In re Porter

68 Misc. 124, 124 N.Y.S. 162
CourtNew York County Courts
DecidedJune 15, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 68 Misc. 124 (In re Porter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York County Courts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Porter, 68 Misc. 124, 124 N.Y.S. 162 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1910).

Opinion

Knapp, J.

The questions arising in this proceeding are contained in the statement of facts presented to the court. From these facts it appears that the above poor persons, for over one year prior to the time that they removed into the town of Sodus, Wayne county, F. Y., had been residents of the town of Huron, Wayne county, F. Y., and that the husband and father of said persons, during the time of their residence in the town of Huron, was living and caring for his family; that at no time during their residence in the town of Huron had they been assisted by the poor authorities of the town of Huron, nor were they such poor persons as are defined by the statute. After their removal to the town of Sodus, the husband and father died, within one year from the time of their removal to said town of Sodus. The mother and children, being the poor persons named above, within one year from the time they removed to the town of Sodus, made application to and received help from the officers of the town of Sodus who had charge of the poor therein, who served the required notice upon the overseer of the poor of the town of Huron, notifying him that they were charges upon that town. The counter notice, required by statute, was served upon the overseer of the poor of the town of Sodus, denying the question of the liability of said town; and the questions raised were determined by the superintendent of the poor of this county in favor of the town of Huron. From that decision an appeal was taken to this court.

The question to be determined," briefly, is this: Is a person who has gained a residence in a town in this county and who leaves that town not a poor person within the pro[126]*126visions of the statute and removes into another town of this county and there becomes, within a year after such removal, a poor person and receives help'from that town, chargeable to the town from whence he came ?

The question is somewhat unusual and decidedly new. The decisions in this State are not uniform upon the question, and the -reading of the Poor Law does not entirely answer it. It may not be out of place to trace briefly the history of the poor laws of this State and of the mother country in order to show what development, if any, has been made for the care and support of those who are unable to care for themselves.

Prior to the time of Henry VIII. the poor of England subsisted entirely upon private charity. The first statutes that I have been able to find that in any way provide for the care- and support of indigent persons are 12 Eich. II., chap. 7, and 19 Henry VIII., chap. 12. By those statutes the poor were directed to remain in the towns in which they were born or in which they resided and had resided for a period of three years. These seem to be the first statutes that have for their object the care of the poor by local communities. But it was not until Statute 27 Henry VIII., chap. 55, that any compulsory method was instituted. Prior to those statutes the poor of England were eared for in a large measure in the monasteries and by religious organizations. They composed two separate and distinct classes, viz.:

First. Those who, on account of misfortune, were unable to care for themselves, and

Second. Those who were able to care for themselves but who were too lazy to do so.

The burden upon the religious organizations had become so great and the numbers of the second class, above referred to, so numerous, that it became imperative that some statute should be enacted to regulate the care and support of the indigent classes and to eliminate, as far as possible, those who were able to care for themselves but who had no apparent desire to do so.

By Statute 43 Elizabeth, chap. 2, overseers of the poor were appointed in every parish. They were designated by [127]*127two justices of the peace dwelling in the parish in which they resided and their duties were:

First. To raise competent sums for the support of the indigent .persons.

Second. To provide work for those who were able and competent to do it and desired to do it, but who had been unable to find it.

Third. To eliminate, as far as possible, those who were able to work but who did not desire to do so.

The difficulty that arose under the statute that I have last quoted was that no sufficient regulations were provided for the settlement of the poor persons in the individual communities and the result was that there was constant litigation between the different parishes as to the liability of each parish for the care of the poor person specified.

By Statutes 13 and 14 Car. II., chap. 12, a legal settlement was declared to be gained in the following different ways, to wit:

(1) By birth in the parish.

(2) By inhabitancy, apprenticeship or service for forty days within the parish; and powers were given to the justices of the peace to remove all intruders who did not come within the designation above cited.

This statute opened the way to many frauds which were sought to be corrected by 1 Jac. II., chap. 17, which required that a notice should be given to the parish and a settlement could be gained by such a residence; and by subsequent enactments the provisions of the statute as to settlements have been broadened.

This, briefly, is the history of the poor laws of England. It will be observed that, from very early times, the development of the poor laws has been based upon actual experience. The question as to the liability of the different communities or parishes for the care and support of indigent persons has been a constant source of trouble since the time poor laws were first enacted to the present day.

Chapter 600, Van Schaack, 1773, Vol. 5, Colonial Laws of New York, brings to this State in a large measure the laws of England, so far as they relate to the care of the poor. [128]*128As many of the English statutes had done, that aet provides that a forty days’ settlement and entry of notice was requisite for any person to gain such a settlement in a town or parish so that such town, district or parish would-he liable for the care and support of such poor persons. It also prohibited the removal of poor persons from one parish or place to another.

By chapter 184 of the Laws of 1801, it was provided, among other things, that a person who shall have come to inhabit any town or city within this State and shall have actually occupied a tenement to the value of thirty dollars or upwards for two years and paid such rent, or, shall for himself have executed any public annual office in said town or city through one whole year, or who shall have paid taxes in said town or city for the space of two years, and every person apprenticed and who has served for not less than two years in said town or city is adjudged to have a legal settlement in that town or city.

It further provides that, if any person other than those mentioned comes into a city or town of this State, it- is the duty to give to the overseers of the poor of the town into which such person comes, a notice in writing; and, in case the overseers of the poor of said town or city do not within twelve months after such notice cause such person to be removed, then he is deemed to have gained settlement in the town into which he has come.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
68 Misc. 124, 124 N.Y.S. 162, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-porter-nycountyct-1910.