refuse to accept as conclusive the certificate of the insurance commissioner of this state, then this state may retaliate by refusing to accept the certificate of such other state; and if license to transact business in such other state be refused to any company of this state, then license to transact business in this state shall be refused to companies of such other state. This act is evidently a step in the direction of enforcing comity of corporations between the states.

It is provided that no deed or other instrument, except deeds or instruments made by corporations, shall be void for lack of seal, thus abolishing private seals.

It is made a misdemeanor for any person to marry one who has been confined in any public asylum or institution as an epileptic or insane or feeble-minded patient unless two physicians shall certify that such a one is completely cured.

The act concerning corporations is amended and directors. of corporations are made personally liable where they have declared dividends otherwise than from the surplus or net profits of the business.

A penalty is prescribed for overcharging by the carrier, ticket scalping is made a misdemeanor, the redemption of unused tickets is made compulsory and the method of procedure for the sale of unclaimed freight is prescribed.

NEW YORK.

An act compelling the registration of motor vehicles, facilitating their identification and regulating the use of public highways by such vehicles was passed. The maximum speed permitted on a closely built up highway is ten miles an hour. Another provision directs the chauffeur in case a horse appears badly frightened to cause the vehicle to cease running so long as shall be reasonably necessary to prevent accident and insure the safety of others.

An amendment to the negotiable instruments law is as follows:

"No bank shall be liable to a depositor for the payment by it of a forged or raised check unless within one year after the return to the depositor of the voucher of such payment such depositor shall notify the bank that the check so paid was forged or raised."

The right to do business in the state is denied to any foreign corporation not a moneyed or insurance corporation with the word "trust," "bank," "banking," "insurance," etc., as a part of its name.

And another act makes the use of these words under such circumstances a misdemeanor.

No foreign corporation is to be allowed to exercise within. the state the powers of a bank or trust company. New York keeps some of the good things for her own corporations.

The definition of usury as a crime is apparently much limited. Under a new statute usury is not a crime unless security is taken upon household furniture, sewing machines, plate or silverware in actual use, wearing apparel or jewelry or unless a pretended purchase of such property is made.

The publication in a newspaper or circular of false representations concerning merchandise or the possession of prizes conferred on account of such merchandise or "the motive or purpose of a sale intended to give the appearance of an offer advantageous to the purchaser which is untrue or calculated to deceive" is made a misdemeanor.

An amendment to the Code of Civil Procedure gives the appellate division of each department power to provide for the classification for the purposes of trial of actions placed upon the calendars and for the making up of two or more calendars within such classification.

Where a wife has been successful in an action for absolute divorce and the final decree grants her alimony, her remarriage gives the defendant an absolute right to the discontinuance of the alimony.

An important act bearing on the state system of education was passed. The office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

is abolished and in its place there is created the office of Commissioner of Education, who is to be chosen for the first six years by the legislature, and after that by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. He is at all times removable by the board. The number of regents is reduced from nineteen to eleven. The act takes the power of supervision over the elementary and secondary schools from the Board of Regents, and gives it to the Commissioner of Education, who is also given power to create departments and to appoint the heads of departments.

An act not applying to cities over 50,000 population provides that the commissioner of education shall not approve any plans for the erection of or addition to a school house unless the same shall provide at least fifteen square feet of floor space and two hundred cubic feet of air space for each pupil to be accommodated in each study or recitation room therein. Provision must also be made for supplying at least thirty feet of pure air every minute per pupil.

The disability of a physician to disclose as a witness information acquired in attending a patient in a professional capacity is extended to a professional or registered nurse.

An act passed mainly through the efforts of District Attorney Jerome, regulates a witness's privilege in a proceeding for violation of the laws against gambling. As the law stood, no person was excused from testifying in any such proceeding upon the ground that his testimony might tend to convict him of a crime. It was also provided that no testimony so given should be received against him upon any criminal investigation or proceeding. The amendment provides in addition that no person shall be prosecuted or subjected to any penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any transaction, matter or thing concerning which he may so testify. The amendment. was made necessary by the decision of the Court of Appeals. in People ex rel. Lewisohn vs. O'Brien, 176 N. Y. 253.

Lenders of money on salaries of employees are required to file with the employer a copy of the agreement or assignment

under which their claim is made within three days after the execution of the agreement or assignment. If such a copy is not filed within the time specified, the lender acquires no right to collect or attach the salary while in the possession or control of the employer and can maintain no action against the employer.

An act was passed regulating the keeping of employment agencies in cities of over 50,000 population, with provisions for the protection of applicants for employment and the prevention and punishment of the use of such agencies for immoral purposes.

It is made a misdemeanor for any person to have in his possession a counterfeit or imitation of a union label.

An amendment of the labor law in relation to tenement made articles makes more stringent the requirements for obtaining a license to engage in any form of manufacture in a tenement house. Provision is made for a sanitary inspection of such premises in order to guard against the presence of contagious disease.

It is made a misdemeanor to bribe or attempt to bribe the representative of a labor organization.

An amendment to the military code adds a new kind of a discharge from the state militia, namely, a discharge without honor at the discretion of the officer issuing the same, in all cases where a dishonorable discharge may be issued.

It is made necessary before any person can become a licensed pharmacist to produce the diploma of a pharmacy school maintaining a proper standard, or the certificate of the board of pharmacy of another state.

An action commenced by a father to recover damages for the seduction of his minor daughter does not abate by his death, but survives to the mother.

The practice formerly prevailing in the state of submitting to a court or referee requests to find, and taking exceptions to a refusal to find any request thus submitted, is revived.

Real property is made to descend to the grandparents of a decedent who dies without leaving lineal descendants, father, mother, brothers or sisters, or their descendants, or brothers and sisters of father or mother or their descendants. The inheritance descends to the parents of the parent from whom the inheritance came to the intestate, and if from neither, then is divided equally among all living grandparents.

A board of alienists for the examination of insane, idiotic and epileptic immigrants is created, to be composed of three reputable and experienced physicians. They are required to examine all immigrants coming into this country at the port of New York for the purpose of ascertaining whether any of them be insane, idiotic, imbecile or epileptic, and to notify the proper authorities of the United States of such immigrants as are found to be so afflicted and to arrange for their deportation.

A board of statutory consolidation is created. The duty of the board is to direct and control the revision, simplification, arrangement and consolidation of the statutes of the state.

A permanent commission, to be known as the River Improvement Commission, is created, for the regulation of the flow of water courses, with power to improve water courses and to condemn land if necessary.

RHODE ISLAND.

Rhode Island gives to any person suffering injury to his person, reputation or estate, by reason of the commission of any crime or offense, the right to bring an action for damages without waiting for criminal prosecution, and provides that if any person is guilty of larceny he shall be liable to the owner for twice the value of the article stolen, or in case of restoration that he shall be liable for the value thereof only.

The building laws are amended, elaborately providing safeguards against fire in theaters.