wholesome meat, fish, vegetables, produce or provisions of any kind whatever, shall be punished by imprisonment in jail not exceeding sixty days, or by fine not exceeding one hundred dollars.

SECT. 6. The name and place of business of every person whose property shall be condemned under this act, or who shall be convicted of an offence under the previous section, shall be published in two newspapers published in the county.

SECT. 7. This act shall not be in force in any city or town unless adopted by the city council of such city, or by the inhabitants of such town. [Approved April 20, 1872.]

The Mayor, in his inaugural address, having called the attention of the government to the necessity of additional legislation before a system of streets could be laid out in the territory recently annexed to the city, a petition was presented to the Legislature asking for authority to assess a betterment upon the abutters when the streets were graded and opened for public travel. Upon that petition the following act was passed :

[CHAP. 242.]

AN ACT in relation to the Assessment of Betterments in Boston.

Be it enacted, &c., as follows:

SECT. 1. The board of street commissioners of the City of Boston, may assess betterments on estates abutting on streets laid out, extended or widened in said city under the provisions of chapter four hundred and forty-eight of the acts of the year eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, chapter seventy-nine of the acts of the year eighteen hundred and seventy, and chapter ninety-six of the acts of the year eighteen hundred and seventy-one, within one year from the time when the streets so laid out, widened or extended are graded and opened to public travel.

SECT. 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Approved April 23, 1872.]

In order to afford additional protection to persons seeking labor from the impositions which are constantly being practised upon them in large cities by unlicensed keepers of intelligence offices and labor bureaus, your committee procured an amendment to the 23d sect. of the 38th chap. of the Gen. Stat., so that it reads as follows, the amendment being represented by the words in italics:

Whoever, without a license therefor, establishes or keeps an intelligence office for the purpose of obtaining or giving information concerning places of employment for domestics, servants, or other laborers, except seamen, or for the purpose of procuring or giving information concerning such persons for, or to employers, or for the purpose of procuring or giving information concerning employment in business, shall pay a fine of ten dollars for each day such office is so so kept.

On the petition for an amendment to the statutes relating to the regulation and inspection of buildings in this city, a bill was presented to the Committee on Insurance by the Chief of the Bureau of Inspection, covering a large number of amendments to the present bill, and introducing many new regulations which would have been extremely onerous upon builders. A new bill was presented by your committee, giving the City Council appellate jurisdiction over the department; but, for reasons which need not be stated here, this bill was rejected. The bill first offered by the Inspector was withdrawn, and a new bill was prepared which was passed after having some of its objectionable features stricken out. As the new bill will be promulgated by the department, it is unnecessary to print it in this report.

On the petition of the city the following Act in relation to the domicile of voters was obtained, the purpose being to prevent what is known as colonizing before important elections:

[CHAP. 261.]

AN ACT in relation to Change of Domicile of Voters in Cities.

Be it enacted, &c., as follows:

SECT. 1. Voters in cities shall be registered in the respective wards wherein they are assessed, except as hereinafter provided.

SECT. 2. No person who removes from one ward in any city to another ward shall be registered as a legal voter in said last mentioned ward, or vote therein, until he has resided in said last mentioned ward continuously for a period of at least three months, when he may be so registered; and until any person who so removes shall have the right to be registered and vote in the last mentioned ward he shall have the right to vote in the ward in which he was previously registered, if otherwise qualified according to the constitution and laws of this Commonwealth. [Approved April 25, 1872.]

The following Act in relation to the boundary line between Brookline and Boston, was procured by the town of Brookline for the purpose of establishing a system of sewerage for the territory in the vicinity of Muddy River, which will soon be thickly covered with dwelling-houses.

[CHAP. 267.]

AN ACT to change the Boundary between Brookline and Boston, and for Sanitary Purposes.

Be it enacted, &c., as follows:

SECT. 1. The boundary line between the Town of Brookline and the City of Boston is hereby changed and established as follows: First, beginning at the stone post in the present boundary line on the northerly side of Washington street in Brookline, and running generally north-easterly in the centre of Muddy River about four hundred and fifty-five feet; thence north thirty-eight degrees east, parallel to the easterly side of Brookline avenue and eighty-five feet distant therefrom, eight hundred feet to a corner; thence turning a right

angle to the west and running one hundred and forty-five feet to the north-westerly side of Brookline avenue; thence north-easterly along the side of said avenue five hundred and fifty feet; thence north-westerly about eighty feet to the centre of Muddy River. Second, beginning in the centre of Muddy River at a point on the southerly side of Longwood avenue bridge, and running south fifty-five minutes west, six hundred and ten feet to the centre of said river. Third, beginning at the corner of the present boundary line in the centre of Charles River, and running easterly on the centre line of said river forty feet; thence southerly along the easterly side of Saint Mary's street to Joy street; thence south-easterly along the easterly line of Saint Mary's street extended parallel to the present boundary line and forty feet distant therefrom, to the centre of Muddy River; thence south-westerly along said centre about forty-one feet to the present boundary corner. This third change is made by running a line parallel to and forty feet from and easterly of the present boundary line between Charles River and Muddy River. The bearings herein given are the magnetic bearings. The new boundary line is laid down on a plan thereof made by George Tyler, civil engineer, and signed by the selectmen of Brookline, which is deposited in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

SECT. 2. The Town of Brookline and the City of Boston may erect and maintain a dam, with a tide-gate therein, across Muddy River at its intersection with Brookline avenue in Boston, near the street now or formerly called Appleton place, for the purpose of preventing the tide from flowing up said river. If the City of Boston shall refuse or neglect, after thirty days notice, to unite with the Town of Brookline in erecting said dam and tide gate, the Town of Brookline may erect and maintain the same at its own

expense.

SECT. 3. The Town of Brookline and the City of Boston may divert the waters of Muddy River, above said dam, so as to make them flow in a more direct line to Charles River, through the lands of any person or corporation as they shall adjudge to be necessary for the public convenienc or the public health. If the City of Boston shall refuse or neglect, after thirty days' notice, to unite with the Town of Brookline in diverting said waters, the Town of Brookline may divert said waters where the same are exclusively within the limits of said town.

SECT. 4. In case said waters of Muddy River shall be diverted as aforesaid, the owners of lands bordering upon said river may fill up said lands and the ancient channel of Muddy River, to the borders of the new line of said river.

SECT. 5. For any of the purposes of this act the land or real estate of any person or corporation may be taken, and the proceedings in erecting said dam and tide-gate, and in diverting Muddy River, shall be the same in all respects as in the laying out of town ways; and all persons or corporations suffering damage in their property by reason of the erection of said tide-gate and dam, or by the diversion of Muddy River, shall have the same rights and remedies for the ascertainment and recovery of the amount of such damages as in the case of laying out of town ways.

SECT. 6: The territory and the inhabitants thereon hereby set off from the City of Boston to the Town of Brookline, shall be holden to pay all such taxes as are already assessed or ordered to be assessed by said City of Boston for the present year, in the same manner as if this act had not been passed; and all paupers who have gained a settlement in said City of Boston by a settlement gained or derived within said territory, shall be relieved or supported by said Town of Brookline, in the same manner as if they had a legal settlement in said Town of Brookline.

SECT. 7. The inhabitants of the territory hereby set off to the Town of Brookline, shall continue to be a part of Boston for the purpose of electing State officers and members of the executive council, senators and representatives to the General Court, representatives to Congress, and electors of president and vice-president of the United States, until the next decennial census, or until another apportionment shall be made; and it shall be the duty of the selectmen of Brookline to make a true list of the persons residing on the territory hereby set off, qualified to vote at such elections, and post up the same in said territory, and correct the same as required by law, and deliver the same to the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Boston seven days at least before any such election, and the same shall be taken and used by the Mayor and Aldermen of Boston for such election, in the same manner as if it had been prepared by themselves.

SECT. 8. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Approved April 27, 1872.]