appointment determine, and a new election of the said third part be
had and held, in manner and
form aforesaid, on the first Monday in the month of January in every
year for ever, to the intent
that no person or person shall continue to be a trustee of trustees for
any longer time than three
years, without being re-elected, except the minister for the time being
as aforesaid, but that the
electors, qualified to vote as herein after is mentioned, described and
directed, shall and may be at
liberty to re-elect the same trustees, or any one or more of them, whose
times shall expire on the
day of the said annual election, whenever and so often as they shall
think expedient; provided
always, that whenever any circumstances, or concurrence of circumstances,
shall prevent the holding
of an election for trustees at the period above mentioned, then and in
such case an election shall
be held as soon as conveniently may be done in manner and form aforesaid,
and that the remaining
members of the said corporation, (whose time of service is unexpired,)
shall have power to call a
meeting of the electors of the said congregations for such purpose.
IV. AND BE IT ENACTED, That whenever any vacancy
shall happen by death, refusal to serve,
or expulsion from membership, according to the discipline and rules of
the said church, of any one
or more of the said trustees, the said corporation shall have full power,
at their discretion, to appoint
the time and place for the purpose of electing a trustee or trustees, as
the case may be, in their
stead, and that the person or persons so elected shall be and continue
in office so long as the person
or persons would or might have continued, in order to keep up the number
of nine elected trustees
for ever; but before any of the aforesaid elections are held, public notice
shall be given to the said
congregations the preceding Sunday after divine service, and before
the congregations are dismissed,
or in any other convenient manner which the said corporation shall think
expedient.
V. AND BE IT ENACTED, That no person or persons
shall be entitled to vote at an election for
trustees who is or are not a regular male member or members, according
to the rules and discipline
of the said church, of at least twenty-one years of age, and of one
year's standing as a member;
and that no person or persons whatsoever may or shall be eligible as a
member of the said corporation
who is not, at the time of his election, a regular male member, according
to the rules expressed
in the form of discipline of the methodist episcopal church in America,
of twenty-one years
of age at least, and of two years standing as a member.
VI. AND BE IT ENACTED, That all the lands and
tenements, with their appertenances, now
vested in trustees for the use of the said churches, and all other property
of the said church, shall be
and are hereby absolutely and unconditionally vested in the said body corporate,
and their successors,
for ever; and the said corporation shall and they are hereby declared to
be capable of bargaining
and selling, leasing and conveying, any part of the said property, or any
other property which may
hereafter be acquired by the said corporation, in as full and effectual
a manner as any person or body
corporate may or can do.
VII. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the said corporation
shall be capable of purchasing hereafter
real and personal property, not exceeding in value the sum of six thousand
dollars current money of
the United States.
VIII. AND BE IT ENACTED, That at all meetings
of the said corporation the minister for the
time being shall be president, and in case of the absence, removal or death,
of the minister, the
lay members of the corporation may appoint one of their own body president
pro tempore, who, during
such absence, or in the case of removal or death until the appointment
of another minister, shall
have all the authority and privileges of a president.
IX. AND BE IT ENACTED, That all acts or deeds
of the said corporation shall be signed by the
president, in behalf of the corporation, and sealed with their corporate
seal; and all deeds by them
for the conveyance of any lands and tenements of the corporation, which
by the law of the land
ought to be acknowledged and recorded, shall be signed and sealed as aforesaid,
and shall also be acknowledged
in due form by the president, as such, in behalf of the corporation; and
all acts or deeds
of the said body corporate, so authenticated, shall be valid and effectual
in law. |
CHAP.
LVII.
How vacancies
are to be filled.
Persons entitled
to vote,
&c.
Lands, &c.
vested, &c.
Corporation
may purchase
property, &c.
Minister to be
president, &c.
Acts, &c. to be
signed, &c. |
