ident of the said College for the time being; and Archibald Kennedy, Joseph Murray, Josiah Martin, Paul Richard, Henry Cruger, William Walton, John Watts, Henry Beekman, Philip Ver Planck, Frederick Philipse, Joseph Robinson, John Cruger, Oliver De Lancey, James Livingston, Esquires, Benjamin Nicoll, William Livingston, Joseph Read, Nathaniel Marston, Joseph Haynes, John Livingston, Abraham Lodge, David Clarkson, Leonard Lispenard, and James De Lancey the Younger, Gentlemen, to be the present Governors of the said College; and we do by these Presents ordain and appoint our well beloved Samuel Johnson, Doctor of Divinity, to be the first and present President of the said College, for and during his Good Behaviour; and do will that he and the President for the time being after him, who shall also hold his office during Good behaviour, shall have the Immediate care of the Education and Government of the students that shall be sent to and admitted into the said College for Instruction and Education, according to such Rules and orders as shall be made by the Governors of the said College; And they are by these presents made and constituted a Body Corporate and politick, by the said name of the Governors of the College of the province of New York, in the City of New York, in America; and they and their successors, by the said name of the Governors of the College of the province of New York, in the City of New York, in America, be, and for ever hereafter shall be, a Body politick and Corporate, in deed, fact, and name, and shall be Capable and able in Law to sue and be sued, Implead and be Impleaded, answer and be Answered unto, Defend and be Defended, In all Courts and places, before Us, our Heirs and Successors, and before all and any the Judges, Justices, Officers, and Ministers of Us, our Heirs and Successors, in any Court or Courts, place and places Whatsoever, in all and all manner of actions, suits, Complaints, Pleas, causes, matters, and demands whatsoever, and of what kind or nature soever, in as full, ample manner and form as any of our other Liege Subjects of our said Province of New York can or may sue and be sued, Implead and be Impleaded, defend and be Defended, by any Lawfull ways and means whatsoever.

And, also, that they and their successors, by the said name of

the Governors of the College of the Province of New York, in the City of New York, in America, be, and for ever hereafter, shall be a Body Corporate, Capable and able in Law to purchase, take, hold, receive, Enjoy, and have any messuages, houses, Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments, and real Estate whatsoever, in Fee simple, or for Term of Life, or Lives, or Years, or in any other manner howsoever, for the use of the said College; Provided always, the clear yearly value thereof do not exceed the sum of Two Thousand pounds Stirling; and also Goods, Chattells, Books, moneys, annuities, and all other things of what nature and kind soever. And, also, that they and their Successors, by the same name of the Governours of the College of the Province of New York, in the City of New York, in America, to and for the use of the said College, shall and may have full power and authority to Erect and build any house or houses, or other Buildings, as they shall think necessary or convenient; and also to Give, Grant, Bargain, sell, demise, assign, or otherwise dispose of all or any messuages, Lands, Tenements, Rents, and other Hereditaments, and real Estate, and all Goods, Chattells, money, and other things whatsover, as to them shall seem fitt, either in the payment of the Salary or Salaries of the President, Fellows, and Professors of the said College, or any other officers or ministers of the same, at their will and pleasure; excepting always, and it is, Nevertheless, our True Intent and meaning that the said Governors of the said College for the time being, and their Successors, or any of them, shall not do or suffer to be done, at any time hereafter, any act or thing whereby or by means whereof the Lands set apart and offered to be Conveyed by the Rector and Inhabitants of the City of New York, In Communion of the Church of England as by Law Established, for the use of the College, or any part thereof, shall be Vested, Conveyed, or Transferred, to any other person, contrary to the true meaning hereof, other than by such Leases. as are hereafter mentioned: our will and pleasure is, therefore, and we do for us our heirs and Successors will and ordain, that no Grant or Lease of the said Land, or any part thereof, shall be made by the said Governors of the said College which shall exceed the number of Twenty one Years, and That either in possession or not above three years before the End and

Expiration or Determination of the Estate or Estates in possession.

And we do by these presents will, ordain and direct, that the said Governors of the said College (Except always the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury for the time being, and our first Lord Commissioner for Trade and Plantations) do, at their first meeting, after the receipt of these our Letters patents, and before they proceed to any business of and concerning the said College, take the oaths appointed to be taken by an act passed in the first year of our Late Royal Father's Reign, Entituled, [an Act for the further security of his Majesty's Person and Government, and the Succession of the Crown, in the Heirs of the late Princess Sophia, being protestants, and for extinguishing the Hopes of the pretended Prince of wales, and his open and Secret abettors,] and make and subscribe the declaration mentioned in An Act of Parliament made in the twenty fifth year of the Reign of King Charles the second, Entituled, [an act for preventing Dangers which may happen from popish Recusants;] as also, an oath, faithfully to execute the trust Reposed in them, as members of the said Corporation, which Oaths we authorize and Impower the Justices of our Supreme Court of Judicature, for our said Province of New York for the time being, any or either of them to administer; and that when, and as often as any person or persons, either by his office or place in our said Government, or Elsewhere, (Except always the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury for the time being, and our first Lord Commissioner for Trade and Plantations for the time being,) or by Choice of the said Governors of the said College, shall become, or be Chosen a Member or members of the said Corporation, they shall, before they are admitted, or enter into the said office or Trust, take the said Oaths, and subscribe the said Declaration to be administered to them in the manner above directed.

And we do further will, ordain, and direct, that the Governors of the said College shall yearly, and every year hereafter, forever, on the Second Tuesday in the Month of May, in every year, meet together in our said City of New York, for the Better taking care of, and Promoting the Interest of the said College; and that the said Governors of the said College, or any fifteen or more of them being met, shall be a Legal meeting of

the said Corporation, and they, or the major part of them so met, shall have full power and authority to adjourn from day to day, as the Business of the said College may require, and to do, execute, and perform, all and every act and acts, thing and things whatsoever, which the said Governors of the said College are, or shall by these, our Letters patent, be authorized and Impowered to do, act, or Transact, in as full and ample manner, as if all and every of the members of the said Corporation were present.

And we do will, ordain, and direct, that as our Right Trusty and well beloved Thomas, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury for the time being; and our said first Lord Commissioner for Trade and Plantations, and the First Lord Commissioner for Trade and plantations for the time being, cannot attend the meetings of the said Corporation, they and each of them shall, from time to time, have full power and authority to appoint a Proxy, in writing, under their hand and seal, which person or persons so appointed by them, and each of them shall and may Represent them, and each of them, Respectively, according to such appointment, and shall have full power to vote and act as a Governor or Governors of the said Corporation, at any and every meeting of the said Corporation, as fully and amply as if they, the Constituents, and each of them were present at every such meeting or meetings; And, in Case any other meeting or meetings of the said Governors of the said College shall, at any other time or times, be Judged and deemed Necessary for the Carrying on and promoting of the Business and Interest of the said College, or the Government thereof, by any five members of the said Corporation, we do, by these presents, authorize and Impower such five members, by writing, under their hands, to direct the Clerk of the said Corporation to Give notice of the day appointed by them, for such meeting, at the said City of New York, by advertising the same in one or more of the public news papers, at Least, seven Days before such meeting; and, that at such meeting, the said Clerk, before entering on any Business, shall Certify such Notification, under his hand, to the Board then met; Provided, always, Fifteen or more of the said members shall be then met together, which said fifteen or more members, so met, In pursuance of such Noti

fication, shall be a Legal meeting of the said Governors of the said College; and they, or the major part of them so mett, shall have full power and authority to adjourn from day to day, as the Business of the said College may require, and to do, Transact, and perform, all matters and things whatsoever, that the said Governors of the said College are, or shall be authorized and Impowered to do, by these presents.

And, of our further Grace, Certain Knowledge, and meer motion, to the Intent that the said Corporation and Body politick, may answer the end of their erection and Constitution, and may have perpetual succession and Continue forever, Wee do for us, our heirs and Successors, Give and Grant unto the said Governors of the said College of the Province of New York, in the City of New York in America, and to their Successors for ever, that when and as often as they or any fifteen or more of the said members of the said Corporation or of their Successors shall be mett together at their said Yearly meeting herein before appointed, or at any other meeting upon Notification, as aforesaid, for the Service of the said College, that the Governor or Commander in chief of our said Province of New York, and, in his absence, the First person in Rank in our said Government, who holds his place as a Governor of the said Corporation by his office, place, or Dignity, and, in the absence of such, the Eldest Governor or member of the said Corporation then present, such Seniority to be taken according as they are named in this our Charter, during the lives of the present Governors, and after their death, the Seniority to be taken and accounted as they have been a Longer or shorter time Governors of the said Corporation, shall preside at such meeting from time to time, and that at such meeting or meetings from time to time, they or the major part of them so met, shall have full power and authority to Elect, nominate, and appoint any person to be president of the said College in a Vacancy of the said Presidentship for and during his Good Behaviour; provided, always, such President Elect or to be elected by them, be a member of, and in Communion with the Church of England, as by Law Established; and, also, to Elect one or more Fellow or Fellows, Professor or Professors, Tutor or Tutors, to assist the President of the said College in the Education and Government of the Stu