WILLIAM GRASON, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

1840.

Harrison D. Black, Edward Curry, Thomas Quynn, P. H.
Kidwell, S. A. Lackey, Anthony Lofters and John M.
Carleton, the officers and members of Chosen Friends
Lodge, number thirty-four, of the Order of Independent
Odd Fellows, and their successors, be and they are hereby
declared to be a community, corporation and body politic
forever, by the name, and style and title of Chosen Friends
Lodge, number thirty-four, of the Order of Independent
Odd Fellows; and by that name, they and their successors,
shall and may at all times hereafter, be capable in law to
have, receive and retain to them and their successors, pro-
perty, real and personal, also devisees or bequests of any
person or persons, bodies corporate or politic, capable of
making the same, and the same at their pleasure, to trans-
fer or dispose of in such manner as they may think proper;

CHAP. 100

provided always, that the said corporation or body politic,
shall not at any time hold or possess property, real, person-
al or mixed, exceeding in annual value the sum of five
thousand dollars.

Proviso.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That the said corporation
and their successors, by the name and title aforesaid, shall
be forever thereafter, capable in law, to sue and be sued,
plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered unto, de-
fend and be defended, in all or any courts of justice, and
before all or any judges, officers or persons whatsoever,
in all and singular actions, matters or demands whatso-

ever.

Legal capacity.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That it shall and may be law-
ful for the said corporation to have a common seal for
their use, and the same, at their will and pleasure, to
change, alter and make anew, from time to time, as they
may think best; and shall in general have and exercise all
such rights, privileges and immunities, as by law are inci-
dent or necessary to corporations, and what may be neces-
sary to the corporation herein constituted, and to enable
the members of said Order to exercise all things concern-
ings the design of this corporation, for the benevolent re-
lief of the sick and distressed, and for the promotion of
their purposes generally.

Seal, &c.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That any hall that may here-
after be erected in the town of Cumberland, for the
meetings of the above corporation, and the ground and
appurtenances thereto attached, be and the same are here-
by released from taxation.

Property relea-
sed from taxa-
tion.

SEC. 5. And be it enacted, That it shall and may be
lawful at any time, for the General Assembly to demand a
*8

Right of Legis-
lature to de-
mand a state-
ment.