Rights and privileges. 1 Power of trustees. Proviso. Further When trustees authorized to sell property.. SEC. 7. Said corporation may have a seal, and alter the same at pleasure. It may, in its corporate name, sue and be sued in all courts of this State. It shall have power to acquire, hold, sell, move and convey property, both real and personal, in accordance with this act, and it may recover and hold all the debts, demands, rights, privileges and all property, whether real or personal, of whatsoever sort it may be, belonging or appertaining to said church, in whatever manner the same may have been acquired, and in whose hands soever the same may be held, the same as if the right and title had originally been vested in said corporation. The board of trustees may authorize one or more of said board to affix the name and seal of said corporation, and to execute and attest conveyances, notes, obligations, acquittances, and all necessary legal documents. It may sell (but not mortgage) or otherwise dispose of its personal property, and it may, under restrictions hereinafter provided, sell, mortgage or otherwise dispose of or incumber its real estate, but not for current expenses. It may hold so much land as may be needed for the proper purposes of the church and its parsonage. It may also hold, for a period not to exceed ten years, real estate, which may be conveyed or devised to it or to said trustees to be sold and the proceeds to be used in any way for the benefit of said church, as directed in the conveyance or will. Said corporation shall at all times permit all ministers belonging to the Mennonite Brethren in Christ church as shall from time to time be duly authorized by the general conference or the annual conference, within whose bounds the said corporation may be, to preach and expound God's holy Word therein; and shall permit presiding elders and pastors, duly appointed, to execute the discipline of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ church, and to administer the sacraments therein. SEC. 8. The trustees shall have power, according to the terms and limitations of the discipline of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ church, as from time to time authorized and declared by the general conference of said church, to purchase, build, repair, lease, sell, rent, mortgage, encumber or otherwise dispose of property: Provided, That in case of selling, mortgaging or otherwise encumbering or disposing of real es tate, the consent of the presiding elder and minister in charge be obtained: And provided further, That in case the said presiding elder and minister in charge shall refuse or withhold their consent to the selling, mortgaging, encumbering or disposing of real estate, appeal may be had to the annual conference at its next session, and said appeal shall be final. SEC. 9. Whenever it shall become necessary, for the payment of debts or with a view of reinvestment, to make a sale of any real estate belonging to said church, the quarterly conference of said church may, by a vote of a majority of all the members of said quarterly conference and the consent of the annual conference of which said church shall be a part, au thorize a sale of said real estate by the trustees of said church with such limitations and restrictions as the quarterly conference and annual conference may judge necessary and impose, and the trustees of said church, when so authorized, may sell and convey said property, and with the proceeds of such sale pay the debts of such corporation, or reinvest the said proceeds by the purchase or improvement of other property for the same uses, and deeded to the corporation in the same manner as provided in section seven of this act, as said trustees may be directed by the quarterly conference and the annual conference. Froperty. SEC. 10. In all cases where property belonging to any Disposition of church society incorporated under the provisions of this act abandoned has been abandoned, or is no longer used for the purpose for which said property was acquired, or for the benefit of said church society, and has not been conveyed by said society, under the provisions of this act, or said corporation has dissolved or become extinct, the title to said property belonging to said corporation shall pass to the annual conference within whose bounds said property is located. And such annual conference may, by such officer or committee as said conference may designate, for that purpose, apply to the circuit court for the county in which said property may be, for license to sell the same. And such license may be granted by said court, after such notice of said application as the court may direct, and thereupon said property may be sold and the proceeds of such sale applied or used as said annual conference may di rect. cess may be SEC. 11. In all suits or legal proceedings brought against On whom procorporations organized under the provisions of this act, process served. may be served on the chairman of the board of trustees. ciation how SEC. 12. It shall be lawful for any church organized under Articles of assothe provisions of this act, by a two-thirds vote of the quarterly amended. conference of said church, to alter or amend its articles of association in any manner not inconsistent with the provisions of this act, or the book of discipline of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ church; and such alteration or amendment shall be come operative when two-thirds of the members of the quar- When to beterly conference shall execute amended articles and said come operative. amended articles are acknowledged in the same manner as stated in section three of this act, and the presiding elder has affixed his certificate thereto, as provided in said sectior, and the same has been recorded or left for record, as provided in section four of this act. preted and SEC. 13. In all proceedings or suits that may arise, or be Acts how interbrought in any of the courts of this State, touching or in any construed. way concerning churches that may be incorporated under this act, all other acts or parts of acts inconsistent herewith shall be interpreted and construed in such manner as to give full force and effect to all the provisions of this act, and to all the What shall be prima facie evidence. rights and privileges granted by this act to churches incorporated thereunder. SEC. 14. It is further provided, That the execution by the acting trustees of said corporation, in proper form, of any deed, mortgage, note, bond or other obligation or contract of said corporation, shall be prima facie evidence of the proper appointment of said trustees, and that the necessary steps have been taken to give them full authority to make such transaction. Approved June 7, 1899. Appropriation, how used. Volumes, how printed style, etc. Number depos ted in State iorary. [No. 226.] AN ACT making appropriations for the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society for the fiscal years ending June thirty, nineteen hundred and nineteen hundred one. The People of the State of Michigan enact: SECTION 1. There is hereby appropriated from the general fund to the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society the sum of one thousand five hundred dollars for each of the fiscal years ending June thirty, nineteen hundred and nineteen hundred one, to be used, in the discretion of the executive committee of said society, in collecting, arranging and preserving a library of books, pamphlets, maps, charts, manuscripts, papers, paintings, statuary, and other materials illustrative of and relating to the history of Michigan; to rescue from oblivion the memory of its early pioneers; to procure and preserve narratives of their early exploits, perils, privations, hardy adventures and noble achievements; and also in collecting material of every description relative to the history, genius, progress or decay of our Indian tribes; to exhibit faithfully the past and present resources of Michigan, and for the publication of additional volumes of historical and other material relative to and illustrative of the history of Michigan. Said Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society shall collect, arrange and prepare the materials for said volumes for printing, which shall be printed by the State printer under the direction and superintendence of said society, the cost of said printing to be paid out of the above appropriation, which volumes, of not more than two thousand copies each, and containing not more than seven hundred and fifty pages each, shall be printed and published in the kind of type, quality of paper and style of binding and printing as those heretofore published by said society. SEC. 2. Three hundred copies of each volume published, as heretofore in this act provided for, shall be deposited in the public libraries. State Library of Michigan, for exchange with the pioneer and historical societies of domestic and foreign states and governments, and the officers of said Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society shall make a further distribution of one copy of each Distribution to of said volumes to each of the duly and legally incorporated public libraries in the State of Michigan, when authoritatively and officially requested so to do by legally elected officers, or other legally constituted managers, of said public libraries. The residue and remainder of said copies of said volumes shall be delivered to and be in the custody and care of the State Librarian, to be sold by said librarian at a price not less State Librarian, than seventy-five cents per copy, and the moneys arising from of residue. such sales shall be deposited in the State treasury to the credit of the general fund. to have custody how paid. SEC. 3. The several sums appropriated by the provisions Appropriations of this act shall be paid out of the general fund in the State treasury to the treasurer of the State Pioneer and Historical Society at such times and in such amounts as the general accounting laws of the State prescribe, and the disbursing officer shall render his accounts to the Auditor General thereunder. SEC. 4. The said State Pioneer and Historical Society shall Number authalso cause to be reprinted and bound not to exceed one thou- print. how sand five hundred copies each of volumes one and two of these disposed of, series of books, the same to be paid for by the State Board of Auditors, said books to be disposed of in all respects as the rest of said series is disposed of. The cost of such printing and binding shall not exceed that paid per volume for the current volume. Approved June 7, 1899. orized to re cost, etc. [No. 227.] AN ACT to provide a permanent Forestry Commission for the State of Michigan, to define its powers and duties, and to provide for expenses. The People of the State of Michigan enact: of whom com SECTION 1. A commission to consist of three members is Commission, hereby constituted, one the Commissioner of the State Land posed, term of Office, and two to be chosen by the Governor by and with the office, etc. advice and consent of the Senate; one of whom shall hold his office for the term of two years and one for four years. The appointment shall date from July first, eighteen hundred ninety-nine. The term of the Commissioner of the State Land Office as a member of this commission shall be co-extensive with his term as Commissioner of the State Land Office. At the expiration of the terms of the appointive members their Officers, how chosen. Office. where located. Traveling ex etc., allowed. successors shall be appointed, each for a term of four years. Such commission shall elect one of its members president, another member secretary. It shall maintain its office and records in the Capitol at Lansing in the State Land Office, and shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to penses, postage, traveling and other expenses while on business relating to the work of the commission. Also all necessary cost of postage, stationery and printing and other incidental expenses: Provided, That the secretary may be paid such amount as the commission may determine, not to exceed three hundred dollars per annum: And provided further, That all accounts shall be audited by the State Board of Auditors. Proviso as to salary of secretary. Further proviso. Duty of commissioners. Duty of land commissioner. Withdrawal of State lands. SEC. 2. It shall be the duty of such Forestry Commission to institute inquiry into the extent, kind, value and condition of the timber lands of the State; the amount of acres and value of timber that is cut and removed each year, and the purposes for which it is used; the extent to which the timber lands are being destroyed by fires, used by wasteful cutting for consumption, lumbering, or for the purpose of clearing the land for tillage. It shall also inquire as to the effect of the diminution of timber and wooden surface of this State in lessening the rainfall and producing droughts, and the effects upon the ponds, rivers, lakes and the water power and harbors of the State and affecting the climate and disturbing and deteriorating natural conditions. It shall also examine into the production, quantity and quality of second growth timber and note and report upon all facts, improvements and changes in reference thereto, also as to the condition, protection and improvement of denuded, stump, swamp and overflowed lands, and what means it may deem expedient in carrying into full effect the intent and purpose of this att. The commission shall recommend to the Legislature, in the year nineteen hundred one. within ten days from its opening, their findings, in the form of a bill or bills to carry out the objects for which this commission is appointed. SEC. 3. It shall be the duty of the Commissioner of the State Land Office to furnish the commission any and all data concerning lands of all classes in which the State is directly or indirectly interested, that may be valuable in formulating a method of managing State lands suitable for the growing of forests. He shall also as far as possible aid the commission in its investigations and render all the assistance in his power in preparing a report which shall embody a definite forestry policy for the State of Michigan. SEC. 4. Upon the recommendation of the said Michigan Forestry Commission the Commissioner of the State Land Office shall withdraw from sale two hundred thousand acres of lands known as State Tax Homestead lands and Swamp lands belonging to the State, and withhold the same until after the adjournment of the Legislature after such reserva |