ART. 26. ] CORPORATIONS. 25

relating to real estate, and every bond, writing obligatory or
contract for the leasing and demising for any term of years of
real estate, may be executed, acknowledged and recorded in the
same manner as deeds of real estate are required by this article
to be executed, acknowledged and recorded, and as if such
bonds, writings obligatory and contracts, were deeds as afore-
said; and a certified copy of the record of any such bond,
writing obligatory or contract, shall be received as evidence of
such bond, writing obligatory or contract, as fully as a like
copy of the record of any such deed duly executed, acknowledged
and recorded in the manner aforesaid, would be evidence of such
deed.

In force from March 8, 1865.

ARTICLE XXVI.

Corporations.

OIL.

Chapter 140 adds the following section:

SEC. 1. The provisions of this article, from section forty to
section sixty-seven, both inclusive, shall extend and be appli-
cable to all cases where five or more free white persons, a
majority of whom are citizens of this State, may desire to form
a company for the purpose of carrying on the business of ob-
taining oil by boring or otherwise in and upon any lands,
whether lying within this State or beyond the limits of this
State, or partly within and partly beyond the limits of this
State; provided, that no company incorporated under this addi-
tional section shall hold more than three thousand acres of land
at any one time, and that the capital stock of such company
shall not exceed the sum limited by section sixty eight of
this article as the amount of capital stock therein permitted to
be held by corporations formed under the provisions of this
article for mining purposes; and provided also, that the number
of trustees, directors or managers of such company shall not