on Act 1897, which did away with the system of registration and
substituted for it one of notice to a supervening authority. By the act all
persons retaining or receiving for hire more than one infant under the age
of _five_ had to give written notice of the fact to the local authority.
The local authorities were empowered to appoint inspectors, and required to
arrange for the periodical inspection of infants so taken in, while they
could also fix the number of infants which might be retained. By a special
clause any person receiving an infant under the age of two years for a sum
of money not exceeding twenty pounds had to give notice of the fact to the
local authority. If any infants were improperly kept, the inspector might
obtain an order for their removal to a work-house or place of safety until
restored to their parents or guardians, or otherwise legally disposed of.
The act of 1897 was repealed and amended by the Children Act 1908, which
codified the law relating to children, and added many new provisions. This
act is dealt with in the article CHILDREN, LAW RELATING TO.

In the United States the law is noticeably strict in most states. In
Massachusetts, a law of 1891 directs that "every person who receives for
board, or for the purpose of procuring adoption, an infant under the age of
three years shall use diligence to ascertain whether or not such infant is
illegitimate, and if he knows or has reason to believe it to be
illegitimate shall forthwith notify the State Board of Charity of the fact
of such reception; and said board and its officers or agents may enter and
inspect any building where they may have reason to believe that any such
illegitimate infant is boarded, and remove such infant when, in their
judgment, such removal is necessary by reason of neglect, abuse or other
causes, in order to preserve the infant's life, and such infant so removed
shall be in the custody of said Board of Charity, which shall make
provision therefor according to law." The penal code of the state of New
York requires a licence for baby-farming to be issued by the board of
health of the city or town where such children are boarded or kept, and
"every person so licensed must keep a register wherein he shall enter the
names and ages of all such children, and of all children born on such
premises, and the names and residences of their parents, as far as known,
the time of reception and the discharge of such children, and the reasons