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OPEN SEASON FOR KILLING GAME.

AN ACT to amend section 8 [of] an act entitled "An act for the pro-

tection of game animals and birds, and songbirds, and to define

and punish as misdemeanors all violations thereof, vesting the

county commissioners with authority to appoint game wardens,

defining their duties, fixing their compensation and defining the

duties of certain county, precinct and municipal peace officers,

and repealing sections 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256,

257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 271, 272, of the

Penal Code of the State of Washington," approved March 11,

1897, and declaring an emergency.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Washington:

SECTION 1. That section 8 of an act entitled "An act

for the protection of game animals and birds, and song-

birds, and to define and punish as misdemeanors all

violations thereof, vesting the county commissioners

with authority to appoint game wardens, defining their

duties, fixing their compensation and defining the du-

ties of certain county, precinct and municipal peace

officers, and repealing sections 247, 248, 249, 250, 251,

252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262,

263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 271, 272 of the Penal Code of

the State of Washington," approved March 11, 1897,

be and the same is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 8. Every person who shall hunt, take, kill, injure

or destroy any swan, sandhill crane, mallard duck, can-

vas back duck, widgeon, teal, woodduck, spoonbill, gray

or black duck, sprigtail, or other game duck, rail,

plover, or other game water fowl, between the 1st day

of March and the 15th day of August of any year, shall

be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction

thereof shall be punished as hereinafter provided."

SEC. 2. An emergency exists, and this act shall take

effect immediately.

Passed the Senate January 27, 1899.

Passed the House January 28, 1899.

CHAPTER VIII.

[H. B. No. 50.]

PROTECTION AND CUSTODY OF ORPHAN CHILDREN.

AN ACT for the protection of orphan, homeless, neglected or abused children and conferring powers upon judges of the superior court, the county commissioners and charitable societies to receive, control and dispose of the same, and declaring an emergency.

evolent incorporations

given authorcases to re

ity in certain

ceive, control

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Washington: SECTION 1. Any benevolent or charitable society in- Certain bencorporated under the laws of this state for the purpose of receiving, caring for, or placing out for adoption, or improving the condition of orphan, homeless, neglected and dispose of or abused minor children of this state, shall have au- 14 years of age. thority to receive, control, and dispose of children under fourteen (14) years of age under the following provisions:

(a) When the father and mother or the person or persons legally entitled to act as guardian of the person of any minor child shall in writing surrender such child to the charge and custody of said society, such child shall thereafter be in the legal custody of such society for the purposes herein provided.

(b) In case of the death or legal incapacity of a father or of his abandonment or neglect to provide for his family the mother shall have authority to make such surrender, and in case of the death or legal incapacity of a mother, or her abandonment of such child then the father shall have authority to make such surrender.

(c) In all cases where the person or persons legally authorized to make such surrender are not known, the board of county commissioners of the county in which any orphan, homeless, neglected, or abused child may be found, may, when they deem it best for such child, make such surrender, and when any child shall have been surrendered in accordance with any of the preceding clauses and such child shall have been accepted

children under

Complaint to be made to

by such society, then (but not otherwise) the rights of its natural parents or of the guardian of its person (if any) shall cease and such corporation shall become entitled to the custody of such child, and shall have authority to care for and educate such child or place it either temporarily or permanently in a suitable private home in such manner as shall best secure its welfare. Such corporation shall have authority when any such child has been surrendered to it in accordance with any of the preceding provisions, and is still in its control, to consent to its adoption under the laws of Washington. The custody or control of any such child by any such corporation or by any other corporation, institution, society, or person may be inquired into and, in the discretion of the court, terminated at any time by the superior court of the county where the child may be, upon the complaint of any person, and a showing that such a custody is not in the interest of the child.

SEC. 2. Upon complaint of any person in writing to superior judge. any judge of the superior court giving the names and residences of the parents, guardian (if any) or next of kin of such child, so far as known, and alleging that the father of such minor child is dead or has abandoned his family, or is an habitual drunkard, or is imprisoned for crime, or has grossly abused or neglected such child, and that the mother of such child is an habitual drunkard or imprisoned for crime, or is an inmate of a house of ill fame, or is a woman of notoriously bad character, or is dead, or has abandoned her family, or has grossly abused or neglected such child, and alleging that the welfare of such child requires that legal steps be taken to provide for its care and custody, a warrant shall issue directing the proper officer to take such child into custody and to care for or dispose of it as such judge shall direct, until a hearing can be had such proceedings shall have precedence of other causes; of which hearing twenty days notice shall be given to such parents, guardian or next of kin, and such judge shall hear the allegations of the com

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