same are hereby repealed; and this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage. ELBERT L. LAMPSON, Speaker of the House of Representatives. THEO. F. DAVIS, President pro tem. of the Senate. Passed April 12, 1889. Bonds to be registered in certain cities. Exceptions. [Senate Bill No. 607.] AN ACT To require the registration of bonds with sinking fund trustees, in cities of the first grade of the first class. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That in cities of the first grade of the first class, all bonds issued by the city shall, before the said bonds become valid in the hands of any purchaser, be registered in the office of the sinking fund trustees, and shall bear the stamp of said board of sinking fund trustees, containing the words "registered in office of sinking fund trustees," signed by the clerk. The register shall show date of issue, for what purpose issued, rate of interest, amount of issue, when due, interest where payable. SECTION 2. The provisions of this act shall not apply to bonds issued prior to the passage of this act. SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. NOAH H. ALBAUGH, Speaker pro tem. of the House of Representatives. THEO. F. DAVIS, President pro tem, of the Senate. Passed April 12, 1889. Returns by [Senate Bill No. 610.] AN ACT To amend section 2745 of the Revised Statutes, as amended April 11, 1888 (O. L., vol. 85, p. 183). SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That section 2745, Revised Statutes, be amended so as to read as follows: Sec. 2745. Every agency of an insurance company inagents of insur corporated by the authority of any other state or government shall return to the auditor of each county in which such company does business, or from which it collects premiums, ance com panies. on or before the first day of May, annually, the amount of the gross premium receipts of such agency for the previous calendar year, in such counties, which shall be entered upon the tax list of the proper county, and be subject to the same rate of taxation, for all purposes, that other personal property is subject to at the place where located; and the whole of such tax shall be due and payable on the twentieth day of November next ensuing; provided, that in making the first return under this act no company shall be required to make a return of receipts previously placed upon the duplicate, under the act to which this is amendatory, requiring the return to be made in the month of May. And it shall be the duty of the superintendent of insurance, in the month of December, annually, to charge and collect from all such companies such a sum as, added to the sum paid to the county treasuries, will produce an amount equal to two and one-half per cent. on the gross premium receipts of such companies, as shown by their annual statement, under oath, to the insurance department; provided, however, that if, by the laws of any other state, territory, or nation, a larger tax than two and one-half per cent. is charged companies organized under the laws of Ohio, then the superintendent of insurance shall charge a like tax upon companies from such state, territory, or nation doing business in this state; and provided further, that for the purpose of making the charge for the fractional year 1888, the superintendent of insurance may require, under oath, such information additional to that contained in the annual statement as is, in his judgment, required. If any such company refuse to pay said tax, after demand therefor has been made, or if it shall make any false statements of its gross premium receipts, the superintendent of insurance shall revoke the license of such company to do business in this state. If, at any time, said superintendent has reason to suspect the correctness of the return made of the gross premium receipts of any such company, he may, at the expense of the state, make an examination of the books of such company, or of its agents, for the purpose of verifying the same. All taxes collected under the provisions of this section, by the superintendent of insurance, shall be paid by him, upon the warrant of the auditor, into the general revenue tund of the state. SECTION 2. That section twenty-seven hundred and forty-five (2745), as amended April 11, 1888, be and the same is hereby repealed. SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. ELBERT L. LAMPSON, Speaker of the House of Representatives. THEO. F. DAVIS, President pro tem. of the Senate. Passed April 12, 1889. Certain cities authorized to issue bonds for developing natural gas and oil. Tax to be levied to pay said bonds. The question to be sub mitted to the people. Council to appoint trustees. Vote; how taken. [Senate Bill No. 622.] AN ACT To authorize the city council of any city of the second class, and fourth grade, within the state, which at the last federal census had, or at any subsequent federal census may have, a population of not less than 5,245, nor more than 5,255, to issue bonds for the purpose of developing natural gas and oil. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That any city of the fourth grade of the second class within this state, which at the last federal census had, or at any subsequent federal census may have, a population of not less than 5,245, nor more than 5,255, is hereby authorized and empowered to issue bonds, not exceeding in amount the sum of ten thousand dollars, for the purpose of developing natural gas and oil; said bonds to be signed by the mayor, and countersigned by the clerk of said city, and to be for sums not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars each, and bearing interest at a rate not to exceed six per cent. per annum, payable annually, the principal and interest of said bonds to be payable at such bank or place as the council may direct; provided, that said bonds shall not be sold for less than their par value. SECTION 2. That for the purpose of paying said bonds and interest thereon as the same shall become due, the council of such city is hereby authorized and required to levy a tax on all taxable property within the corporate limits of said city, in such amounts each year as will meet the principal and interest then falling due upon said bonds, which levy shall be placed on the tax duplicate by the county auditor, and collected as other taxes. SECTION 3. Before said council shall issue said bonds the proposition shall be submitted to a vote of the qualified electors of said city, at a special election to be called for that purpose, which election shall be conducted in all respects as municipal elections. The council, before submitting such proposition, shall provide by ordinance the rate of interest they shall bear, the amount of bonds to be issued, and within what time the same shall be redeemed or paid, and make the necessary provision for the proper expenditure of the proceeds thereof, which ordinance, and a notice of said election, shall be published in all newspapers published within said city for not less than two weeks prior to said election. SECTION 4. Before submitting said question to a vote of the electors the council of said city shall, on the nomination of the mayor, appoint five trustees, whose duty it shall be, in case said bonds are issued, to sell the same, and take charge of the proceeds thereof, and regulate and expend the same for the purposes provided in this act; and no more than three of said trustees shall be of the same political party. SECTION 5. The tickets voted at said election shall have written or printed thereon the words "Authority to issue bonds-Yes," or "Authority to issue bonds-No;" and if the proposition to issue bonds be approved by two-thirds of those voting upon the proposition, the council of said city shall have authority to issue such bonds for the purposes herein before provided. SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. NOAH H. ALBAUGH, THEO. F. DAVIS, President pro tem. of the Senate. Passed April 12, 1889. [House Bill No. 825.] AN ACT To correct abuses of appointing power by the boards of county commis sioners. commissioners SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State Duty of county of Ohio, That in all counties having a population of over in certain twenty-three thousand (23,000), and less than twenty-three counties. thousand five hundred (23,500), by the census of eighteen hundred and eighty (1880), or any succeeding federal census, the board of county commissioners shall appoint the county surveyor to do all the county work requiring the services of a surveyor or engineer. SECTION 2. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. ELBERT L. LAMPSON, Speaker of the House of Representatives. THEO. F. DAVIS, Passed April 12, 1889. [House Bill No. 957.] AN ACT To amend section 1656 of the Revised Statutes of Ohio, as amended March 21, 1888 (vol. 85, p. 95), section 2186, as amended May 18, 1886 (vol. 83, p. 198), and section 2455, as amended May 17, 1886 (vol. 83, p. 184). SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That amended sections 1656, 2186 and 2455 be so amended as to read as follows: Sec. 1656. In cities of the first grade of the first class, the board of aldermen shall consist of thirty members, to be elected by districts, to serve for the term of four years; and for the purpose of electing such aldermen such cities shall be Board of aldermen in Cincinnati. Board of fire in Cleveland. and are hereby divided into five districts, as follows: The territory comprised within the first, second, third, fourth, twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh wards shall constitute the first district. The territory comprised within the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth wards shall constitute the second district. The territory comprised within the eleventh, twelfth, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, twenty-eighth and thirtieth wards shall constitute the third district. The territory comprised within the thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, twentysecond and twenty-third wards shall constitute the fourth district; and the territory comprised within the seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth, twenty-first and twentyninth wards shall constitute the fifth district (82 v., 111, and 84 v., 125). And in said cities of the first grade of the first class there shall be no election for members of the board of aldermen until the expiration of the respective terms of the present members of the board of aldermen, and the present members shall serve for the full term for which they were elected. In cities of the first class, second grade, the respective terms of the present members of the board of aldermen shall terminate from and after the passage of this act. Sec. 2186. When the council of a city establishes a board of improvements, such board shall be composed of the mayor, civil engineer, the street commissioner, the chairman of the committee on streets of the council, and one freehold elector of the corporation, to be appointed by the mayor, with consent of the council, for such time as may, by ordinance, be determined; provided, that in cities of the second grade of the first class, such board shall be composed of the mayor, the civil engineer, the street commissioner, one freehold elector of the corporation, to be elected by the council, and the chairman of the committee on streets of the council; and provided further, that in cities of the first grade of the first class there shall be no such board, but the duties of the board, defined herein, are devolved upon the board of city commissioners, which board shall, in addition to its other powers and duties, have all the powers and perform all the duties required of the board of improvements in this chapter, not inconsistent with the duty of the board of city commissioners. Sec. 2455. In cities of the second grade of the first class commissioners the management and control of the fire department shall be vested in six commissioners, consisting of the mayor, who, by virtue of his office, shall be the president of the board, the chairman of the committee on fire and water of the council, one commissioner, elected by the electors of such city, for one year, one for two years, one for three years, and one for four years; and at each annual municipal election hereafter there shall be elected for the term of four years, one commissioner, who shall be a resident freeholder of the corporation, and the board shall consist of the mayor, chairman of such committee for the time being, and the four commissioners so elected, who shall hold their office until their successors are elected and qualified, and the board established by this section shall be in all respects the successors of the board whose places they take. Provided, that the present members of the said |