| 1802.
Passed Jan. 8, 1803.
* Ch. 89. |
LAWS OF MARYLAND.
CHAP. CX.
A Further Supplement to the act, entitled, An act for the valuation
of
Real and Personal Property within this State, passed
November
session, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven.
* Lib. JG.
No. 4, fol. 336.
This act repealed by 1803, ch. 92, s. 51. |
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Passed Jan. 8, 1803. |
CHAP. CXI.
An Act to incorporate certain persons in every Christian Church
or
Congregation
in this State. Lib. JG. No., 4, fol. 337.
Supplementary and other acts, November
1809, ch. 139. 1814, ch. 58, and 1815,
ch. 222. |
| Preamble. |
WHEREAS petitions from many religious societies
have annually
been preferred to this legislature, and many are now before them,
praying acts of incorporation, and it is reasonable and proper that
all denominations of christians within this state, whose members
conduct themselves in a peaceable and orderly manner, should receive
and enjoy equal rights and privileges, without partiality, preference
or distinction, in all things concerning the temporalities and
government of their churches, congregations and societies: And
whereas also it is necessary to their welfare that they should be
empowered to hold and acquire certain portions of property in a
corporate or congregational capacity, and enter into various engagements
if a civil or temporal nature, which can only be done
by assistance of the general assembly, which assistance may nevertheless
be rightfully granted without disturbing private opinions,
or affecting the rights of judgment in matters of religion, or
imposing an involuntary burthen on any person whatsoever: And
whereas it is most convenient to make provisions for their respective
situations by a general law, which shall reach their several exigencies
in affairs of a temporal or civil nature, as far as a difference
of circumstances will admit; the general assembly having
therefore taken the premises into serious consideration, and conceiving
themselves indispensably bound to secure and preserve the
same equality of rights, privileges and advantages, to all quiet and
inoffensive christian societies in this state, without any exception,
whereby religion may be encouraged and diffused, and peace, order
and universal tranquility prevail, have agreed to enact. |
Certain persons
incorporated
in every christian
church. |
2. AND BE IT ENACTED, (a) That in every christian
church, or
society or congregation, of whatsoever sect, order or denomination,
now known, or which shall at any time hereafter be known
and acknowledged in this state, and protected in the free and full
exercise of their religion by the constitution and laws of the same,
there shall be and remain sufficient power and authority in all the
male persons above twenty-one years of age belonging to any such
church, society or congregation, to elect, at their discretion, certain
sober and discreet persons, not less than five or more than
thirteen, which persons, so elected, shall be and are hereby constituted
a body politic or corporate, upon being registered as herein
after directed, to act as trustees, in the name and behalf of the particular
church, society or congregation, for which they are respectively
chosen, and to manage the estate, property, interest and inheritance
(a) This act confirmed by November
1809, ch. 139, the words " By the General
Assembly of Maryland," in the enacting style, having been omitted. |
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