within the boundaries of said city of Binghamton, to preserve the public peace; to prevent crime, and arrest offenders; to protect rights of persons and property; to guard the public health; to preserve order and to enforce all laws of the state, and all ordinances of said city. Said board may employ an attorney to conduct such legal proceedings, Attorney. including civil and criminal prosecution, before the recorder of the city of Binghamton, as the board may require, and said board may, by general resolution, prescribe the duties of such attorney. Said attorney shall hold office during the pleasure of the board and shall receive such compensation as shall be determined by the board, to be paid by warrants to be drawn by said board on the contingent fund of the city of Binghamton out of the moneys received for fines.

§3. The increase in salaries occasioned by the first section of this act shall only apply to officers of the said police force appointed after the passage of this act.

§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

Chap. 11.

AN ACT giving the consent of the state of New York to the purchase by the United States of America of a piece of land for light-house purposes at Hallett's Point, Hell Gate, in Queens county, and ceding jurisdiction over the

same.

PASSED February 9, 1884; by a two-thirds vote.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

may pur

SECTION 1. The consent of the state of New York is hereby given to United the purchase by the United States of America of all that certain piece or States parcel of land at Hallett's Point (Hell Gate), in Queens county, bounded chase and described as follows: Beginning at a point in the westerly line of lot lands. number eighty-nine, and situated one hundred feet from the westerly side of Monson street, if the same were extended, and which point is three feet six inches distant from the south-west corner of said lot number eighty-nine, and running thence north-westerly, at right angles to said Monson street, one hundred and fifty-four feet, to low water of the East river; thence along low water line with a course about north, seventyeight degrees east, about two hundred and ten feet to a point in the prolongation of the said westerly side of Monson street, if the same were extended; thence south-westerly parallel to the westerly side of Monson street and in a line one hundred feet distant there from, about one hundred and forty feet to the point or place of beginning. The said last-mentioned line or boundary being coincident with the easterly side of the concrete foundations which have been built for the electric tower now in course of erection at Hallett's Point, for the purpose of establishing thereon light-houses or other aids to navigation.

tion

§ 2. The jurisdiction of the state of New York in and over the above Jurisdicdescribed property shall be and is hereby ceded to the United States, ceded. subject to the restrictions hereinafter mentioned.

§3. The said consent is given, and the said jurisdiction ceded upon condition the express condition that the state of New York shall retain concurrent as to con

jurisdiction.

current jurisdiction with the United States in and over the said property so far as that all civil and criminal process which may issue under the laws or authority of the state of New York may be executed thereon in the same way and manner as if such consent and jurisdiction had not been given.

Exemp

taxes.

§ 4. The jurisdiction hereby ceded shall not vest, in any respect, to any portion of said property until the United States shall have acquired title thereto by purchase or otherwise.

§ 5. The said property when acquired by the United States shall be tion from and continue forever thereafter exonerated and discharged from all taxes, assessments and other charges which may be levied or imposed under the authority of this state; but the jurisdiction hereby ceded, and the exemption from taxation hereby granted, shall continue in respect to said property so long as the same shall remain the property of the United States and be used for public purposes, and no longer.

Prison
Labor

Commis

sion.

To examine and

report.

ited.

Chap. 12.

AN ACT to provide for a commission to examine into the operation of the contract labor system in the prisons, penitentiaries and reformatories of this state.

PASSED February 9, 1884; three-fifths being present.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. Within ten days after the passage of this act there shall be appointed by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, five commissioners, all of whom shall be citizens of this state, who are hereby constituted a board of commissioners under the name of the "Prison Labor Commission," who shall hold office until March first, eighteen hundred and eighty-four.

§ 2. The said commission is hereby authorized and empowered to examine into and to report upon the practical operation of the contract system for the employment of convicts in the state prisons, penitentiaries and reformatories of this state, as now required by law, and particularly as to the effect of such employment upon prison management and discipline; upon the prisoners, and upon the community at large; and for such purpose the said commissioners, or any of them, shall have full power and authority to enter any and all such institutions at all times, and shall have power to examine witnesses, and to send for and examine books and papers.

Time lim- § 3. The said commission shall report their conclusions, with such recommendations as they may deem proper, as to the best method of employing such convict labor, to this legislature, not later than the first day of March, eighteen hundred and eighty-four; they shall also prepare a form of bill to be submitted with such report.

Compensation.

§ 4. The said commissioners shall each receive the sum of ten dollars per day for his services during his term of office; and the reasonable expenses of such commission, together with such salary to each member thereof, shall be paid upon the audit of the comptroller, out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately.

Chap. 13.

AN ACT to amend section three of chapter three hundred and forty-three of the laws of eighteen hundred and eightythree, entitled "An act to incorporate the fire department of the village of Sing Sing."

PASSED February 16, 1884; three-fifths being present.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. Section three of chapter three hundred and forty-three of the laws of eighteen hundred and eighty-three, entitled "An act to incorporate the fire department of the village of Sing Sing," is hereby amended so that the same will read as follows:

trustees.

to be

§ 3. The chief engineer and assistant engineers elected, and to be Ex-officio elected by the fire department of said village under the charter thereof, shall be ex-officio, and without any further election, trustees of said corporation, and each of the companies belonging to said fi.e depart- Trustees ment shall, on the first Tuesday of May, in the year one thousand elected. eight hundred and eighty-four, elect by ballot two of the acting members of such companies, who shall also be trustees of said corporation; one of whom shall be elected for and shall hold his said office one year, and one shall hold his said office for two years; and annually thereafter on said first Tuesday of May, the said companies shall each elect one trustee of said corporation, who shall hold his office for two years. In case any vacancy shall occur in the office of any of the trustees Vacanelected by said companies, the same may be filled at the next annual cies. election for the unexpired, or full term, as the case may be. The chief officers. engineer shall be president of the board of trustees, and the assistant engineers shall be vice-presidents thereof. In their absence the board shall designate one of their number to serve as president. The said board shall have power to appoint a treasurer and clerk of said corporation. A majority of the trustees shall constitute a quorum for the Quorum. transaction of business, but the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all members composing the board shall be requisite in making any order for payment, or authorizing the investment of any moneys, or the sale or transfer of any stock, securities or property belonging to said corporation. The treasurer and clerk shall respectively give such Treasurer security for their fidelity and good conduct as the board of trustees and clerk may, from time to time, require. The board of trustees, as such, shall curity. not, directly or indirectly, receive any pay or emolument for their services.

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

2*

to give se

time.

Chap. 14.

AN ACT to establish a uniform standard time throughout the state, and to amend title one of chapter nineteen of part one of the Revised Statutes, relating to the computation of time.

PASSED February 16, 1884.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. Title one of chapter nineteen of part one of the Revised Statutes is hereby amended by adding thereto the following as an additional section:

Standard § 5. The standard time throughout this state shall be that of the seventy-fifth meridian of longitude, west from Greenwich, by which all courts and public offices, and all legal or official proceedings shall be hereafter regulated. Whenever, by the laws of this state, or by any law, rule, order or process of any authority, created by or pursuant to the laws of this state, any act is required to be performed, at or within any prescribed time, such act shall be performed according to the time at the seventy-fifth meridian of longitude, west from Greenwich.

Corporators.

powers.

Chap. 15.

AN ACT to amend chapter two hundred and ninety-four of the laws of eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, entitled "An act to incorporate the fire department of the city of Binghamton."

PASSED February 16, 1884; three-fifths being present. The People of the State of New York, represented in 'Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. Section one of chapter two hundred and ninety-four of the laws of eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, entitled "An act to incorporate the fire department of the city of Binghamton," is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

§ 1. All such persons as now are or hereafter may be engineers of the fire department of the city of Binghamton, or who may be members of any company recognized by the common council of said city as belonging to the fire department thereof, or who shall have become entitled to and have received their certificates of exemption as firemen, Name and are hereby constituted a body.corporate and politic by the name of the "Fire Department of the City of Binghamton," and by that name shall have perpetual succession, and may sue and be sued in any court of competent jurisdiction; and they and their successors by the said name are authorized to purchase or receive by gift, or otherwise, subject, however, to all provisions of law now existing relative to devises. and bequests by last will and testament, and to hold and convey any real or personal property for the use of said corporation, not exceeding in value the sum of fifty thousand dollars, and shall have and be enti

tled to the benefits conferred upon the fire departments of cities by chapter four hundred and sixty-five of the laws of eighteen hundred and seventy-five, and the various acts amendatory thereof.

§ 2. Section two of said act is hereby amended so as to read as follows: § 2. The general business and objects of said corporation shall be to Objects. accumulate a fund for the relief of indigent members of said fire department, disabled while actually doing duty as firemen, and of such person as shall have become entitled to and have received the certificates of exemption as firemen, and of the families of all of the aforesaid persons, which fund shall be appropriated and used in no other manner, except the said board may purchase a firemen's burial lot in Spring Forest Cemetery in said city, and erect thereon a suitable monument in memory of deceased firemen, and expend such sum annually as may be necessary to take suitable care of such lot, and may also endow a bed in the city hospital for the henefit of firemen who may be disabled while doing duty as firemen, or of indigent members who may be in need of hospital treatment.

Chap. 16.

AN ACT to legalize, ratify and confirm the assessment made by the assessors of the town of Thompson, in the county of Sullivan, for the year eighteen hundred and eightythree, and to ratify and confirm the acts of the board of supervisors of the county of Sullivan, in issuing a warrant for the collection of taxes in said town, based upon said assessment.

PASSED February 16, 1884; three-fifths being present.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

galized.

SECTION 1. The assessment of the real and personal property, as Assesswell of individuals as of corporations liable to assessment and taxation mentein the town of Thompson, in the county of Sullivan, made by the assessors of said town for the year eighteen hundred and eighty-three, and upon which state, town and county taxes for the said year have been apportioned and included in the warrant and tax-roll for the collection of such taxes in said town, is hereby legalized, ratified and confirmed, notwithstanding any irregularity or defect in the verification of said roll by the assessors. And the said assessment is hereby made as valid and legal for all purposes as if the oath of said assessors to said roll had been made on or after the third Tuesday of August, eighteen hundred and eighty-three, instead of the twenty-eighth day of July, eighteen hondred and eighty-three, as it now appears to have been taken by the jurat annexed to the said assessment-roll.

tionment

fied and

§ 2. The apportionment of taxes by the board of supervisors, pursu- Apporant to the said assessment for the year eighteen hundred and eighty-taxes, three, upon the said town of Thompson, and the issuing of a warrant etc., ratifor the collection of the same from the taxable inhabitants, corporations confirm'd. and non-resident lands of said town, is hereby ratified and confirmed; and the collector of said town who now has in his custody the said taxwarrant and roll issued by said board of supervisors is hereby authorized