Charter of the Society for the promotion of Useful Arts.

An Act to incorporate a Society for the promotion of Useful Arts, passed April 2, 1804.

WHEREAS the institution of a society, calculated to promote, collect and preserve the knowledge of useful arts, is intimately connected with the public welfare and prosperity: Therefore,

Be it enacted by the people of the state of New-York, represented in senate and assembly, That all such persons who shall, at the time of the passing of this act, be members of the society for the promotion of agriculture, arts and manufactures, and such other persons who shall from time to time become members of the society hereby intended to be incorporated, and shall within ten months after the passing of this act, signify their intention in writing, subscribed by them respectively, to Samuel L. Mitchill or Benjamin De Witt, the present secretaries of the said society, to become members of the society hereby intended to be incorporated, and shall pay to either of them two dollars for the use of the said society, shall be, and hereby are, constituted a body corporate and politic by the name of "the Society for the promotion of Useful Arts;" that by that name the said society shall have perpetual succession; and that the said society and their successors shall be capable in law to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered, defend and be defended, in all courts and in all actions, suits, matters and causes whatsoever, and to purchase, take, receive, hold and enjoy, any real or personal estate, in fee simple or otherwise, and the same to lease, sell, dispose of and convey, for the purpose of the better enabling them to carry into effect such measures as to the said society shall seem best calculated to promote agriculture, arts and manufactures within this state: Provided, That the clear annual value of such real and personal estate shall not exceed the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars: That the said society shall have a common seal, which may from time to time be changed or altered at its pleasure.

And be it further enacted, That the said society shall, from time to time, forever hereafter, have power to make, constitute, ordain and establish such by-laws and regulations as they shall judge proper for the election of their offi

cers, for prescribing their respective functions, and the mode of discharging the same; for the admission of new members into the said society; for the government of the officers and members thereof; for ascertaining an equal annual rate of contributions towards the funds thereof; for regulating the times and places of meeting for managing the affairs of the said society, and for suspending or expelling such members of the said society, as shall neglect or refuse to comply with the by-laws and regulations thereof, so as such by-laws and regulations shall not be repugnant to the laws of the United States or of this state.

And be it further enacted, That a president and one or more vice-presidents, nine counsellors, two or more secretaries, a treasurer, and such other officers as the said society shall, by any by-law, from time to time appoint, shall be elected by a plurality of votes of the members of the said society present at any election: That such election shall be annually held in the senate chamber, or at such other place as the said society shall from time to time by by-law direct and appoint, on the Tuesday next succeeding the day on which both houses of the legislature shall have been formed, ready to proceed to business, after the first day of January in every year That the said officers shall respectively hold their offices until the next annual election day, or until others shall be elected in their stead: That if the annual election shall not be held at any of the days for that purpose appointed, it shall be lawful to make such election at any other day; and that the president, or one of the vice-presidents, with any twelve or more of the said society, meeting at the place designated for that purpose by any by-law, shall constitute a legal meeting of the said society.

And be it further enacted, That the books, papers, monies and effects of the society for the promotion of agriculture, arts and manufactures, shall be and the same are hereby with the approbation, and at the instance of the last mentioned corporation, vested in the said society for the promotion of useful arts, from and after the fourth day of May next, on which day the corporation aforesaid expires by its own limitation.

And be it further enacted, That the members of the legislature shall in that capacity be honorary members of the said society; but shall not vote at elections, or have any voice in the disposition of the funds of the said society.

And be it further enacted, That Robert R. Livingston shall be the president, and Ezra L'Hommedieu the vicepresident of the said society, until the second annual election day.

Charter of the Albany Lyceum of Natural History.

An Act to incorporate the Albany Lyceum of Natural History. Passed April 23, 1823.

WHEREAS the members of the Albany Lyceum of Natural History have associated for the purpose of encouraging the study, and of disseminating a knowledge of natural history and other useful sciences, and have petitioned for an act of incorporation: Therefore,

Be it enacted by the people of the state of New-York, represented in senate and assembly, That Stephen Van Rensselaer, Theodric Romeyn Beck, Simeon De Witt Bloodgood, Lewis C. Beck, Matthew Henry Webster, Frederick Mathews, Richard Varick De Witt and James Eights, and such other persons as now are and may from time to time become members, shall be and hereby are constituted a body corporate and politic, by the name of the "Albany Lyceum of Natural History," and by that name they shall have perpetual succession, and shall be persons capable of suing and being. sued, pleading and being impleaded, answering and being answered unto, defending and being defended, in all courts and places whatsoever, and may have a common seal, with power to change and alter the same from time to time, and shall be capable of purchasing, taking possession of, holding and enjoying, to them and their successors, any real estate in fee simple or otherwise, and any goods, chattels, and personal estate, and of selling, leasing, or otherwise disposing of said real and personal, or any part thereof, at their will and pleasure: Provided however, That the funds of the said corporation shall be used and appropriated to the objects contemplated in the preamble to this act: And provided also, That the clear annual income of such real and personal estate shall not exceed the sum of one thousand dollars.

And be it further enacted, That the said society shall forever hereafter have power to make, constitute, ordain, and establish such by-laws and regulations, as they shall judge proper for the election of their officers, for prescribing their respective functions, and the mode of discharging the same, for the admission of new members, for the government of the officers and members thereof, for collecting the fines, impositions and annual contributions from the members, for regu

lating the places and times of meeting of the said society, for suspending or expelling such members as shall neglect or refuse to comply with the by-laws or regulations, and for managing and directing the affairs and concerns of the said society: Provided, such by-laws and regulations be not repugnant to the constitution and laws of this state or of the United States.

And be it further enacted, That the officers of the said society shall consist of a president, two vice-presidents, a corresponding secretary, a recording secretary, a treasurer, three curators, and a draftsman, and such other officers as the said society may deem necessary, who shall be annually chosen, and who shall continue in office for one year, or until others shall be elected in their stead; that if the annual election shall not be held on any of the days for that purpose appointed, it shall be lawful to make such election on any other day, and that five members of the said society assembled at the place and time designated for that purpose by the constitution, by-laws, or resolutions of said society, shall constitute a legal meeting thereof; and that in case a vacancy shall take place between the annual meetings, then it shall be lawful to fill such vacancy at any regular meeting, and the person or persons so chosen shall continue in office until the next annual meeting, or until others shall be elected in their stead.

And be it further enacted, That Stephen Van Rensselaer shall be the president, Theodric Romeyn Beck the first vicepresident, Simeon De Witt Bloodgood the second vice-president, Lewis C. Beck, corresponding secretary, Matthew Henry Webster, recording secretary, Frederick Mathews, treasurer, Richard Varick De Witt, James Eights and Matthew Henry Webster, curators, and James Eights, draftsman, severally to be the first officers of the said corporation, who shall hold their respective offices until the fourth Monday of January next, and until others shall be chosen in their places.

And be it further enacted, That the present constitution of the said society shall, after the passing of this act, continue to be the constitution thereof, and that no alteration shall be made therein unless it be proposed in writing at some stated meeting, one month before it is acted upon, and shall be decided by a majority of three-fourths of the members pres

ent.

And be it further enacted, That the legislature may at any time modify or repeal this act,

Charter of the Albany Institute.

An Act to incorporate the Albany Institute. Passed February 27, 1829.

WHEREAS the Society for the Promotion of Useful Arts and the Albany Lyceum of Natural History have agreed to articles of association, for the purpose of forming an institution for the promotion of science and literature, to be called "The Albany Institute." Therefore,

The people of the state of New-York, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

All such persons as shall at the time of the passage of this act be members of the said "Society for the Promotion of Useful Arts," or of the "Albany Lyceum of Natural History," and such other persons as shall from time to time become members of the same, or of the third department herein after mentioned, shall be and are hereby constituted a body corporate and politic, by the name of "The Albany Institute;" and the annual income of the real and personal estate which the said corporation is authorised to hold, shall not exceed ten thousand dollars.

The said corporation shall consist of three departments, to wit: First, the department of physical sciences and the arts: Second, the department of natural history, and, Third, the department of history and general literature. “The society for the promotion of useful arts," as at present constituted, shall be the first department-" The Albany lyceum of natural history," as at present constituted, the second department; and a society for the promotion of history and general literature shall be formed as soon as may be, which shall be the third department: but until such society shall be formed and duly organized, the said corporation shall consist and be formed of the aforesaid first and second depart

ments.

The officers of the said corporation shall be a president, three vice-presidents, three corresponding and three recording secretaries; a treasurer, a librarian, and as many curators as the second department may direct. The president and treasurer shall be annually elected; and the presidents of the departments shall be the vice-presidents; and the corresponding and recording secretaries of the departments shall be the corresponding and recording secretaries of the institute; the librarian of the first department shall be the librarian, and the curators of the second department shall be the