PRIVATE ACTS—CHARTERS. 51

bequest or other mode of conveyance, or transfer of or from any person
or persons, bodies politic or corporate, having legal capability to make
such transfer or conveyance; and the same at their pleasure, to improve,
lease, rent, incumber, dispose of or alien in such manner as they may
judge most conducive to the benevolent purposes of said society: pro-
vided, their entire property or estate shall at no time exceed in value
the sum of forty thousand dollars.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That the Home Missionary Society of the
Maryland Annual Conference of the Methodist Protestant church, shall
meet annually at the place, and during the time of the meeting of the
Maryland Annual Conference, and shall elect a President and not ex-
ceeding twelve Vice Presidents, and a board of eight Managers, a
Treasurer and Secretary; said officers to hold their office for one year,
and until their successors are elected, and to perform such duties as the
constitution and by-laws of the society may prescribe, not inconsistent
with the Constitution and Laws of the State.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That said society at its first annual meet-
ing, shall adopt a constitution and by-laws, prescribing the duties of all
its officers and directing how all moneys shall be invested, and prescribe
the terms of membership, and may alter, amend, or change their con-
stitution and by-laws at pleasure.

SEC. 5. And be it enacted, That any estate or interest whatever, in
lands, chattels, annuities, rents, bank stock, registered debts, public or
private securities, or other real or personal property, within or without
the State, devised, bequeathed, given or otherwise conveyed, or trans-
ferred to said society, not otherwise expressly directed, shall be invested
as part of the permanent fund of the society, the interest only of which,
with the interest of all moneys invested, shall be placed in the hands of
the conference or missionary steward to be paid to the ministers or
preachers employed as Home Missionaries within the Maryland Con-
ference District, or so much thereof as may be necessary, as the con-
ference may direct.

SEC.. 6. And be it enacted, That no money shall be drawn from said
society, except by a vote of the Maryland Annual Conference, and then
only for Home Missionary purposes.

SEC. 7. And be it enacted, That nothing in this act shall be so con-
strued as to authorize said society to issue any note, token, scrip, device
or other evidence of debt to be used as a currency.

SEC. 8. And be it enacted, That the General Assembly reserves the
right to alter, amend or repeal this act at pleasure.

SEC. 9. And be it enacted, That this act shall take effect from the
date of its passage.