1801.

NOVEMBER. LAWS OF MARYLAND.

C H A P LI

Passed 31st of
Dec. 1801.

An ACT to incorporate the Roman catholic congregation worship-
ping at Saint-Joseph's church, in Saint-Mary's county.

Members in-
corporated, &c.

BE IT ENACTED, by the General Assembly of Maryland, That the members of the Roman catholic
congregation at Saint-Joseph's church, in Saint-Mary's county, from and after the passing of
this act, shall be, and they are hereby created into and declared to be, a body politic and corpo-
rate, in deed and by law, by the name, style and title, of The Trustees of the Roman Catholic
Congregation at Saint-Joseph's Church, in Saint-Mary's County ; and that they the said trustees,
by the name aforesaid, and their successors, to be elected as herein after mentioned, shall have
perpetual succession, and shall be able and capable in law to purchase, take, have, hold, receive
and enjoy, to them and their successors, in fee-simple, or for any lesser estate, any lands, tene-
ments and hereditaments, by grant, gift, bargain and sale, and also to purchase, take, hold,
possess and enjoy, any monies, bank stock, stock of the United States, goods, chattels or personal
property whatsoever, by gift, grant ; provided, that the lands which shall be acquired by, and
vested in, the said corporation, by virtue of this act, shall not exceed the quantity of two hun-
dred acres ; and provided also, that the real and personal property acquired by, and vested in, the
said corporation, shall not exceed in the whole the yearly value of two hundred pounds current
money of Maryland, and the same lands, tenements, hereditaments and personal property, to
give, sell, convey, or otherwise dispose of, as to them shall seem meet, for the use of the said
religious society ; and also that the said trustees, by the name aforesaid, shall be able and capable
in law to sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, answer and be answered unto, defend and
be defended, in any suits or actions in all or any court of jurisdiction within this state ; and that
it shall and may be lawful for the said trustees, by the name aforesaid, to devise, make, have and
use, one common seal, to authenticate all and every the acts, deeds and instruments, touching
their business, and the same at pleasure to break, alter and renew, and generally that the said
trustees, by the name aforesaid, shall have, hold and enjoy, all and singular the rights, privileges,
liberties and franchises, incident and belonging to a private or religious corporation or body poli-
tic, as fully and effectually as any other religious corporation or body politic in this state hath right
to have, hold and enjoy.

First trustees
appointed. &c

II. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the first trustees of the said corporation shall be and consist of
the following persons, to wit: the reverend James Griffin, Henry Neale, Michael Fenwick, Ber-
nard Spalding, Edward Mattingly and Bennet Mattingly, members of the said congregation ; and
the future trustees of the said corporation shall be and consist of the pastor of the church for
the time being, and five lay members of the congregation of Roman catholics in Saint-Joseph's
church aforesaid, to be appointed and elected in the manner herein after mentioned.

Members to
meet, &c.

HI. AND BE IT ENACTED, That all and every of the members of the said congregation, hold-
ing a pew in the church, and paying for the same, or otherwise contributing towards the support
of the same church, or the pastor of the congregation, shall meet at their usual place of worship
on Monday after Whitsunday in the year eighteen hundred and two, and on the Monday after
Whitsunday in every year thereafter for ever, of which notice shall be given in the said church
at the close of divine worship on the morning of the preceding Sunday, and then and there shall
elect, by ballot, the said five lay trustees, and the persons so chosen shall be trustees of the said
corporation until the next election, whose names, on such election, shall be declared by the pas-
tor, and entered in the books of the said corporation for that purpose to be kept.

Trustees to
meet, kc.

IV. AND BE IT ENACTED, That it shall and may be lawful for the trustees above named, and
their successors, from time to time, as occasion shall require, to meet together for the purpose of
transacting the business of the congregation under their care, of the time and place of which
meetings due notice shall be given to all the said trustees at least two days before, and of which
the pastor shall be president, if attending, and if four of the said trustees shall attend, they shall
form a quorum or board, and shall have power, by a majority of voices, to make, ordain and esta-
blish, such rules, orders and regulations, for the management of the temporal business, and dis-
posing of the estate of the said corporation, as they shall judge proper; provided, that such rules,
order and regulations, be not repugnant to the constitution and laws of this state.

Pastor, Sic.
may adjourn,

Jtg.

V. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the pastor, or any member of the said corporation, shall have
full power and authority to adjourn from day to day until a quorum shall attend; and the said
corporation are hereby authorised and empowered to appoint and employ a fit and proper person as
register