518 COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. firmed as if they had been duly and legally elected and appointed Approved, May 31st, 1871. Court of Common Pleas for when and where to be held. CHAPTER III. An Act in addition to "An Act to create and establish a Court Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in SEC. 1. The sessions of the court of common pleas in New New London Co., London county shall, instead of those now provided by the act creating and establishing said court, be as follows, to wit:—at New London on the first Tuesdays of August, December and April, and at Norwich on the first Tuesdays of October, February, and June, in each year, and said court shall have power to adjourn from New London to Norwich and from Norwich to New London, whenever the public convenience may require it to be done, and no term of said court shall be adjourned sine die, until every cause on the docket shall be tried, disposed of, or continued by agreement of the parties, or by order of the court for sufficient cause, and said court may order and direct a jury to be summoned and to be in attendance at all, or at such, and so many of said terms as the public necessity may require. Jury, when sum moned. Criminal jurisdiction of the court. SEC. 2. Said court in addition to the jurisdiction now conferred upon the same by law, shall have exclusive jurisdiction of all criminal offenses now cognizable by the superior court in said County, excepting crimes, the punishment of which may be death or imprisonment for life, and in all cases whatsoever, other than those above excepted, where a complaint for any criminal matter shall be legally brought before a justice of the peace or a police court within said county, which is now by law cogniz able by the superior court, such justice of the peace or police court may hear and inquire into the facts relative thereto, and if thereupon said justice of the peace or police court shall be of opinion that probable ground exists for the support of such complaint, may order the person accused or complained of to give a bond of recognizance with sufficient surety, conditioned that such person shall appear before the next court of common pleas to be holden in said county to answer to said complaint and abide the order or judgment of said court, touching said complaint or the matters charged therein; and on failure of the person accused or complained of to give or enter into such bond. of recognizance, such justice of the peace or police court shall order the person so accused or complained of to be committed to the common jail in said county until the next session of said 1 COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.-COMMUNITIES AND CORPORATIONS. court of common pleas, or until such person shall be discharged by due course of law, and said bond of recognizance shall be given and taken to the treasurer of the state, and in all other cases of criminal complaint or procedure whatsoever, wherein a bond of recognizance is now by law required to be given or taken for the appearance of the accused before the superior court, (except in cases where the punishment may be death or imprisonment for life,) said bond shall be given and taken for the appearance of the accused before the next court of common pleas to be holden in said county. 519 court in criminal cases. SEC. 3. Said court of common pleas shall have sole cogniz- Appeal to said ance and jurisdiction of all appeals in criminal cases from the judgments of justices of the peace and police courts within said county, where an appeal is now allowed to the superior court, and of all appeals in prosecutions for the violation of the provisions of the charter or of any by-law of any city or borough within said county, and upon such appeal the accused shall give such bond of recognizance with surety as said justice of the peace or police court may order, to the treasurer of the state conditioned for his appearance before the next court of common pleas to be holden in said county, to answer to said complaint and to abide the judgment that may be rendered by said court thereon. SEC. 4. In all criminal cases wherein the accused shall have Cases pending before the Supebeen bound over to appear before, or wherein he shall have rior Court of New appealed to the superior court in said New London county, at London county. its September term, 1871, said accused may be tried, or the case disposed of by said superior court at said September term, or said court may order the same to be transferred to the next term of said court of common pleas. diction of justices courts not alter SEC. 5. Nothing in the foregoing sections of this act con- Criminal juristained, shall be construed to prevent the superior court from and of police rendering and pronouncing judgment and sentence upon any ca person, who having been indicted upon the presentment of a grand jury, shall be found guilty by the petit jury of a lesser offence than that named and charged in the indictment, or to alter in any way the criminal jurisdiction of justices of the peace of police courts in the county of New London. Approved, June 2d, 1871. CHAPTER IV. An Act in addition to an Act concerning Communities and Cor porations. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: which have neg SEC. 1. Whenever any corporation has neglected to accept any Corporations amendment or alteration of its charter, heretofore made by the lected to accept general assembly, or to file its acceptance of said amendments their charters, alterations of within a limited time. may accept them or alterations with the secretary of state, it shall be lawful for any such corporation to accept any such amendment or alteration, and file an attested copy of such acceptance in the office of the secretary of state, in the manner prescribed by the 241st section of chapter six of title seven of the revised statutes of this state, within six months from the time this act shall take effect. Acts done under such amend tions validated. SEC. 2. All acts of any such corporation done under, or in ments or altera- pursuance of, or by authority of said amendments or alterations, are hereby validated and confirmed, and declared to be as binding as if said acceptance had been had and filed within the time heretofore prescribed. When this act takes effect. SEC. 3. This act shall take effect from the day of its passage. Defective conveyances of pews validated. CHAPTER V. An Act in addition to an Act entitled "An Act concerning Lands." Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: That all conveyances of any right or interest in any pew or slip in any meeting-house or place of public worship, heretofore made by the owner thereof, under his hand and seal, shall be valid, though the same be not witnessed and acknowledged as now required by law, provided that this act shall not effect any suit now pending. Approved, June 2d, 1871. Colored persons liable to taxation. CHAPTER VI. An Act in alteration of "An Act for the Assessment and Collection of Taxes." Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: That so much of the 6th section of the "Act for the Assessment and Collection of Taxes," as exempts from taxation the personal and real estate of persons of color, be, and the same is hereby repealed. Approved, June 2d, 1871. CHAPTER VII. An Act in addition to an Act entitled "An Act incorporating the Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: may issue addi amount of SEC. 1. That the city of Meriden be, and it is hereby author-City of Meriden ized and empowered to issue bonds, notes, scrip, or certificates of tional water fund debt, under the corporate name and seal of said city, bearing in-bonds to the terest at no greater rate than seven per cent. per annum, to any $50,000. amount which the court of common council of said city shall determine, not exceeding in the whole the sum of fifty thousand dollars; the principal of said bonds, notes, scrip, or certificates shall be payable at some certain time or times within thirty years from the time of issuing the same. And said bonds, notes, scrip, or certificates, shall belong to, and be an increase of the "water fund" of said city of Meriden, and may bear the same date as those already issued for that purpose, and the avails thereof shall be applied to and expended for the purpose of defraying any expense or the payment of any debt already incurred by said city in supplying the inhabitants of said city with water, under the provisions of "An Act amending the charter of the city of Meriden," passed May Session, A. D. 1868, and approved July 24th, 1868, and for the purpose of making repairs of the water works of said city, or of extending or enlarging the same, according to the provisions of said act, and for no other purpose whatsoever; and said bonds, notes, scrip, or certificates, when issued and delivered by said city, or its officers or agents duly authorized for that purpose, shall be obligatory and binding upon said city and the inhabitants thereof, according to the tenor and purport of the same, in the same manner and to the same extent as debts lawfully contracted by cities or towns in this state. SEC. 2. The board of water commissioners of said city of Issue, sale, and custody of said Meriden shall be trustees of said bonds, and shall have the care bonds regulated. and custody of the same, and the avails thereof; and said bonds, notes, or certificates, shall be issued, sold, managed, disposed of, and recorded, and the avails thereof received, deposited, and expended, in the same manner as the bonds heretofore authorized to be issued by said city, and according to the provisions of section fourteen of the act above referred to. SEC. 3. This act shall take effect from its passage. 522 SECRETARY.-CITY OF HARTFORD.-OATHS. Secretary to have custody of old CHAPTER VIII. An Act relating to the Office and Duty of the Secretary. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: That the secretary of this state shall continue to have the cusrecords and files tody of the records and files of the superior court previous to of the superior May, 1798, and may perform all the duties of clerk of said court Statutes, edit. of in all matters relating to said records. 1808, page 216. court. Approved, June 6th, 1871. Annual appointment of Hartford police court judge. CHAPTER IX. An Act to amend the Charter of the City of Hartford. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: SEC. 1. That the legislature shall annually appoint a judge of the police court for the city of Hartford, to continue in office for one year, and until his successor shall be appointed and sworn. SEC. 2. That so much of the charter of the city of Hartford the city charter as provides for the election of the judge of the police court for said city, by the common council thereof, be, and the same is hereby repealed. Repeal of part of When this act takes effect. Oath of apprais ers. Form. SEC. 3. This act shall take effect from the day of its passage. CHAPTER X. An Act in addition to an Act relating to Oaths. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: The form of oath to be administered to the person or persons appointed by the parties in interest to appraise the value of land. or other property other than land or property taken on execution, shall be as follows: . You do solemnly swear, or affirm that without partiality or prejudice, you will truly and justly estimate and appraise the estate which may be presented to you, according to its just and true value, and according to your best judgment. So help you God. Approved, June 8th, 1871. |
