Persons so

May sue and be sued.

and at the next term of said court after such filing, the clerk thereof shall copy the same upon the records of the proceedings of the said court; for doing which he shall receive a fee of fifty cents and no more.

SEC. 3. Be it further enacted, That the persons so electelected, made a ed shall be trustees for said library, and that the said corporate body. trustees and their associates, and such other persons as shall, from time to time, become members of such corporation, shall be one body, corporate and politic, in fact and· in name, by the name, style, or title mentioned in said certificate, so to be filed and entered on record as aforesaid, and by that name shall have succession, and they and their successors shall be capable in law to sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, answer and be answered unto, defend and be defended, in all courts of law or equity whatsoever; and they and their successors shall have a common seal, and may alter and change the same at their discretion: and also, that the said trustees and their successors, by the name and style described in said certificate, shall be capable in law of purchasing, holding, and conveying any estate, real or personal, for the Estates held by use of said corporation: Provided, such real and personal estate, so held, shall not at any one time exceed the annual value of six hundred dollars, exclusive of the books and the annual payments which shall be made by the members of the said corporation.

them not to

exceed $600.

Number of

one treasurer.

SEC. 4. Be it further enacted, That hereafter there trustees to each shall not be less than three, nor more than seven trustees library, and one for every library so incorporated as aforesaid, who shall chairman, one hold their offices one year, and until others be elected in librarian, and their places, and shall manage the business of the said corporation; and that there shall be one chairman of said trustees, one treasurer, and one librarian: and that it shall be lawful for the said trustees, whenever they conceive it necessary, to appoint one and the same person treasurer and librarian.

Officers to be

ly, and the manner of electing them.

SEC. 5. Be it further enacted, That the offices of the elected annual- said first trustees shall determine on the following year, on the second Tuesday in the same month in which they were chosen, and that on the first Tuesday in the same month in which the election was held in every year forever thereafter, there shall be a general meeting of the members of the corporation at some convenient place, to be from time to time ascertained and fixed by the by-laws of the said corporation, and that then and there, by a plurality of votes of such members as shall so meet, not less than three, nor more than seven trustees shall be elected to serve the ensuing year; and that any person

A vote allowed for each right.

how the vacan

cy is to filled.

holding more than one right in said library, shall be entitled to one vote for each right he or she shall hold in the same; that the trustees of said library shall, annually, at their first meeting on or after the day that their offices commence, appoint one of the said trustees their chair- Officers dying, man; that in case of the death, removal, refusal or ne- removing, and glect to serve, of the chairman for the time being, it shall refusing to serve be lawful for the trustees of the said library, at any of their meetings, to appoint another chairman instead of the one dying, removing, refusing, or neglecting to serve as aforesaid, to remain in office till the expiration of the time during which his predecessor was entitled to serve; and when any vacancy shall happen by the death, removal, resignation, or neglect to serve of any of the said trustees, it shall be lawful for the chairman of the said trustees, or on his neglect or refusal, for any other two of the said trustees, to summon a meeting of the members of said corporation at a place fixed by the bye-laws of said corporation, for the purpose of electing other person or persons instead of such as shall have so died, removed, refused or neglected to serve as aforesaid; and that such person or persons so to be chosen trustee or trustees, at such meeting as last aforesaid, shall respectively remain in office during such time as the person in whose stead such trustee shall be chosen, would have done in case such death, removal, or refusal had not happened, the library with and no longer; and that the trustees of the said library, treasurer & lishall, at every such annual meeting of the members of the brarian, acsaid corporation, exhibit to the members a state of the made at all ansaid library, the minutes of the proceedings of the trustees nual meetings. during the year immediately preceding, with the treasurer's and librarian's accounts, stating the amount of the receipts and expenditures during such year.

át

Condition of

counts to be

ing.

How a-board

SEC. 6. Be it further enacted, That said trustees shall Time of meethave stated meetings in every quarter in every year, such time and place as shall, from time to time, be ap- Two trustees pointed for that purpose; that the chairman, or any two may call a meetrustees of said library for the time being, may, from ting by giving 2 time to time, as occasion requires, call together, at such days notice, place as shall from time to time be appointed by the byelaws, of said corporation, the trustees of said library, of trustees may giving them at least two days previous notice of such be formed. meeting; that the chairman and a majority of the said trustees shall form a board of trustees, and that in the May adjourn absence of the chairman, the trustees so met shall choose time. another to serve on that occasion; that the chairman shall have a casting vote and no other; that the chairman and a majority of the trustees so met shall have authority to

from time to

32

adjourn from time to time, as the business of said corpoLibrarians and ration may require: and from time to time to appoint at treasurers may their pleasure, to displace a treasurer or librarian of the

be removed.

said library, and to appoint other or others in their stead; to ascertain the compensation to be allowed to the treasurer or librarian, or either of them, for their service in their stations respectively, and to appoint to them their respective powers, trusts, and duties; to direct the applicompensate li- cation of monies belonging to the said corporation, to surer, and to di- the purchase of such books and apparatus as they shall rect the appli- think proper; to the providing a room or house for the cation of their safe keeping of the books of the said library; and to do

Trustees to

brarian & trea

funds.

laws.

in the name of the said corporation, all and every act and acts, thing and things whatsoever, which shall be necessary to be done, and which the trustees of the said libraTo make bye- ry, are by this law, authorized to do; and to make at all times hereafter, such laws and regulations for the government of the officers and members of said corporation for regulating the terms upon which the books of the said library shall be lent out, both to the members of said corporation, and to others; for fixing and ascertaining the times and places of the quarterly meetings of the said trustees; for allowing and fixing the places of meeting of the members of said corporation, for the election of trustees, for regulating the management and disposition of the books of the said library, and the monies, funds, and effects belonging to the said corporation, the mode of transferring rights in the said library from one person to Mode of trans- another, and all other the business of the said corporation, ferring rights in as they, or the major part of them, so legally met, shall judge best for the general good of said corporation; and for the more effectual promoting, increasing, and preserving the said library, and the same or any of them to alter or repeal from time to time, as they or a major part of them, so met, shall think proper: Provided, such laws and regulations shall not be repugnant to the laws of this

libraries.

state.

SEC. 7. Be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for each and every of the members for the time being of the said corporation, his or her executors, administrators, and assigns, to give, sell, devise, and dispose of their respecPurchasers of tive rights in the said library, and that their respective the rights in li- assignees shall be members of said corporation, and shall to all the bene-be entitled to all the same rights and privileges in said fits of the first corporation as the original members are entitled to by

braries entitled

Owner.

this act: Provided, that a part of a right in said library shall not entitle the proprietor or owner thereof, to any privilege whatever in said library or corporation.

SEC. 8. Be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful at such meeting of a majority of said trustees of the library for the time being, to make any bye-laws, constitutions, or ordinances of the said corporation, to admit under the common seal of the said corporation, such and so many New members persons, members of said corporation, as they shall think to be entitled to beneficial to said library; which members so admitted, fits and privileshall be entitled to have, hold, and enjoy, all and every ges of the old the same rights and privileges as the original members ones. are entitled to by this act.

SEC. 9. Be it further enacted, That each member of the said corporation for the time being, shall, on or before

the same bene

the first Tuesday in the month fixed for the election of Annual contritrustees, annually pay to the treasurer of said library for bion the use of said corporation, the sum or sums which shall be fixed by the bye-laws of said corporation; and that whenever any of the members of the said corporation shall neglect to pay the said annual sum, or any other sum which shall of right become due to the corporation, for the space of fifty days, next after the day on which the same ought to have been paid, that, then the person or persons from whom the same shall be due, shall be precluded from exercising any of the privileges to which Members failhe became entitled by virtue of his being or becoming a ing to pay their member of the said corporation, until such sums shall be forfeit all their fully satisfied; and if such sums shall not be paid within privileges, and two years after any such sums shall become due as afore-if not paid in two years, for said, that then, and after the expiration of two years from feit their rights the time such payment shall become due, the person or in said library. persons from the same shall become due, shall thereupon forfeit and be utterly excluded from all, his, her, or their rights and privileges in the said library and incorporation.

annual dues,

SEC. 10. Be it further enacted, That in case it should happen, that an election of trustees should not be made on any day, when pursuant to this act, it ought to have been made, the said corporation shall not for that cause Members failbe deemed to be dissolved, but that it shall be lawful on ing to elect their any other day, to hold and make an election of trustees, officers regularly annually, in such manner as shall have been regulated by the laws and ordinances of the said corporation: Provided always, any other time. that nothing in this act shall be so construed as to authorize any person or persons whatsoever, under colour of any May not transincorporation authorized by this act, to do or transact act any busiany business, matter, or thing, save what appertains to a what pertains to library, according to the true intent and meaning of this the library.

act.

may elect at

ness except

In force March AN ACT to incorporate the inhabitants of such towns as may wish to be incorporated.

1, 1831.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the people of the state of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That whenever the white males over the age of twenty-one years, being residents of any town in this state, containing not less than one hundred and fifty inhabitants, shall wish to become Town meetings incorporated for the better regulation of their internal police, it shall be lawful for the said residents, who may have resided six months therein, or who shall be the owner of any freehold property therein, to assemble themselves together, in public meeting, at the court house or other place

Springfield

see 18370s. p. 94 in said town, and when so assembled, they may proceed

Notice.

How to vote.

to choose a president and clerk of the meeting from among their number, both of whom shall be sworn, or affirmed, by any person authorized to administer oaths, faithfully to discharge the trust reposed in them as president and clerk of said meeting: Provided, however, that at least ten days public notice of the time and place of holding such meeting shall have been previously given by advertising in some newspaper of the town, or by setting up written notices, in at least three of the most public places in such town.

SEC. 2. The residents, as aforesaid, of any town having assembled as directed in the first section of this act, may proceed to decide by vote, viva voce, whether they will be incorporated or not, and the president and clerk, after their President and votes are given in, shall certify under their hands, the numclerk to certify. ber of votes, in favor of being incorporated, and the num ber against being incorporated; and if it shall appear that two-thirds of the votes present, are in favor of being incorporated, the president and clerk shall deliver a certificate of the state of the polls to the board of trustees, to be elected as hereinafter provided.

Election for
trustees.

SEC. 3. Whenever the qualified voters, under this act, of any town, shall have decided in the manner herein provided, that they wish to be incorporated, it shall be the duty of the clerk of the meeting, at which they may so decide, to give at least five days previous public notice to the said voters, to assemble at the court house, or some other public place in such town, on a day to be named in such notice, to elect by viva voce vote, five residents and freeholders of such town, for trustees of the same, who shall hold their office for one year, and until other trustees are chosen and qualified; at which first election, the president and clerk of the first meeting shall preside, or in case of