Provided nevertheless, that this grant be not in force until adopted by the said society at a regular meeting, as the basis of their future proceedings. Provided, also, that this grant may be altered, or repealed at any time by the General Assembly. RESOLVE REGARDING ROUND MEADOW IN MIDDLETOWN—PASSED, Upon petition of Daniel J. Griswold and others, shewing that there is a tract of land lying in the Second Society of Middletown, called the Round Meadow, containing about one hundred and seventy-five acres, that is marshy ground, and overflowed for a considerable part of the year. Resolved by this Assembly, That Elisha Treat, Joseph Ranny, William Ranny, Josiah Savage, Eliphalet Wilcox, Benjamin Wilcox, and Solomon Sage, together with such other persons, as they may associate with them, when vacancies are occasioned in their number, by death or otherwise, or a majority of them, be, and they are hereby authorized and empowered, from time to time, to clear said meadow, and to clear and remove the banks and obstructions of the passages of the water in and about said meadow, at the expense of the several proprietors, in proportion to their quantity of land therein; and to hold and improve the lands so cleared and drained, as aforesaid, till said proprietors pay their several proportions of the expense incurred as aforesaid: Provided always, the the lands in said meadow, so drained as aforesaid, and they only, shall be holden for the expense incurred by such draining. RESOLVE INCORPORATING THE NEW HAVEN COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY-PASSED, MAY 1818. Whereas Leman Stone, Esq. and a number of other persons principally residing in the County of New Haven, have associated and formed themselves into a society for the promotion of agriculture in the State of Connecticut, now to make said society permanent, and extend as much as possible, the benefits of said society, Resolved, That those persons who do now belong to said society, and who may hereafter belong to the same, and their successors, shall be, and are hereby constituted a body politic by the name of "The New Haven County Agricultural Society;" and by that name shall be capable in law, to hold property of any nature, to an amount not exceeding twenty thousand dollars, and manage, dispose of, and alien the same at pleasure; to sue and be sued, to plead and be impleaded in any courts whatever; to have and use a common seal, such as may be agreed upon by the corporation; to make and carry into effect such by-laws and regulations as may be deemed expedient to manage the affairs and effect the objects of the society, not repugnant to this act, or the laws of this State, or of the United States, and generally to do any act appertaining to the business of said society; and the members of said society are hereby authorized to meet at the State House in the City of New Haven on the second Tuesday of June 1818, to organize themselves under this resolve. Provided nevertheless, that this grant may be altered or repealed at any time by the General Assembly. RESOLVE INCORPORATING WINDHAM COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY, PASSED, MAY 1820. Resolved by this Assembly, That Thomas Hubbard, Darius Matthewson, and all those persons who do now belong to the said society, and who may hereafter belong to the said society, and their successors, shall be, and are hereby constituted a body politic, by the name of "The Windham County Agricultural Society," and by that name, shall be capable in law to hold property of any nature, to an amount not exceeding twenty thousand dollars, and manage, dispose of, and alien the same, at pleasure; to sue and be sued, to plead and be impleaded, in any court whatever; to have and use a common seal, such as said corporation shall choose; to make and carry into effect, such by-laws and requisitions as may be deemed expedient, to manage the concerns, and effect the objects of the society not repugnant to this act, or the laws of this State or the United States, with power to tax each member of said corporation, to an amount not exceeding two dollars per annum, and to appoint a collector to collect the same, who shall have the same power, and be governed by the same rules as collectors of town and society taxes are, and generally to do any act appertaining to the business of said society: And said society are hereby authorized to meet at the house of Peter Thompson, in said Pomfret, on the third Monday in January next, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, to organize themselves under this resolve. And the officers of said society shall consist of a President, two Vice Presidents, a Treasurer, a Secretary, a Committee of Correspondence, and such other officers as said society, from time to time choose to elect; which officers shall be chosen annually, at such time and place as said society shall direct. Provided nevertheless, that this grant may be altered, or repealed, at any time, by the General Assembly. RESOLVE AUTHORIZING THE PROPRIETORS OF CERTAIN MARSHY LANDS IN WETHERSFIELD TO DRAIN THEM-PASSED MAY 1828. Upon petition of George Stillman and others, shewing that they, Josiah W. Bristol and James Smith, are owners and proprietors in severalty of about one hundred acres of meadow land, being rich and marshy, situated in Wethersfield, extending south from the road leading to Pratts Ferry about one mile to the plain crossway. Resolved by this Assembly, That said proprietors have liberty and authority to ditch and drain said land, and to make all necessary dams and mounds in, upon, and along said crossway, and to make a side cut along said crossway, and from the east end of the same through any land contiguous thereto, into the Connecticut river, and to make a covered drain or sluice-way from said crossway to said river, of sufficient size to drain off the water from said low marshy lands with a guard gate in the tunnel of said drain. That Justus Riley, Asher Robbins, and Edward Shephard be, and they are hereby appointed commissioners to perform such acts and adopt such measures as are necessary to drain said lands, and to enter into, and upon said land and any contiguous thereto, for the purpose of ditching and draining the same and to procure materials, and to employ suitable persons for the purpose aforesaid. And the said commissioners shall within thirty days after said work is completed, call a meeting of said proprietors, and at said meeting exhibit to them an account of their doings, and an estimate of the expenses of draining and ditching said land as aforesaid, and at said meeting, the proprietors may appoint three disinterested freeholders of said town to make an assessment of said expenses upon the owners of said land in proportion to the benefit each proprietor shall receive by draining said land, as aforesaid. Provided however, that no assessment shall exceed the sum of two dollars and fifty cents per acre. And if the said proprietors, at said meeting, shall neglect or refuse to appoint said freeholders to make said assessment, the said commissioners may apply to any disinterested Justice of the Peace within said town, whose duty it shall be to appoint said freeholders, for the purpose aforesaid. And if any proprietor shall be aggrieved by the doings of said freeholders, such proprietor may appeal to the county court next to be holden in the county of Hartford. And the commissioners are authorized to appoint a collector who shall have power to collect said assessment, and pay over the same as he shall be directed by said commissioners. And any three of said proprietors may apply to any disinterested Justice of the Peace within said town whose duty it shall be, on said application, to appoint a scavenger to keep said ditches, drains, dams and sluice-ways in repair, and the expenses incurred by the doings of said scavenger shall be apportioned and assessed by said scavenger upon each proprietor according to the benefit he or she may receive, and be collected by a collector to be appointed by said scavenger, which collector shall have the same power as the said collector appointed by said proprietors or commissioners; and it shall be the duty of said collector to render his account to said scavenger. TITLE III. AQUEDUCTS. RESOLVE TO INCORPORATE AN AQUEDUCT COMPANY IN DURHAM, PASSED, OCTOBER 1798. Resolved by this Assembly, That Jeremiah Butler, and John Johnson Jr., and all such persons as now are, or hereafter shall be associated with them for the purpose of conducting water into the town street of said Durham, by means of subterraneous pipes, and their successors, be, and they hereby are incorporated for said purpose, and made a body politic, by the name of the "Aqueduct Company of the Town of Durham," and by that name shall be capable of suing and being sued, pleading and being impleaded, and may purchase, hold, sell and convey, estate real and personal to an amount not exceeding three thousand dollars, to be holden by said corporation at any one time, and the first meeting of said company shall be holden at such time and place in the town of Durham as the said Jeremiah Butler, and John Johnson Jr. shall appoint, they causing two days previous notice thereof to each of their associates, and the subsequent meetings of said company shall be holden at such time and place in said Durham, and to be convened in such manner as shall be agreed on by said company, and the said company at any legal meeting, shall have power to choose and appoint by ballot from the members, a Chairman, Treasurer, Clerk and five Directors to manage the prudential business of said corporation, and such officers shall in like manner be annually chosen, and in case of vacancy the same may be filled at any legal meeting, and it shall be the duty of the Clerk to record the votes, and proceedings of said corporation, and to give copies thereof when required, and shall take an oath faithfully to discharge the duties of his office, and the Directors, or major part thereof, may at any time call a special meeting, and each of the stockholders in said company shall have right either in person, or by attorney, at any meeting of said corporation to give, in all questions, a number of votes equal to his number of shares-and the said company in legal meeting assembled shall have power from time to time by their vote, to assess taxes to be paid by the several proprietors or stockholders in proportion to their stock, for the purpose of completing and keeping in repair the said aqueduct, to make rules and ordinances, relative to the forfeitures, or penalties for non-payment of such taxes, relative to the admission of new members, and the transfer of shares, the maintenance of outlets, and the quantity of water for each, and in general for the good regulation and management of the property of said company, which shall be binding on the members thereof, and the profits and emoluments accruing from a disposal of the water from said aqueduct after deducting necessary expenses, and charges for repairs &c., shall be divided among the stockholders in proportion to their shares, at such times as shall be agreed upon by said company in legal meeting assembled. RESOLVE INCORPORATING THE BEAN HILL AQUEDUCT COMPANY OF NORWICH-PASSED, MAY 1832. Resolved by this Assembly, That Eber Backus, Stephen Tracy, Erastus Huntington, Abial B. Sherman, and Erastus Wentworth, with all others, who are or shall hereafter become associated with them, be, and they hereby are, with their successors and assigns, made and established a body politic and corporate, by the name of "The Bean Hill Aqueduct Company of Norwich," for the purpose of conducting water into the town street in said Norwich, in the most advantageous manner; and by that name, they and their assigns and successors shall be, and hereby are, authorized and empowered to purchase, take, hold, occupy, possess, and enjoy to them and their successors, any goods, chattels and effects, of whatever kind they may be, the better to enable them to carry on such business to advantage; also to purchase, take, hold, occupy, possess, and enjoy any such lands, tenements, or hereditaments in the county of New London, as shall be necessary for the views and purposes of said corporation, not exceeding in the whole ten acres, unless the same be taken in payment of, or as security for debts due the corporation; and the same to sell and dispose of at pleasure; or to take a lease or leases thereof for a term of years; also to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, defend and be defended, answer and be answered unto, in any court of record, or elsewhere. And said corporation may have and use a common seal, and may alter the same at their pleasure. The capital stock of said corporation shall not exceed one thousand dollars; and that a share of said stock shall be twenty-five dollars, and shall be deemed and considered personal estate, and be transferable only on the books of said company in such form as the directors of said company shall prescribe. And said company shall at all times have a lien upon all the stock or property of the members of said corporation invested therein for all debts due from them to said company. The stock, property, and affairs of the corporation shall be managed by not less than three nor more than five directors; one of whom they shall appoint their President; who shall hold their offices for one year; which directors shall be stockholders and citizens of the United States, and shall be annually elected at such time and place as the regulations of said corporation shall prescribe. A majority of the directors shall on all occasions when met in said town of Norwich, constitute a board for the transaction of business; and a majority of the stockholders present at any legal meeting, shall be capable of transacting the business of such meeting, each share entitling the owner thereof to one vote. And the said Backus, Tracy, Huntington, Sherman and Wentworth, shall be the first directors of said corporation. The said president and directors for the time being, or a major part of them, shall have power to fill any vacancy which may happen in their board, by death, resignation or otherwise, for the then current year, and to appoint and employ, from time to time, a Secretary, Treasurer, and such other officers, mechanics and laborers, as they may think proper for the transaction of the business and concerns of the said company; and also to make and establish such by-laws, rules, and regulations as they shall think expedient for the better management of the concerns of the said corporation, and the same to alter and repeal: provided always, that such by-laws, rules, and regulations be not inconsistent with the laws of this State, or the United States. And said directors shall and may, as often as the interest of the stockholders shall require, and the affairs of said company will permit, declare a dividend or dividends of profit on each share, which shall be paid by the treasurer of said company. If it shall so happen that an election of directors should not take place in any year at the annual meeting of the corporation, the said corporation shall not for that reason be dissolved; but such election may be held thereafter on any convenient day within one year, to be fixed on by the directors, they previously giving public notice thereof. The books of said company containing their accounts shall at all reasonable times be open for the inspection of any of the stockholders of said company; and as often as once in each year, a statement of the accounts of said company, shall be made by order of the directors. The directors may call in the subscriptions to the capital stock by instalments, in such proportions and at such times and pla |