courts and places whatsoever, in all manner of actions, suits, complaints, matters and causes whatsoever; and that they and their successors may have a common seal, and may change and alter the same at their pleasure; and also that they and their successors, by the name of the New-York manufacturing society, shall be in law capable of purchasing, holding and conveying any estate, real or personal, for the public use of the said corporation; Provided, That the whole of the stock and real estate of the said corporation shall never exceed sixty thousand pounds current money of New-York. Stock not to exceed 60,000 pounds. Affairs of faid corporation ged by twelve directors, who, with a treasurer, to chofen. to be mana be annually II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the stock, property, affairs and concerns of the said corporation shall be managed and conducted by twelve directors, who shall be stockholders; and shall together with a treasurer be annually chosen and elected on the third Wednesday in March in every year, at such time of the day, at such place in the city of New-York as the directors for the time being, shall ten days at least prior to the day of election appoint, by notice thereof in two of the public newspapers of this state; that all elections for the treasurer and directors shall be by ballot, and such person who shall at any election have the greatest number of votes given at such election as treasurer, shall be the treasurer, and in like manner such twelve persons who shall have the greatest number of votes at such election, shall be the directors, and shall hold their offices for one year; that if any vacancies shall happen among the di- Vacancies rectors by death, resignation or removal, such vacancies shall be filled for the remainder of the year in which they may happen in the same manner as the annual elections are made, at such times and places as the remainder of the directors for the time being shall appoint; that the Names of the first directors shall be James Nicholson, James Renwick, first directors. Henry Tenbrook, William W. Gilbert, John Lawrence, John Murray junior, White Matlack, Jacob Hallet, William Maxwell, James Watson, Nicholas Cruger and Matthew Clarkson; and the first treasurer, Alexander Robertson, who shall hold their offices until the third Wednesday in March next, and until others shall be chosen in their places. III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That each share of the stock of the said corporation shall be ten pounds current lawful money of this state; and that each stockholder be entitled to a number of votes proportioned to the number of shares which he or she shall have or hold in his or her name, according to the following ratios, that is to say: Every owner of one or more shares, to the number of four, shall have one vote; of five shares and less than ten, three votes; of ten shares and less than twenty, five votes; of twenty shares, eight votes; and one vote for every ten shares above twenty. how filled up. Amount of each fhare of ftock, and votes how ap. portioned. Directors to meet four times a year and to have the difpofition of the funds, &c. And to make bye-laws, &c. Provifo. This act de lic act. IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the directors for the time being, shall regularly meet on the fourth Wednesday of March, June, September and December in every year, and at such other times as they may judge expedient; and the said directors for the time being, or a major part of them, shall have the disposition of the funds of the said corporation; and shall annually on the third Wednesday in March lay before the stockholders of the said corporation, a general statement of their accounts and proceedings; which same statement of accounts and proceedings, it shall be the duty of the directors to lodge with the treasurer, at least ten days previous to such annual meetings, for the inspection and examination of the stockholders; and the directors for the time being, or the major part of them, shall have power to make and prescribe such bye-laws, rules and regulations as to them shall appear needful and proper, touching the management and disposition of the stock, property, estate and effects of the said corporation, and touching the duties and conduct of their secretary, clerks, agents and servants employed therein; and touching all such matters as appertain to the said corporation, with powers to appoint such and so many officers, clerks and servants for carrying on the said business, and with such allowances and 'salaries as shall to them seem meet; Provided, That such bye-laws, rules and regulations be not repug nant to the constitutions and laws of the United States or of this state. V. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, clared a pub That this act be and hereby is declared to be a public act, and shall be construed benignly and favourably for every beneficial purpose herein intended. Stockholders may vote by VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, themfelves or That the stockholders entitled to vote agreeable to this act, may give their respective votes either by themselves or their agents thereunto specially appointed. agents. Treasurer to fhares for the ftate. VII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, fabfcribe 100 That the treasurer of this sate be and he is hereby authorized and required, in his own name to subscribe, and out of any unappropriated monies in the treasury to pay for one hundred shares in the stock of the said corporation, and to hold and manage the same for the use of the people of this state. An ACT to incorporate the Society of Mechanics and Passed 14th March, 1792. Sess. 15, ch. xxvi. SIXTEENTH SESSION. CHAP. LIX. WE Passed the 12th of March, 1793. HEREAS several persons in the state of New-York Preamble. have by a voluntary agreement associated themselves for the laudable purpose of promoting agriculture, arts and manufactures in this state; And whereas, The said society have presented a petition to the legislature, setting forth, that the petitioners considering that the wealth and prosperity of a country very much depend upon the flourishing state of its agriculture, arts and manufactures, and observing the benefit which in other countries have accrued from the institution of societies for the purpose of encouraging those great objects, have voluntarily associated themselves, with a view of collecting from different parts of the state, the different modes of agriculture that are in practice, to suggest such improvements as may be found to be beneficial; to excite among their fellow citizens a spirit of making experiments for the amelioration of lands which have been exhausted, or in their natural state are unproductive or unfit for cultivation; for encreasing the produce of such articles as are propagated amongst us, and promoting the culture of others which have been found useful in other parts, and for the improvement of field husbandry in general; and to introduce, as far as circumstances may render proper, an emulation for the establishment of useful arts and manufactures in those parts of the state where they can be beneficially carried on; that the petitioners conceive it would greatly conduce to advance the important ends of their association, if they were authorized to act as a corporate body and possess property to such amount as would enable them to effectuate their purposes more satisfactorily to themselves and more beneficially to the public; they therefore prayed that the legislature would be pleased by law to incorporate the society for the purpose aforesaid, under such limitations and restrictions as to the legislature shall seem meet: Therefore, ers made a rate. I. Be it enacted by the People of the State of New-York, R. R. Livingrepresented in Senate and Assembly, That Robert R. Liv- fion and othingston, John Sloss Hobart, Samuel L. Mitchel, John body corgoMcKesson, Mathew Clarkson, Samuel Bard, John Cantine, Samuel Jones, Thomas Tillotson, Joseph Hasbrouck, James G. Graham, Jacobus Swartwout, Melancton Smith, Abraham Hardenbergh, John Gelston, William W. Gilbert, David R. Floyd Jones, George Clinton, Aquila Giles, Ezra L'Hommedieu, John Schenck, James Hunter, Egbert Benson, John Blagge, John P. Delancey, Francis Childs, John Watts, Peter Vandervoort, Henry Will, Style of the corporation. Ebenezer Purdy, Josiah Ogden Hoffman, John Smith of Suffolk county, Cornelius J. Bogart, William Dunlap, Walter Rutherford, Philip Van Cortlandt, John Williams, Richard Varick, John Jay, Elias Newman, Amasa Dingley, Gilbert Colden Willett, Stephen Lush, John Stevens, John Kemp, Abraham Beach, Samuel Nicoll, Jonathan N. Havens, John L. Gardiner, Frederick Rhinelander, Pierre De La Bigarre, Edward Livingston, John Thurman, Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, James Duane, Simeon De Witt, Nathaniel Sackett, William Rhinelander, Samuel Russel, Moses De Witt, David Frederick Laring, John Nicholson, Andrew King, John Barber, Joseph Barber, Johannes Miller, William Thompson, David Ogden, John Delafield, Horatio Gates, Benjamin Strong, and Samuel Jones junior, and such other persons as shall from time to time become members of the said society, shall be and hereby are ordained, constituted and declared to be one body corporate and politic, in deed, fact and name, by the name of The society for the promotion of agriculture, arts and manufactures; and that by that name they and Their powers their successors until the first day of May, one thousand eight hundred and four, shall have succession, and shall be persons in law capable of suing and being sued, pleading and being impleaded, answering and being answered, defending and being defended, in all courts and places whatsoever, in all manner of actions, suits, complaints, matters and causes whatsoever; and that they and their successors may have a common seal, and change and alter the same at their pleasure, and that they and their successors, by the same name, shall be persons capable in law to purchase, take, receive, hold and enjoy to them and their successors, any real estate in fee simple or for term of life or lives, or otherwise; and any goods, chattels or personal estate, for the purpose of enabling them the better to carry into execution, encourage and promote such measures as may tend to promote agriculture, arts and manufactures in this state; Provided, The clear yearly value of such real and personal estates shall not exceed the sum of eight hundred pounds lawful money of New-York, and that they and their successors shall have full power and authority to give, grant, sell, lease, demise and dispose of the said real and personal estates, or any part thereof at their will and pleasure; and that they and their successors shall have power from time to time, to make, constitute, ordain and establish such bye-laws, constitutions, ordinances and regulations as they shall judge proper for the election of their officers, for the election or admission of new members of the said corporation, and the terms and manner of admission, for the better government and regulation of their officers and members, for fixing the times and places of the meeting of the said corporation, and for Yearly value of eftate not to exceed Sooi. named. regulating all the affairs and business of the said corporation; Provided, That such bye-laws and regulations Provifo. shall not be repugnant to the constitution or laws of the United States or of this state; and for the better carrying on the business and affairs of the said corporation, there shall be a president, vice-president, treasurer and two secretaries of the said corporation, who shall hold their offices from the time of their appointment or election until the second Tuesday of January then next, and until others shall be chosen in their places; and that the said Officers firft Robert R. Livingston is hereby appointed president, the said John Sloss Hobart, vice-president, and the said Samuel Jones, treasurer, and the said Samuel L. Mitchell and Samuel Jones junior, secretaries of the said corporation ; and that their successors in office shall hereafter be chosen by the members of the said corporation, in such manner and at such times and places as shall be directed by the bye-laws of the said corporation to be made for that purpose; and that the president or vice-president, and any twelve or more of the members of the said corporation, shall be sufficient to constitute a legal meeting of the said corporation. II. And be it further enacted, That the members of the legislature, who shall not be styled members of the said corporation, be nevertheless in virtue of their stations honorary members of the said corporation, and shall sit but not vote as such for officers, or have any voice in the disposition of their funds. EIGHTEENTH SESSION. CHAP. LXI. WE Passed the 8th of April, 1795. Members of the legifla ture honorary members of faid fociety. "HEREAS it is represented to the legislature, that Preamble. John Rodgers, John Henry Livingston, Abraham Beach, John Watts, Mathew Clarkson, Jacob Morton, Moses Rodgers, John Charleton, Samuel Osgood, Lawrence Embree, John Cozine, John Broom and James Watson, and their associates, inhabitants of the city of New-York, have become contributors to a dispensary, for the purpose of relieving such sick, poor and indigent persons as are unable to procure medical aid; And whereas, It is further represented, that the said contributors will by being incorporated, be enabled to carry their benevolent intentions into more extensive effect: Therefore, I. Be it enacted by the People of the State of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That the said John Rodgers, John Henry Livingston, Abraham Beach, John Watts, Mathew Clarkson, Jacob Morton, Moses Rodgers, John Rodgers and others made a body corporate. |