Commissioners or to become due, in proportion to the taxable property and ratables, as valued and assessed by the assessors, within the respective limits of said townships, at the last assessment, and may adjourn the said meeting, from time to time, unto such time and place as a majority of those present may think proper; and the township of Blairstown shall be liable to pay a just proportion of the debts, if any there be; and if any of the members of the said township committees shall neglect to meet as aforesaid, those present may proceed to make such division, and their division, or a division of a majority of them, shall be final and conclusive. SEC. 5. Simeon Cook, Aaron Ogden Bartow, and Henry Mingle, or any two of them, shall be, and they are hereby ap to survey lines, pointed commissioners to run, survey, mark, and ascertain the &c. Right of town several lines herein before mentioned; which said commissioners shall, before the second Monday in April next, exccute and discharge the duties of their said appointment, in the same manner, in all respects, as if they had been appointed commissioners for the purpose aforesaid by the inferior court of common pleas of the county of Warren, except, only, that it shall not be necessary for said commissioners to give notice of the time and place of meeting to perform the duties of their said appointment; and the charges and expenses of said commissioners shall be taxed and paid as is by law directed in case of commissioners appointed by the court of common pleas, upon the application of the board of chosen freeholders. SEO. 6. Nothing in this act shall be so construed as to impair, or in anywise affect the right of the said township of ship in surplus Blairstown of, in, and to any portion of the surplus revenue of revenne not im- the general government, to which the said township may now, or at any time hereafter be entitled, in the distribution of said surplus revenue. paired. Art, when to take effect. SEO. 7. This act shall take effect on the day of holding the first annual town meeting of the said township of Blairstown. Approved, February 20, 1845. AN ACT to incorporate the Hunterdon County Mutual Fire BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the rators. General pow ers. SEC. 1. Jacob P. Fisher, John Coryell, Burrowes Hunt, James D. Stryker, Samuel Husselton, John H. Smith, Jacob Names of corpoS. Gary, Isaac Matthews, Alexander Coryell, Alexander Grant, Jacob B. Smith, Sidney Blackwell, Charles O. Holcomb, and others, their associates, successors, and assigns, shall be, and are hereby ordained, constituted, and declared to be a body corporate and politic, in fact and in name, by the name of "the Hunterdon County Mutual Fire Insurance Company," Style of incorfor the purpose of ensuring their respective dwelling-houses, poration. stores, shops, and other buildings, household furniture, merchan dise, and other property, against loss or damage by fire; and, by that name, they and their successors may have perpetual succession, and shall have power to sue and be sued, and to defend and be defended, in all courts, either in law or equity; and, by that name, may also have, purchase, possess, and enjoy, to them and to their successors, lands, tenements, and hereditaments, goods, chattels, and elects, of what nature and kind soever, necessary for the purpose of this corporation, and the same may grant, demise, alien, and dispose of at pleasure, for the benefit of said company; and also may have a common seal, and alter and renew the same at pleasure; and also may make and establish such by-laws and regulations as to them shall seem necessary and expedient for the well ordering and government of said institution, and put the same in execution; provided, that they be not contrary to the constitution of this state or of the United States. Persons ensur SEC. 2. All persons who shall ensure with the said corporation, and also their heirs, executors, administrators, and as- to be mensigns, continuing to be ensured in said corporation, as herein bers of incorpoafter provided, shall thereby become members thereof, during the period they shall remain ensured by the said corporation, and no longer. ration. naged by thir SEO. 3. All the affairs, property, and concerns of the said Affairs of corpocorporation shall be managed and conducted by thirteen di- ration to be ma rectors, a majority of whom shall be citizens and residents, teen directors. who shall continue in office for one year and until others shall be chosen in their place, all of whom shall be members of said corporation, and shall take an oath of office, and choose out of their body a president; all vacancies may be filled, for the remainder of the year, by such person or persons as a majority of the board of directors for the time being may appoint, and a majority of the whole shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business; and the said Jacob P. Fisher, John Coryell, Burrowes Hunt, James D. Stryker, Samuel Husselton, John First directors. H. Smith, Jacob S. Gary, Isaac Matthews, Alexander Coryell, Alexander Grant, Jacob B. Smith, Sidney Blackwell, and Charles O. Holcomb shall be the first directors of said corpo tion. ration; which board of directors shall hereafter be elected in Time and mode each year, at such time and place, in Lambertville, in the of annual elec- county of Hunterdon, as the said corporation, in their by-laws, shall appoint, of which election public notice shall be given, in at least one of the public newspapers printed in said county, at least two weeks immediately preceding such election; which election shall be holden under the inspection of three members. not being directors, to be appointed previous to every election by the board of directors, and shall be made by ballot and by plurality of votes of the members, or their proxies, then present, allowing one vote for every five hundred dollars ensured in said company; provided always, that each member shall have at least one vote, and that no member shall have more than five votes. Proviso. Board of direc tors to appoint officers, &c. Policies valid with or without seal. SEC. 4. The board of directors may appoint a secretary and such other officers and agents as may be requisite for effecting the business of said company, and allow them such compensation as they may deem reasonable, and also determine the rates of ensurance. SEC. 5. All policies, and contracts founded thereon, which shall be made or entered into by the said company, may be made either under or without the seal thereof, and shall be subscribed by the president, and attested by the secretary, and, being so subscribed and attested, shall be binding and obligatory upon the said company; and the said company shall be liable for all loss or damage sustained by fire or other casualty, agreeably to, and on such terms and conditions as shall be contained in the policy. SEC. 6. Every person who shall become a member of said Terms of effect- corporation, by effecting ensurance therein, shall, before he ing ensurance. receives his policy, deposite his promissory note, with good security, for such a sum of money as shall be determined by the directors to be the premium for said ensurance, and that a part, not exceeding twenty per centum of said note, shall be immediately paid, and the remainder of said deposite shall be payable, in part or the whole, at any time when the directors shall deem the same requisite for the payment of losses by fire and such incidental expenses as shall be necessary for trans acting the business of said company; and at the expiration of the term of ensurance, the said note, or such part of the same as shall remain unpaid, if any, after all losses and expenses accruing during said term shall have been provided for, according to the provisions of this act, shall be relinquished and given up to the maker thereof; and it shall be lawful for said corpo- Surplus money ration to loan such portion of their money on hand as may not may be loaned. be immediately wanted for the purposes of said corporation. surrendered SEC. 7. When any property ensured by the said corporation shall be alienated, by sale or otherwise, the policy of such en- Policy may be surance may be surrendered to the directors of said company when property to be cancelled; and upon such surrender the ensured shall be is alienated. entitled to receive his deposite note or notes, upon the payment of his proportion of all losses and expenses that have accrued prior to such surrender; but the grantee or alienee having the policy assigned to him may have the same ratified and confirmed to him, for his own use and benefit, upon application to the directors, and with their consent, within thirty days next after such alienation, on giving proper security, to the satisfaction of said directors, for such portion of the deposite or premium note or notes as shall remain unpaid; and, by such ratification and confirmation, such grantees or alienees shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges, and be subject to all the liabilities, to which the original party to whom the policy issued was entitled and subjected. SEC. 8. Suits at law or in equity may be maintained by said Suits may be corporation against any of its members for the collection of maintained against members said deposite notes, or any assessinent thereon, or for any for deposite cause relating to the business of said corporation; also, suits notes. at law or in equity may be prosecuted and maintained by any member against said corporation for losses or damage by fire, if payment is withheld more than three months after the company are duly notified of such loss or damage; and no member of the corporation, not being in his individual capacity a party to such suit, shall be incompetent as a witness in any cause on account of his being a member of said corporation. SEC. 9. The directors shall, after receiving due notice of any Duties of directloss or damage by fire, sustained by any member, and ascer- ors in ascertaintaining the same, or after the rendition of any judgment against ing loss by fire. said company for loss or damage, settle and determine the sums to be paid by the several members thereof, as their respective proportion of such loss, and publish the same, in such manner as they shall see fit, or as the by-laws shall have prescribed; and the sum to be paid by each member shall always be in proportion to the original amount of his deposite note or notes, and shall be paid to the treasurer within sixty days next Assessments on after the publication of said notice; and if any member shall, for the space of sixty days after the publication of said notice, neglect or refuse to pay the sum assessed to him, as his proportion of any loss as aforesaid, in such case the directors may sue for and recover the whole amount of his deposite note or notes, with costs of suit; and the amount thus collected shall remain in the treasury of said company, subject to the payment of such losses and expenses as have accrued, or may thereafter accrue, and the balance, if any remain, shall be returned to the party from whom it was collected, on demand, after sixty days from the expiration or cancellation of his or her policy. SEC. 10. Whenever and as often as it shall happen that the whole amount of the funds of the said company, and of the members, when sums due on the deposite notes held by it, shall be insufficient and how made. to pay the whole loss occasioned by any fire, the directors shall assess upon and demand from each member a further sum, in proportion to the original amount of his or her depo site note, and shall divide the whole amount of the said funds, deposite note, and assessment among the sufferers by such fire, who have been ensured by said company, in proportion to their losses and the amounts by them respectively ensured; but no such assessment of a greater amount than one dollar on every hundred dollars, by the members respectively ensured, shall at any time be made for the loss or damage occasioned by any one fire; and any member who shall pay the whole amount of his or her deposite note, and of any assessinent then made, and surrender his or her policy of ensurance, shall be discharged from all liability for any loss or damage that may occur after such payment and surrender. Transfers to be entered on books. Duties of secretary. Place of busihess. Directors to make annual Statement. SEC. 11. No transfer of any policy of ensurance of the said corporation shall be valid until entered into the books of the company, and certified on such policy by the secretary. SEC. 12. It shall be the duty of the secretary to give notice of all meetings of the corporation, to attend the same, to keep a faithful record of their proceedings, also an account of profit and loss, fill up all policies of ensurance, countersign and seal the same with the seal of the said corporation, certify all drafts or orders of the president for the payment of money, and such other duties as the company, or board, from time to time, by their by-laws may direct. SEC. 13. The operations and business of the corporation shall be carried on and conducted at such place, in Lambertville, as shall be designated by a majority of the directors present at any regular meeting. SEC. 14. At every meeting of the said company, the directors for the time being shall make and exhibit a full and true |