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The Hon: the Senate of the State of Maine, having by their order of the 26th of February last, requested that the opinion of the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court should be given on the following question. Viz:

“Are the first section of the Act, chapter one hundred and twenty seventh, and the eighth section of the Act, Chapter one hundred and twenty fourth, or either of them, so far as they provide that certain expenses, therein mentioned, shall be at the charge of the State, changed, annulled or repealed by the eighteenth Section of the Act, chapter one hundred and twenty second.” and that such opinion might be communicated to the Secretary of State for publication: The undersigned, Chief Justice of said Court, in the absence of Mr. Justice Preble, who is now on a voyage to the West Indies, has by letter consulted Mr. Justice Weston on the question proposed: by whom he is authorized to slate the following, as the opinion of a majority of the Court.

The act Chap : 127, was passed March 10. 1821. The 1 Sect: authorizes Selectmen to make provision for sick persons arriving from infected places, and removing them to safe places; and that the necessary expenses thus incurred shall be paid by the “parties themselves their parent or master (if able) or otherwise by the town or place whereto they belong; and in case such person or persons are not inhabitants of any town or place within this State, then at the charge of the State.

The Act Chap: 124, was passed March 15. 1821. The 8th Section provides that idle and indigent foreigners or other persons not legal Inhabitants, of any town within this State, may be confined to the Workhouse by the Overseer’s of the Poor, who shall once in every year exhibit a fair account of the charge of supporting such persons “to the Legislature for allowance and payment”.

The act Chap: 122 was passed March 21. 1821. And the 18th Sect: makes it the duty of Overseers of the Poor “to relieve and support and, in the case of their decease, decently to bury, all poor persons residing or found within their towns, having no lawful settlement in this State, when they stand in need”: And provides that they may employ them as other paupers may be, “the expense whereof may be recovered of their relations if they have any chargeable by Law for their support, in manner herein before pointed out; otherwise it shall be paid out of the respective Town Treasuries”: and the Section further provides that “all monies accruing for Licenses granted to Retailers Innholders and Victuallers, shall be paid into the respective town treasuries where such licenses are granted for the benefit

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