[Senate Joint Resolution No. 72.] [125.] CONCERNING PAUPER LEGISLATION. Resolved by this Assembly: That the governor be and hereby is authorized and empowered to appoint a committee of three persons, one of whom shall be a member of the bar of this state, to take into consideration and examine the laws relative to paupers, and to report to the next session of the general assembly the result of such examination; and also such proposed public act or acts upon said subject as said committee may deem the best interests of the state require. Approved, March 20th, 1877. [Senate Joint Resolution No. 66.] [126.] PROVIDING FOR RIFLE PRACTICE FOR THE CONNECTICUT NATIONAL GUARD. Resolved by this Assembly: That the commander-in-chie may cause to be constructed for the use of the Connecticut national guard, such rifle targets as in his opinion may be necessary, and prescribe the conditions of their use. Approved, March 20th, 1877. [Senate Joint Resolution No. 71.] CONCERNING THE PURCHASE OF PORTRAIT OF SIR EDMUN ANDROS. Resolved by this Assembly: That the comptroller of public accounts be authorized to purchase, at a price not exceeding two hundred and fifty dollars, the portrait of Sir Edmund Andros, now hanging in the senate chamber, painted by Charles N. Flagg. Approved, March 20th, 1877. [House Joint Resolution No. 195.] [128.] CONCERNING STATE AID TO PETER BRANSFIELD. Resolved by this Assembly: That the comptroller be and hereby is directed to draw his order on the treasurer for fifty dollars in favor of Peter Bransfield. Approved, March 21st, 1877. [House Bill No. 234.] AN ACT IN RELATION TO ELECTIONS IN THE TOWN AND CITY OF BRIDGEPORT. [Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Gen. eral Assembly convened:] SECTION 1. The selectmen of the town of Bridgeport shall provide suitable places in the several voting districts and wards of said town and city of Bridgeport, for holding any election of any state, town, city, or ward officers, or taking any other vote submitted to the freemen of said town or city, where such vote is to be taken in the several voting districts and wards of said town and city. SEC. 2. The selectmen of said town shall provide, for use at any electors' or freemen's vote in said town or city, a ticketbooth for each ward or voting district, sufficient to accommodate, with room and seats, at the same time, two booth-tenders, and no more, and having at all times, when in use, the words General Booth conspicuously exhibited thereon. Each registrar of voters for said district shall appoint one booth-tender and one associate booth-tender for said booth, which associate shall discharge the duties of the booth tender in his absence; and, in case of the sudden indisposition or inability of any tender or associate tender, said registrar shall forthwith appoint another in his place. Each of said tenders shall first be sworn to faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of his appointment. They shall be paid by said town, and their compensation shall be regulated by the board of selectmen. Said booths shall be located not less than fifty nor more than one hundred feet from the entrance to the polis, and shall be open for the distribution of tickets at least one hour before the opening of the polls. SEC. 3. Any elector or freeman shall have the right to leave with any booth-tender a supply of tickets, to be distributed and voted, and to require their distribution. Said booth-tender shall forthwith post conspicuously on the outside of said booth, and at or near each end thereof, a duplicate of each ticket thus left for distribution. Said specimen duplicates shall be numbered, and tickets for the same office or set of offices shall be arranged contiguously to each other. It shall be the duty of each of said tenders to see that every voter receives a copy of every ticket left for distribution at his said booth, if such voter desires it, taking care that the same are called for in good faith, and not for the purpose of destroying the same or exhausting the supply. And if such voter shall call for no particular ticket by number, said tenders shall furnish him with one of each of the tickets left with either of them for distribution; and they shall, upon request, inform any voter when the supply of any particular kind of tickets left with them is exhausted or likely to become so. Said tenders shall be supplied with and keep conveniences at said booths for the use of any voter to scratch or alter any ticket. SEC. 4. Upon the written application of any three electors, made to the selectmen at least twenty-four hours before the opening of the polls, they shall grant permission to them to erect a special booth near any of the polls in said town or city, and employ a booth-tender for such booth at their own expense. No such special booth shall be placed within seventy-five feet of the entrance to the polls, nor within fifteen feet of any other voting booth, and the choice of location for said special booths shall be determined in the order of said written applications, and no person other than the regular or special booth-tenders shall peddle or distribute tickets within seventy-five feet of the entrance to the polls. SEC. 5. No person shall enter any booth during the time of taking any vote, except the proper booth-tenders. No boothtender shall, during the time of taking any vote, make any effort to persuade any voter to vote any particular ticket, or to dissuade any voter from voting any particular ticket, or engage in any discussion with reference to the merits of any candidate, ticket, or measure. SEC. 6. The several ticket-booths and the immediate vicinity thereof shall, during the time for taking any vote, be kept free from any crowd of persons and from noise and dispute. No person shall take from any booth any tickets left there for distribution, without the consent of one of the tenders of such booth. No minor, nor other person not an elector, shall loiter about any such voting place during the taking of any vote or about the place where the vote is being counted. SEC. 7. The moderator of the poll, at any town or city elec tion or vote, shall see that the official challengers shall have full and free opportunity to exercise their office, that every voter shall have convenient and unobstructed opportunity to vote, that a free passage to the ballot-boxes shall be kept open, that the polls and voting booths shall be kept free from noise and disturbance, and he shall have authority forthwith to arrest, without warrant, any person disobeying his lawful orders for the aforesaid purposes, or guilty of violating any law or of attempting to violate any law with reference to such election, and cause him to be taken to the police station for prosecution; but if such person is entitled to vote, he shall have an opportunity to do so before removal. SEC. 8. Every person who shall disobey the proper order of the moderator, for any of the aforesaid purposes, or who shall wilfully and maliciously disturb the good order and quiet of any such election or vote, or injure, deface, or interfere with any of the voting booths aforesaid, or violate any other provis ion of this act, shall forfeit and pay a penalty of not less than one nor more than one hundred dollars for every such offense. SEC. 9. The selectmen of said town of Bridgeport shall be charged with the duty of enforcing the foregoing provisions, in such a manner that every election and vote in said town and city shall be conducted quietly and in good order, and that every legal voter shall have full and fair opportunity to procure or prepare and cast the vote of his choice, according to law, without intimidation or unnecessary hindrance. Approved, March 22d, 1877. [House Joint Resolution No. 76.] [130.] AUTHORIZING THE NATIONAL STAVE COMPANY TO ISSUE PREFERRED STOCK. Resolved by this Assembly: SECTION 1. The National Stave Company, a corporation duly organized and located in the town of Hartford, is hereby authorized to add to its present capital stock shares of preferred stock, of the par value of one hundred dollars per share, to an amount which shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars. SEC. 2. For the purpose of giving said new shares a preference, in regard to the payment of dividends thereon, over the shares of the present capital stock, said corporation may, by its vote or votes, at any meeting or meetings of its stockholders to be lawfully held for that purpose, make such declarations, stipu lations, and promises, and offer and set forth such assurances and guarantees, as said corporation may deem expedient, in regard to the payment of dividends upon such new shares, and in regard to the rights, preferences, and privileges which shall attach to such new shares and be possessed by the owners or holders thereof; and all such declarations, stipulations, promises, assurances, and guarantees shall be and remain obligatory upon said corporation in favor of all purchasers or holders of such new shares; and all purchasers or holders of such new shares shall possess, attached to such new shares by them respectively owned or held, all the rights, privileges, and preferences so, by said vote or votes, declared, promised, offered, set forth, assured, or guaranteed, as aforesaid; and said corporation may sell or dispose of such new shares, in such manner and upon such terms as said corporation, at any meeting or meetings of its stockholders to be lawfully held for that purpose, may, by its vote or votes, authorize or prescribe: provided, however, that none of the votes herein provided for shall be valid, unless passed at a meeting or meetings called for that purpose, and assented to by three-fourths of the stockholders present and holding at least three-fourths of the whole number of shares of stock repre sented at such meeting or meetings. Approved, March 21st, 1877. |