OF THE NEW YORK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, 1768-1784 WITH HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES BY OHN AUSTIN STEVENS JR. NEW YORK: JOHN F. TROW & CO., 50 GREENE STREET, 1867 ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by JOHN AUSTIN STEVENS, JR., In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern JOHN F. TROW & CO., PRINTERS, STEREOTYPERS, AND ELECTROTYPERS, 50 Greene Street, New York, REGISTER OF PROCEEDINGS OF NEW YORK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. HEREAS, mercantile societies have been found very useful in tradeing cities for promoting and encouraging commerce, supporting industry, adjusting disputes relative to trade and navigation, and procuring such laws and regulations as may be found necessary for the benefit of trade in general; For which purpose, and to establish such a society in the city of New York, the following persons convened on the first Tuesday in, and being the 5th day of, April, 1768: And such a number of merchants as already, or hereafter may become members thereof, to be called and known by the name of THE NEW YORK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. The Members present unanimously chose the following Gentlemen their officers for this year, to commence the first Tuesday in May next: JOHN CRUGER, President. HUGH WALLACE, Vice-President, ANTHONY VAN DAM, Secretary. Then the following resolutions, being read, were agreed to. That the members of the Chamber of Commerce shall meet the first Tuesday in every month, to transact such business as may come before them; and establish such rules for the order and good government of the Society as they may think proper and find necessary. That the first Tuesday in May, August, November, and February in every year are declared to be the Grand Quarterly Meetings, at which times the accounts of the Chamber are to be settled, and any new members who desire it and are chosen by ballot are to be admitted. The officers of said Chamber of Commerce to be chosen yearly by ballot on the first Tuesday in May, and to continue for one year. Every member of the Society who now is or hereafter may be admitted into the same, shall pay unto the Treasurer for the use of the said Chamber of Commerce five Spanish dollars on his admission, and shall also pay unto the said Treasurer for the aforesaid use the further sum of one Spanish dollar on each of the four quarterly days before mentioned, and such members shall faithfully and truly keep, obey, and conform to all rules and regulations made and entered into by said Chamber of Commerce, which are to be entered into the Books of the said Society to be kept for that purpose, on pain of being dismissed the said Chamber of Commerce, and having his or their names struck off the list. Any merchant chooseing to become a member of this Chamber of Commerce must give in his name to the President for the time being on the first Tuesday in the month preceeding the Quarterly meeting, and the person proposed is to be balloted for, and if three nays appear he cannot be admitted during the government of the President in whose year he was so refused, but may be proposed the succeeding or any year after, and if not again opposed by three nays then to be admitted, but if any person is three times refused, he is never to be admitted. A proper room for the meeting of the members of the Chamber of Commerce is to be provided at the expence of the members so that it doth not exceed one shilling per man, which each person is to pay to the Treasurer at their respective meetings. The members of the Chamber of Commerce doth agree that the Treasurer shall provide for their use a strong chest wherein shall be deposited their cash, books and papers which is to have three different good locks and keys-one key to be kept by the President, one by the Treasurer, and the third by the Secretary; the chest for the present to be kept at the Treasurer's. No business to be done by the said Chamber of Com |