no more of the above appropriation than sixteen thousand dollars shall be applied on and for the salaries and compensation of the Engineers engineers authorized to be employed on the repairs of the canals, by the third and fourth sections of the act, chapter one hundred and sixty-nine of the Laws of one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, including the incidental expenses of such engineers, and no part of this sum shall be expended and applied for the payment of clerk hire in the offices of said engineers. Interest of canal debt. Sinking fund. Interest on loans. Sinking fund for loans under To pay the interest and reimburse the principal of the canal debt, as it existed on the first day of June, eighteen hundred and forty-six, the sum of one million seven hundred thousand dollars. For payment toward the sinking fund for the extinguishment of the general fund debt the sum of three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. For the payment of interest on loans made under the constitution for enlargement and completion of the canals, the sum of seven hundred and ten thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary. To constitute a sinking fund for the extinguishment of the payment of principal of the loans made under section three of article Bec. 3, art. Seven of the constitution, the sum of four hundred and six of constitu- thousand two hundred and forty-three dollars; but no investtion. ment in such fund shall be made except from the surplus revenues of the canals, received during the year, after paying the interest on the debt contracted under section three of article seven of the constitution. ses of gov ment of in terest, etc., For the general fund to defray the necessary expenses of For expenthe government, the sum of two hundred thousand dollars. ernment. $2. The following sums are hereby appropriated out of the For pay proceeds of the tax to be levied and collected under the pro- on floating visions of the act, chapter two hundred and seventy-one of debt of the Laws of eighteen hundred and fifty-nine, to pay the interest and redeem the principal of the loan of two million five hundred thousand dollars to provide for the payment of the floating debt of the state. To pay the interest on said loan for the fiscal year com- г. mencing on the first day of October next, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. ment on To provide for the sinking fund to pay the principal of said For pay loan, one hundred and thirty-eight thousand eight hundred principal and eighty-eight dollars, being for one year's contribution to said fund, as provided for by the act aforesaid. of amount salaries $3. No greater sum than at the rate of sixteen thousand Limitation dollars a year shall be paid and applied for and on account for engineers of the salaries and compensation of the engineers appointed and employed on the repairs of the canals, under the third and fourth sections of the act, chapter one hundred and sixty-nine of the Laws of eighteen hundred and sixty-two, during the fiscal year ending on the thirtieth day of September next. $ 4. This act shall take effect immediately. Ante, vol. 3, p. 203. CHAP. 40. AN ACT to authorize the canal board to accept conveyances to the State of the Clark and Skinner canal or slip, in the city of Buffalo, and to authorize the common council of the city of Buffalo to convey the same. PASSED March 23, 1863; three-fifths being present. The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: may accept $1. For the purpose of accomplishing the objects expressed Canal board in the resolution of the canal board of the eighteenth and conveyance. nineteenth of April, one thousand eight hundred and fortythree, so far as the same remain unexecuted in regard to the Clark and Skinner canal and slip, in the city of Buffalo, and of the views of the canal board in relation to the same subject, as expressed in the report of the said board to the assembly, dated September twenty-seventh, eighteen hundred and fortyseven, assembly document number two hundred and five, the Conveyance, what canal board is hereby authorized to accept the Clark and Skinner canal or slip as contemplated by the said resolution and report, and the said canal board is hereby further authorized to accept from the city of Buffalo a conveyance and transfer of the said Clark and Skinner canal or slip, to the people of this state, and also any and all other necessary conveyances, releases and acquittances to the people of this state from individuals or corporations, to vest the absolute title and property of the said canal or slip in the people of the State of New York, with the banks, towing-paths, bridges and other structures now being thereon. S2. The canal board shall not accept of any release, conto embrace, veyance, transfer or acquittance under this act, which does not expressly release all damages and claim of damages to the state, incurred or claimed in consequence of the state assuming the said improvement, or of the construction or improvement hereafter of the said canal or slip; and the mayor and common council of the city of Buffalo are hereby authorized to make and execute the proper conveyances and releases under, this act. Authority of $3. After the transfers and acceptance contemplated by this act shall have been perfected, the canal board shall have the same power to allow and certify to such works of extraordinary repair and improvement in and upon the said canal or slip as the said board now has upon or in regard to any completed canal of this state, under the existing statutes of this state; but no extraordinary repair or improvement shall be made in or upon the said canal or slip, whereby the state shall or may be subjected to any claim for damages for lands taken and used, or to any other claim of damages or payment of money whatever, except to pay for the repair and improvement allowed and certified under the provisions of this act. S 4. This act shall take effect immediately. CHAP. 45. AN ACT supplementary to the act entitled "An act to provide for the incorporation of religious societies," passed April fifth, eighteen hundred and thirteen. PASSED March 25, 1863; three-fifths being present. The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows · $1. The act entitled "An act to provide for the incorporation of religious societies," passed April fifth, eighteen hundred and thirteen, is hereby amended by adding thereto the following provisions : |