in the same year, on the inhabitants of the district; and the taxes so assessed by an overseer shall be collected and expended in like manner as highway taxes assessed by the supervisors are required to be collected and expended.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. Approved March 21, 1872.

CHAPTER 75.

[Published March 22, 1872.]

AN ACT to provide for the removal of the naturalization papers on file in the municipal court of the city of Watertown, to the office of the clerk of the circuit court of the county of Jefferson.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

naturalization

SECTION 1. The clerk of the circuit court of the May transfer county of Jefferson is hereby authorized and empow- papers. ered to apply for and receive all the naturalization papers, declarations or other documents and records. pertaining to the raturalization of foreigners now in the office or place of custody of the records and papers of the late municipal court of the city of Watertown, and preserve them in some secure place in his office; and the clerk of the circuit court aforesaid shall be deemed the proper custodian of such papers and documents, the same as though they had been originally

filed in his office.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. Approved March 21, 1872.

Shall read publicly a statement of high way taxes.

CHAPTER 76.

[Published April 3, 1872.]

AN ACT relating to the account of the overseer of highways.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. It is hereby made the duty of the chairman or clerk of the town board of each town in this state, to read publicly, at the annual town meeting of said town, from the account of each overseer of highways, as required by section fifty of chapter one hundred and fifty-two of the general laws of 1869, the total amount of highway tax in his district, the amount of tax paid in money, the amount of money received from the town treasurer on account of returned taxes en real estate, or paid into the town treasury by a former overseer in such district, the manner in which all taxes collected and received by him have been aisbursed, and the particular items of such disbursement, the amount of money unexpended, and paid to the

town treasurer.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. Approved March 21, 1872.

Record of de

cree to be evidence.

CHAPTER 77.

[Published March 22, 1872.]

AN ACT to declare the record of a certain decree in partition to be evidence.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows.

SECTION 1. The record of a certified copy of a decree in partition in an action in the circuit court for the county of Sheboygan, between Daniel Whitney, plain

tiff, and Winthrop W. Gilman and others, defendants, decreeing partition of certain lands and lots in the city and town of Sheboygan, and which is now recorded in volume 30 of deeds, on pages 176 to 183 of said volume, in the office of the register of deeds of said county of Sheboygan, is hereby declared to be a lawful record in said office, and the said record, and copies thereof, certified in due form by the register of deeds of said county, shall be received in evidence in all actions or proceedings involving in any manner the title to any or all of the lots or lands described in said records, such records having been destroyed by fire.

record to be

SECTION 2. The record of said copy of decrees, and Certified copy of copies thereof duly certified by said register, are here- prima facia eviby declared to be prima facie evidence that the several dence. persons and parties to whom the said lots and lands were set apart and decreed by said court as the same appears in said record, were then the owners in fee and severalty of the lots and lands set apart and decreed to them respectively by said court.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and publication. Approved March 21, 1872.

CHAPTER 78.

[Published April 3, 1872.]

AN ACT declaring the record of wills in certain cases to be evi

dence.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

of will to be

SECTION 1. When a will shall have been duly Certified copy proved in the proper court of any state or foreign coun- evidence. try, a duly certified copy of such will and of the certificate of probate thereof shall be admitted as evidence in the courts of this state, the same as if the will had been duly proved in this state.

Amended.

SECTION 2. Section 22 of chapter 97 of the revised statutes is hereby amended so as to read as follows: "All wills which shall have been duly proved and allow- Wills proved in

6-GEN. LAWS.

other states to

corded in coun

ty court.

be filed and re- ed in any other of the United States, or in any foreign country or state, according to the laws of such state or country, may be allowed, filed and recorded in the county court of any county in which the testators shall have real or personal estate on which such will may operate in the manner mentioned in the following sections.'

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Approved March 21, 1872.

Shall appoint deputy sheriffs.

CHAPTER 79.

[Published April 3, 1872.]

AN ACT to provide for the appointment of deputy sheriffs.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. It shall be the duty of the several sheriffs of this state, immediately upon the passage and publication of this act, and of their several successors in office, within ten days after they shall severally qualify and enter upon the duties of their office, to appoint and continue in office during the official term of such sheriffs, at least one deputy in each of the assembly districts within their several counties in which the undersheriff shall not reside, where such assembly district contains an incorporated village; the deputy sheriff so appointed to reside in an incorporated village within such assembly district.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and publication. Approved March 21, 1872.

CHAPTER 80.

[Published April 3, 1872.]

AN ACT authorizing cities and villages to establish free public libraries and reading rooms.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. The city council of each incorporated May establish city, not exceeding in population fifty thousand inhab- public libraries. itants, and the board of trustees of each incorporated village in this state, shall have power to establish and maintain a public library and reading room for the use and benefit of the inhabitants of such city or incorporated village, and may levy a tax not exceeding one mill on the dollar, on all taxable property of the city or village, for such purpose, to be known as the "library fund."

ors.

SECTION 2. When any common council or board of Shall appoint trustees shall have decided to establish and maintain board of direct. a public library and reading room under this act, the mayor of such city, or the president of such village shali, with the approval of the common council or board of trustees, proceed to appoint a board of nine directors for the same, chosen from the citizens at large, with reference to their fitness for such office, and not more than one member of the city council or board of trustees shall be at any one time, a member of said board of directors.

SECTION 3. Said directors shall hold office from Their term of their appointment, and one-third for one year, one-office third for two years, and one-third for three years, from the first of July of each year following their appointment, and at their first regular meeting shall cast lots for the respective terms, and annually thereafter the mayor of such city or the president of such village shall, before the first of July of each year, appoint, as before, three directors to take the place of the retiring directors, who shall hold their office for three years, and until their successors are appointed.

SECTION 4. Vacancies in the board of directors, oc- How vacancies casioned by removal, resignation or otherwise, shall be

filled.