BENJAMIN OGLE, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

1798.

his church immediately after divine fervice, on two fucceeding Sundays, and if no rector, by any
two veftrymen, or of thofe perfons who laft poffeffed the powers of veftrymen, by writing fet up
the door of the church ten days before the day of meeting.

C H A P.
XXIV.

Churchwar-

XIV. AND BE IT ENACTED, If churchwardens fhould not front any caufe be chofen by the
veftry on the day of the election of veftrymen, it fhall and may be lawful to choofe them at any-
fubfequent meeting of the veftry, and fuch elections fhall be held valid and obligatory.

dens may at
any time be
chofen, &c.

XV. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the veftry of every parifh fhall have full power and authority
from time to time to choofe one or more minifters or readers of the proteftant epifcopal church,
(heretofore called the church of England,) to officiate in any church or chapel belonging to the
parifh, and to perform the other duties of a minifter therein, for fuch time as the faid veftry
may think proper, and they may agree and contract with fuch minifter or minifters, reader or
readers, for his or their falary, and refpecting the ufe and occupation of the parfonage-houfe,
or any glebe or other lands, or other property, if any, belonging to the parifh, and on fuch
terms and conditions as they may think reafonable and proper, and their choice and contract
fhall be entered among their proceedings; and upon the expiration of fuch contract, the faid
veftry may, in their discretion, renew their choice, or make a new contract, but if they do not
incline fo to do, their former choice and contract fhall remain until they declare their defire to
make a new choice or contract.

Veftry may
choofe mini-
fters, &c.

XVI. AND BE IT ENACTED, That if only one minifter fhall be chofen for any parifh, he fhall
be called the rector thereof, but where two or more minifters fhall be chofen of the fame order
in the miniftry, they fhall be called affociated rectors of fuch parifh, and fhall prefide in the vef-
try by rotation; and in any parifh in which there fhall at any time be more than one minifter
regularly fettled, and either of them of fuperior order in the miniftry, fuch fuperior minifter
fhall have the fole right of prefiding in the veftry, and be called the rector thereof, and the other
or others fhall be called affociated minifters of fuch parifh.

If only one, to
be called rec-
tor, &c.

XVII, AND BE IT ENACTED, If the veftry of any parifh fhould think it neceffary to take in
fubfcriptions for the maintenance of their minifter or minifters, reader or readers, or for pay-
ing the falaries of fuch other officers as the occafions of the parifh may require to be appointed,
or for any other parifh purpofes, it fhall and may be lawful for them to to do.

Veftry may
take in fub-
fcriptions, &c.

XVIII. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the veftry of every parifh fhall be and they are hereby
obliged to provide a fit perfon as regifter of their parifh, whofe duty it fhall be to keep true and
fair entries of the proceedings of fuch veftry in the execution of their truft, which regifter alfo
fhall, before he acts as fuch, take and fubfcribe the oath of fidelity herein before mentioned,
(unlefs he fhall have before taken fuch oath,) and make and fubfcribe a declaration of his belief
in the chriftian religion, as alfo take an oath for the due and faithful execution of the duties of
his office, to be adminiftered as herein before directed.

And provide a
regifter, &c.

XIX. AND BE IT ENACTED, That it fhall be the duty of the faid regifter to enter in a book
provided for the purpofe, all baptifms, marriages and funerals, of free perfons in the parifh by
any minifter of the proteftant epifcopal church, and which may be made known to him by any of
the faid minifters or veftrymen of the parifh; and it fhall alfo be the duty of the faid regifter, in
the entry of baptifms to infert the chriftian names of the perfons baptifed, the chriftian and
furnames of the parents, with the dates of the baptifms and births of the perfons baptifed, and
in the entry of marriages and burials to infert the times of the celebration, and the chriftian and
furnames of the perfons married, and the perfons buried; and it fhall be the duty of the minifter
or minifters of every parifh to take care that the faid regifter be made acquainted with all the
baptifms, marriages and burials, celebrated by him or them in the parifh.

His duty.

XX. AND BE IT ENACTED, That if any minifter of the proteftant epifcopal church fhall ce-
lebrate any baptifm, marriage or burial, in any parifh in which he may not be a fettled minifter,
he is hereby required to communicate it to the rector, or fome one of the veftry, of the parifh,
who fhall communicate it to the regifter of faid parifh.

Certain bap-
tifms, &c, to be,
communicated,

&c.

XXI. AND BE IT ENACTED, That if any minifter or veftryman fhall fail in the duties herein re-
fpectively affigned them, or if any regifter fhall refufe or neglect to enter any baptifm, marriage or
burial, fo made known to him, the perfon offending fhall forfeit eight dollars for every fuch offence.

Penalty on the
minifter, &c.

for neglect, &c.

XXII. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the regifter of every parifh fhall have the cuftody of all
regifters of baptifms, marriages and burials, belonging to his parifh, and he is hereby obliged to
fhew any perfon or perfons reafonably defiring it any fuch regifter, or give a certificate of the
entry of any birth, marriage or burial, entered therein, which may be defired of him, and fuch
certificate, under the hand of fuch regifter, and with the common feal of fuch veftry annexed
thereto, fhall be received in evidence in all courts of juftice within this ftate; and for every
fearch which may be required he fhall be entitled to twenty-five cents, and for every certificate
as aforefaid he fhall be entitled to twenty-five cents, nor fhall he be obliged to make a fearch, or
give a certificate, until he fhall have been paid the reward before allowed.

Regifter to have
cuftody of all
baptifms, &c.

XXIII. AND BE IT ENACTED, That if any veftry fhall neglect or refufe to appoint a regifter

for their parifh, or to provide him with fuch good and fubftantial books as the execution of the
duties herein committed to him may require, the individual veftrymen who fhall vote againft
going into the appointment of a perfon to fill the office of a regifter, or fhall refufe to vote on
the queftion of faid appointment, or againft the provifion of good fubftantial books as aforefaid,

fhall forfeit and pay the fum of five dollars each for every time he fhall offend, or vote as afore-
faid, the faid fine to be recovered before a fingle magiftrate; provided always, that the veftry-

Penalty on vef-
try for neglect-
ing to provide
a regifter, &c.