THOMAS G. PRATT, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

1845.

Jacob Martin, Joshua Stokes, John S. Pennell, James
Stokes, John Arthur, Alexander Robinson, Henry
Stokes, Godliep J. Sigmond, Joshua F. Stevenson,
Henry Hosplehorn, George Park, Reuben Apler, George
W. Foreman, Joseph Willhide and others, officers and
members of Mechanicstown Division, number twenty-
one, of the Sons of Temperance, in Frederick county,
and their successors, be, and they are hereby declared
to be a community, corporation and body politic, by the

CHAP. 303.

name, style and title of the Mechanicstown Division,
number twenty-one of the Sons of Temperance, and by
that name, they and their successors, shall and may at
all times hereafter be capable in law to have, bold, re-
ceive and retain to them and their successors, property,
real or personal, either or both, also devises or bequests
of any description of property from any person or per-
sons, capable in law of making the same, and the same
at their pleasure to transfer or dispose of in such manner

Name and
style.

as they may think proper; provided always, that the said
corporation or body politic, shall not at any one time,
hold or possess property, real, personal or mixed, which
shall be of the annual value of or yield an income annu-
ally, exceeding two thousand dollars.

Proviso.

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

Legal capaci-
ty.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That it shall and may be
lawful for the said corporation to make by-laws, and have
a common seal for their use, and the same at their plea-
sure 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, powers, privileges and immuni-

Make by-laws.

ties as by law are incident or necessary to the corpora-
tion herein constituted, to enable its members to exercise
all things concerning the designs of the corporation, for
the relief of the sick and distressed, and for the promo-
tion of their benevolent purposes generally.

Corporate
powers.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That the funds and estate
of the corporation shall not at any time be divided or
distributed amongst the members or diverted from the
purposes contemplated by its formation, without the per-
mission, of the General Assembly of Maryland.

Funds not to be
divided or dis-
tributed.