JOHN HENRY, Efquire, Governor.

1797.

III. And be it enacted, That the male members of the faid church, of the
full age of twenty-one years, may and fhall meet on the firft Monday of January
next, or within ten days thereafter, and on the firft Monday of January, or
within ten days thereafter, in every year after the paffing of this act, at their
church, or at fuch other place within the city of Baltimore as may be appointed
by the elders and truftees for the time being, notice thereof being given by the
prefident on the Sunday preceding the day of fuch meeting, and may and fhall
then and there elect, by ballot, four of the moft pious and difcreet members of
the faid church, to ferve as elders for one year, and until another election is made
in virtue of this act, as alfo to elect four other difcreet members of their body as
truftees, to ferve for one year, and until another election fhall be made in virtue
of this act.

C H A P.
LII.

Members to
meet, &c.

IV. And be it enacted, That the performs fo elected as aforefaid elders and

truftees fhall be, and they are hereby declared to be, the elders and truftees of
the faid church.

Perfons to be
elders, &c.

V. And be it enacted, That in all cafes where an elder or elders, truftee or
truftees, is or are to be appointed in virtue of this act, the prefident, elders and
truftees for the time being, fhall, at leaft eight days before the day of fuch elec-
tion, nominate, from the moft pious and difcreet members of the faid church,
double the number of the elder or elders, truftee or truftees, fo to be ap-
pointed.

Members to
be nomi-
nated, &c.

VI. And be it enacted, That the prefident for the time being, and the elders
and truftees now appointed, or their fucceffors, who may hereafter be elected, or
a majority of them, may meet together from time to time, and as often as they
fhall judge neceffary, to tranfact, manage and regulate, the bufinefs of the
church, and to make fuch rules and by-laws as they may judge neceffary for the
conduct and government of the members, and management of their tem-
poral concerns; provided always, that fuch rules and by-laws be not contrary to
the conftitution and laws of this ftate.

Prefident, &c.
to meet, &c.

VII. And be it enacted, That the faid body corporate fhall not be able or

capable of purchafing any property, real or perfonal, unlefs with the confent and
approbation of three fourths of their whole number.

Not to pur-

chafe proper-
ty, &c.

VIII. And be it enacted, That all the lands and tenements, with their ap-
pertenances, now vefted in the minifter, or any other perfon for the ufe of the
faid church, and all other property of the faid church, fhall be and are hereby
abfolutely and unconditionally vefted in the faid body corporate, and their fuc-
ceffors, for ever; and the faid corporation, with the confent and approbation of
three fourths of their whole number, fhall be, and are hereby declared to he,
able and capable of bargaining and felling, leafing and conveying, any part of
the faid property, or any other property that may hereafter be acquired by the
faid corporation, in as full and effectual a manner as any perfon or body politic
may or can do.

Lands, &c,
vefted, &c.

IX. And be it enacted, That at all meetings of the faid elders and truftees
the minifter for the time being fhall be the prefident; and all acts or deeds of the
corporation fhall be figned by the prefident, and fealed with the corporate feal;
and all deeds for the conveyance of any land of the corporation, which by the
law of the land ought to be acknowledged and recorded, fhall be figned and
fealed as aforefaid, and alfo acknowledged by the prefident, in behalf of the cor-
poration, in the fame manner and form as is prefcribed in the cafe of individual
grantors; and all acts and deeds of the faid corporation, fo authenticated, fhall
be valid and effectual in law.

Minifter to be
prefident, &c.

X. And be it enacted, That in cafe of the abfence, removal or death, of the
minifter, the elders and truftees for the time being may appoint one of their own
body prefident, pro tempore, who, during fuch abfence, or in the cafe of removal

If abfent, an-
other to be
appointed.