default. the time being, the fum of ten fhillings, on the first Monday in May, in every year for ever; and those who neglect fo to do, shall pay such greater fum or fums in lieu thereof, at fuch times, within twelve months then next following, as by the laws of Farfeit on the faid company shall be appointed: And that in default of these payments, every delinquent fhall forfeit his share in the books and estate of the faid company, and be no longer a member. In teftimony whereof, we have caused the Great Seal of our faid province to be hereunto affixed. WITNESS GEORGE THOMAS, Efq. lieutenant-governor, and commander in chief of the faid province and counties, at Philadelphia, the twenty-fifth day of March, in the fifteenth year of the reign of our fovereign lord king GEORGE the second, and in the year of our LORD one thousand seven hundred and forty-two, by virtue of certain powers and authorities to him for this purpose (inter alia) granted by the said proprietaries. GEORGE THOMAS. 1 A Law directing the manner of admitting new members, T IS ENACTED by the Library Company of Philadelphia, a None to be admitted, without be in the books and effects of the faid company, fhall be thereby entitled to a vote in any of their affairs, or be deemed a member, without first being approved of by the Directors for the time being; nor fhall any perfon, other than the heirs, executors, or affigns of a member of the faid company, be entitled to a share in ing first ap. the books, eftate and effects of the faid company, without paying into the hands of the faid company's Treasurer, so much money as in the judgment of the faid Directors a share shall then be worth. proved, &c. to give And it is further enacted, That upon approbation of the Directors, and payment of the said money, the party paying it, shall receive of the Treasurer a certificate under his hand, and the feal of the company, containing the name of the perfon and the fum Treasurer paid, the time when, and the account or use for which he paid it: certificate, of all which a record fhall be made in the records of the faid company. Which certificate shall entitle the perfon therein mentioned, to a fhare in the company's books, eftate and effects, and to be deemed a member. Record to be made. A Law for preferving a juft equality among the members, and to prevent the inconveniences that may arife by any perfons holding more than one share. T IS ENACTED, for the preservation of a juft equality among No member I the members of the Library Company, That my amon shall sell his share to another member, &c. being a member, and holding a share in the library &c. shall grant, fell, or convey to any other member, or accept of a grant, bargain, fale, or other conveyance or affurance from any other member, of any share or fhares in the books, estate, and effects of Penalty. the faid company; on penalty of forfeiting to the company fuch share or shares, so purchased, fold, granted, or conveyed. No member to have more one &c. vote, AND if any member, as executor or administrator of another, than or by any other means, come to have in his hands a plurality of shares, he shall not thereby be entitled to more than one vote at elections, or on any other occasion, nor have a right to take out more books at one time than any other member. A Law for regulating elections of officers, and declaring their trust and duty. OR the better preservation of order and government among FOR the Library Company of Philadelphia, and in the use, applica tion and management of the monies, library and effects of the Members to faid company, IT IS ENACTED, That the members of the first Monday faid company fhall, in perfon, or by proxy, annually attend at meet on the in May. the place of election in the city of Philadelphia, on the first Monday of the month of May, in every year; and that as many as fo meet, and appear to be duly qualified, fhall proceed to the Treasurer choice of a perfon of the company, to be the company's Treasurer, to and ten other perfons of the company, to be Directors for the and ten Di rectors be chosen. year next enfuing, and fo from year to year. The place of election to be agreed on by the Directors of the current year, and notified by their Secretary, twenty days at leaft before the The choice election, by printed advertisements. The electors to choose by to be made written tickets, each containing the names of the ten perfons tickets. voted Directors, and the name of the perfon voted Treasurer ; by written and those who shall thereupon appear to have a majority of votes, fhall be the company's Treasurer, and the Directors, respectively, appoint a Se shall collect for the year enfuing. That the faid Directors fhall, and are Directors to hereby required and empowered, to nominate fome fit perfon of cretary, who the company to be their Secretary for the year enfuing, who the votes, fhall prefide and collect the votes at the election aforefaid, and &c. shall faithfully enter, in a book to be kept for that purpose, the names of the said electors, and the number of the names of the candidates, according to the tickets. Electors to appoint the Secre tary, &c. THAT it shall and may be lawful to and for the electors aforefaid, when fo met, to appoint perfons to affift the Secretary assistants to in gathering the votes, and entering and numbering the names of the electors and perfons voted for, and other service appertaining to the election, and to appoint and direct any method and rule in proceeding to and making the faid election, so as they appoint or direct nothing to prejudice the right of any member, or infringe the charter or laws of the company. fusing to act, nate nomi. ano THAT if any perfon elected Director, fhall refuse to act, Director reor fhall happen to die or depart this province, fo as to be abfent &c. the rest for the space of two months, in any of the first ten months of may the year for which he fhall be elected Director; or if within the ther. fame year, or term of his office, he fhall be confined by fickness, or otherwise rendered incapable of executing the office of a Director, according to the true meaning hereof, the rest of the Directors, as often as occasion fhall require, in any of the cases aforefaid, fhall proceed in their duty and office without him; or, if they think fit, they shall nominate some other suitable person to fupply his place of a Director, until the then next ensuing election. neglecting may be dis THAT if any perfon fo elected Treasurer, fhall abfent himself Treasurer from his faid office for the space of thirty days, or fhall other- his duty, &c. wife be rendered incapable, or neglect his office or duty of placed, &c. Treasurer, in the judgment of the Directors for the time being, it fhall and may be lawful for the Directors to difplace him from any longer continuance in his faid office: and the Directors caufing their Secretary to make a minute for the purpose, containing their reasons for displacing him, he shall thereupon, and from thenceforth cease to be the Treasurer aforefaid; and fhall, upon notice thereof, adjust and fettle with the Directors, and pay and deliver the company's money and effects in his hands, to fuch perfon as the Directors fhall order and appoint and in that cafe, and so often, and also if the Treasurer shall depar cancy is to How the vas this life, the perfon who at the last election had the greatest be supplied. number of votes, next the highest (if alive, willing and capable) fhall be fubftituted Treasurer, to fupply the place of fuch deceased or displaced Treasurer; for which purpose the Secretaries prefiding at elections fhall preserve the votes: but if the said perfon cannot, or will not, ferve, the Directors fhall nominate another perfon of the company, but not of their own number, to be Treasurer until the next annual election. to enter in. to tion, &c. to THAT every person so chofen to be the company's Treasurer, immediately upon entering into his office, fhall receive of the preceding Treasurer, his heirs, executors or administrators, the company's cash and books of accounts, giving his receipt for the Treasurer fame; and fhall enter into an obligation, with one fufficient oblige. furety, in double the value that doth, or probably may come into his hands during the continuance of his office, as near as can be estimated by the Directors, unto the Library Company of Philadelphia, conditioned that he will once a month, or oftener, if required, well and truly adjuft, account and fettle with them, for and concerning all monies that are or fhall come into his hands, belonging to the faid company; and that he will well and truly deliver up and pay the balance of the monies remaining in his hands, together with the books of accounts concerning the fame, and the company's papers in his keeping, unto his fucceffor in the faid office, or fuch other perfon or fervice as the Directors, for the time being, fhall order and appoint, and not otherwife; and that he will obferve, do, and execute all other things as the company's Treasurer aforefaid, according to the fenfe and true meaning of this law. the Directors other their pow THAT all officers and fervants belonging to the company, choose other than their Treasurer, fhall be in the choice, and under the officers, &c. order and direction of the Directors, who fhall be accountable for their fidelity, and may difplace them, and appoint others, as often Directors, as they fhall think fit: which Directors fhall have the power er and du of calling general meetings, when they judge it neceffary for the intereft of the company, and fhall caufe due and public notice to be given of the occasion and defign or purpose of such meetings; and fhall nominate fome difcreet member to preside therein, and regulate the debates thereof: they fhall also have the difpofal of the monies paid to the Treasurer to and for the ty. |