Letters from Andrew Eliot to Thomas Hollis, Notice of the Sieur D'Aulnay, of Acadie. By William Jenks, . Petition of Roger Williams to the General Court of Massachusetts, A Declaration of the Affairs of the English People that first inhabited 474 THE ACT OF INCORPORATION, WITH THE ADDITIONAL ACTS, AND BY-LAWS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND A LIST OF THE MEMBERS. OCTOBER MEETING, 1857.-A Committee, consisting of Messrs. ROBBINS, HILLARD, LIVERMORE, CHANDLER, and DEANE, appointed to revise the By-Laws of the Society, reported the same in print this day. The Report, as presented, was accepted and adopted. MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY. ACT OF INCORPORATION. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety-four. An Act to incorporate a Society, by the name of the MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY. WHEREAS the collection and preservation of materials for a political and natural history of the United States is a desirable object, and the institution of a Society for those purposes will be of public utility,— Be it therefore enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That William Baylies, Esq., Jeremy Belknap, D. D., the Rev. Alden Bradford, Peleg Coffin, Esq., Manasseh Cutler, D. D., John Davis, Esq., Daniel Davis, Esq., Aaron Dexter, Doctor in Physic, the Rev. John Eliot, Nathaniel Freeman, Esq., the Rev. James Freeman, the Rev. Thaddeus Mason Harris, Isaac Lothrop, Esq., George Richards Minot, Esq., the Rev. John Mellen, jun., Thomas Pemberton, William Dandridge Peck, the Rev. John Prince, Ezekiel Price, Esq., James Sullivan, Esq., David Sewall, Esq., Peter Thacher, D. D., William Tudor, Esq., Samuel Turell, Dudley Atkins Tyng, Esq., James Winthrop, Esq., Thomas Wallcut, Redford Webster, and William Wetmore, Esq., who have associated for the purposes aforesaid, and have requested an Act of Incorporation, be, and hereby are, formed into and constituted a Society and body politic and corporate, by the name of the MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY; and that they and their successors, and such other persons as shall be legally elected by them, shall be and continue a body politic and corporate, by that name forever. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the members of said Society shall have power to elect a President, and all other necessary officers; and that the said Society shall have one common seal, and the same may break, change, and renew at pleasure; and that the same Society, by the name aforesaid, as a body politic and corporate, may sue and be sued, prosecute and defend suits to final judgment and execution. And be it further enacted, That the said Society shall have power to make orders and by-laws for governing its members and property, not repugnant to the laws of this Commonwealth; and may expel, disfranchise, or suspend any member, who, by his misconduct, shall be rendered unworthy. And be it further enacted, That the said Society may, from time to time, establish rules for electing officers and members, and also times and places for holding meetings; and shall be capable to take and hold real or personal estate, by gift, grant, devise, or otherwise, and the same, or any part thereof, to alien and convey: Provided, That the annual income of any real estate, by said Society holden, shall never exceed the sum of five hundred pounds; and that the personal estate thereof, besides books, papers, and articles in the Museum of said Society, shall never exceed the value of two thousand pounds. And be it further enacted, That the members of said Society shall never be more than sixty (except honorary members, residing without the limits of this Commonwealth), and that James Sullivan, Esq., be, and hereby is, authorized and empowered to notify and warn the first meeting of said Society; and that the same Society, when met, shall agree upon a method for calling future meetings, and may have power to adjourn from time to time, as may be found necessary. And be it further enacted, That either branch of the Legislature shall and may have free access to the Library and Museum of said Society. [This Act passed Feb. 19, 1794.] Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty-five. An Act in addition to an Act to incorporate the MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows :— SECT. 1.-The Massachusetts Historical Society is hereby authorized to hold real and personal estate, in addition to its Library, to an amount not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars. SECT. 2.-This Act shall take effect from and after its passage. [This Act passed May 19, 1855.] Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In the Year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty-seven. An Act in relation to the MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows SECT. 1.-Nothing in the Act of Incorporation of the Massachusetts Historical Society shall prevent said Society from electing Associate or Corresponding Members residing without the limits of this Commonwealth, or Honorary Members residing either within or without said limits, or from having as many as one hundred Resident Members, at their discretion. SECT. 2.-This Act shall take effect from and after its acceptance by said Society. [This Act passed April 1, 1857.] |