posed by this By-Law, the board shall assign it, in whole or in part, to another Commissioner or to an officer of the Board. But this By-Law shall not be construed to impair the right of the Board to direct special investigations or examinations of the affairs and management of any institution, society or association, or to institute and pursue investigations on any subject germane to its work in any district or county of the State.

3. The President may, during the recess of the Board, appoint a committee of one or more Commissioners to make a preliminary investigation into the affairs, management and conduct of any institution, society or association subject to its supervision, with the full powers conferred by law.

IX. ON THE OBJECTS OF VISITATION AND INSPECTION.

The subjects of inquiry, inspection and examination of institutions, societies or associations under the supervision of the Board, shall be as specified in chapter 546 of the Laws of 1896, article I., section 11.

X. ON THE APPROVAL OF CERTIFICATES OF INCORPORATION.

1. Whenever application is made to the State Board of Charities for the approval of a certificate of incorporation, the application shall first be sent to the Secretary of the Board, at the Capitol, for record, and submission to the Attorney-General, or to the counsel of the Board for opinion as to legal form, and shall then forthwith be referred by the Secretary to the Commissioner or Commissioners resident in the district from which the application is made.

In case of an application from a district in which there is more than one resident Commissioner, such certificate shall be sent to such Commissioner as may be appointed by the Commissioners resident in such district.

2. It shall be the duty of the Commissioner acting alone or with such Commissioner or Commissioners as he may invite, to inquire by personal examination or by a public hearing upon notice into the merits of the application, and specially to consider the following points:

(a) The desirability of the existence of such an institution as is proposed to be incorporated, at the time and place and under the circumstances set forth in the application and certificate.

(b) The character and standing, in the community, of the proposed incorporators.

(c) The financial resources of the proposed institution, and its sources of future revenue.

3. Such Commissioners shall report to the Board in writing, before final action upon the application, the result of the examination and the recommendation based thereon, and this report, together with all papers in the matter of the application, shall be filed in the office of the Board.

XI. ON THE ANNUAL REPORT.

1. The Committee on Publication shall have general supervision of the preparation of the report by the Secretary, and shall have power to select or reject matter, subject to the final action of the Board.

2. The annual report shall contain such statements, items and particulars as are specified in chapter 546 of the Laws of 1896, or in the acts amendatory thereof or supplemental thereto, and also such other matters relating to the institutions, societies or associations under the supervision of the Board, as the Committee may deem necessary and proper.

3. The title of each paper intended for publication with the annual report, shall be filed in the office of the Board on or before the second Wednesday of October, and no paper, report or document, the title of which is not so filed, shall be received or considered for the annual report of the Board, except on special leave of the Committee on Publication, nor shall any such report, paper or document be published in the appendix of the annual report, unless the same shall have been read through by at least one member of said Committee, reported favorably to and approved by the Board.

4. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Publication to submit the text of the report, in proper form for transmission to the Legislature, to the Board on or before the second Wednesday of December.

XII. ON THE OFFICE OF THE BOARD.

1. The office of the Board, in the Capitol at Albany, is the authorized depository of all books, papers, records and documents,

the property of the Board, and shall, so far as practicable, be the place for the transaction of its business.

2. The office shall be kept open on all secular days, except legal holidays, from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m.

XIII. ON THE ACCOUNTS OF THE BOARD.

1. All bills or accounts made by virtue of any law whose execution is under the supervision of the Board, shall receive the audit of the Board or of the Finance Committee before presentation to the Comptroller for payment.

2. A copy of all accounts passed by the Board or Finance Committee shall be kept in the office.

3. No indebtedness chargeable to any appropriation, shall be incurred by any Commissioner or officer except on the order of the Board or Finance Committee, but this provision shall not apply to the personal expenses of Commissioners, expenses incurred by the Superintendent of State and Alien Poor, the Inspector of Charities, the Secretary, or the miscellaneous contingent expenses of the office.

4. All appropriations made by the Legislature for the use of the Board shall be entered in books prepared for that purpose, and in connection with each appropriation, every item of expenditure, duly authorized and made chargeable to said appropriation, shall be recorded, and these accounts shall be so kept as to show at all times the available balance of each appropriation remaining to the credit of the Board.

XIV. ON THE COMMITTEES.

There shall be the following Standing Committees, which shall be appointed by the President-elect as soon as practicable after each annual meeting. The President may, subject to the pleasure of the Board, appoint such other or further committees as the work of the Board may, from time to time, demand.

All the committees shall report at each stated meeting of the Board, or oftener when necessary, upon the matters coming under their jurisdiction or specially referred to them.

1. On Publication.

This Committee shall consist of five Commissioners, and shall have supervision of the preparation of the annual report of the Board.

2. On Finance.

This Committee shall consist of the President and two Commissioners, and shall have charge of the finances of the Board, and shall audit such bills in the intervals of the meetings of the Board as the Board may direct.

3. On Inspection of Charities.

This Committee shall consist of three Commissioners, and shall have supervision of the Bureau of Inspection of Charities.

4. On State and Alien Poor.

This Committee shall consist of three Commissioners, and shall have supervision of the Bureau of State and Alien Poor.

XV.

ON THE DECLARATION OF THE OPINION AND POLICY OF THE BOARD.

The opinion and policy of the Board can be declared only by resolution adopted at a meeting regularly convened, and when so declared shall furnish a rule of official action to Commissioners and officers.

XVI. ON THE METHODS OF CHANGING THE BY-LAWS.

No alteration, addition or amendment to these By-Laws shall be made, unless upon notice at one meeting of intention to propose the same at the next stated or special meeting of the Board and upon a majority vote of all Commissioners at such next stated or special meeting.

RULES FOR THE RECEPTION AND RETENTION OF INMATES OF INSTITUTIONS.

[As amended January 14, 1903.]

I. RECEPTION OF INMATES.

The following classes of persons, and no others, may be received as public charges into charitable, eleemosynary, correctional, and reformatory institutions, wholly or partly under private control, authorized by law to receive payments from any county, city, town or village for the support, care or maintenance of inmates:

1. Children under the age of sixteen years, who have been convicted of crime and committed to such institution.

2. Persons who have been committed to such institutions by any court or magistrate having jurisdiction.

3. Persons who, pursuant to the provisions of existing laws, have been received or are retained in any such institution by the written order or permit of the superintendent of the poor of a county, or overseer of the poor of a town, or commissioner or commissioners of charities or other local officer or board legally exercising the powers of an overseer of the poor in the county, city, town or village sought to be charged with the support of such persons.

4. Persons who have been received into such institutions as, under special or existing laws or appropriations, are entitled to receive payments of money in gross sum or for specific purposes, from any county, city, town or village. No child between the ages of two and sixteen, unless convicted of a crime, shall be received into any such institution as a public charge, unless committed thereto, or placed therein, by a court or magistrate having jurisdiction, or by the superintendent of the poor of a county, or overseer of the poor of a town, or commissioner or commissioners of charities, or other local officer or board legally exercising the powers of an overseer in the county, city, town or village sought to be charged with the support of such child, and authorized by law to commit children to such institutions or to place them therein.

II. RETENTION OF INMATES.

1. No child under the age of sixteen years, unless convicted of crime, nor any destitute minor nor adult person, whether committed by any court or magistrate, or otherwise received, shall be retained in any such institution, as a public charge, unless accepted in writing as such by the officer charged with the support and relief of the poor of the county, city, town or village upon which such child or destitute minor or adult person is sought to be made a public charge, subject to such regulations as the Board may from time to time prescribe, and all acceptances so made shall lapse and become void unless renewed in writing within thirty days of the expiration of one year from the time