CHAP. 10.AN ACT to incorporate the trustees of the Lansingburgh library.Passed the 24th of February, 1795.Whereas John Van Rensselaer, Jonas Coe, Nathaniel Williams, Preamble. Silvester Tiffany, Elijah Janes, William Bell, Elisha Putnam, Hiram Hopkins, Benjamin Tibbits, John D. Dickenson, John Wolcott, Shuball Gorham Mathew Lyne, Annanias Platt, Joseph Alexander, Levinus Lansing, John Gaston, Herculus Marriner, John Rockwell, Jonathan Burr, David Spalding, Cornelius Lansing, Archibald Campbell, James Hickok, Lewis Beebe, Nicholas Schuyler, Thomas Rattoon, Wheeler Douglass, John Keating, Michael Henry, Ashbell Root, Thomas Bassell, Stephen W. Johnson, William W. Wands, John Lovett, William Bradley, Bela Redfield, Charles Selden, Jonas Morgan, Simeon Johnson, Ezra Hickok, Abiel Bugbey, Thomas Turner, Zachariah Gar n wrick, Joseph D. Selden, Joshua Burnham, William Sim, David Thompson, James Reed, George F. Tennery, Samuel Stewart, Jacob A. Lansing, Guert Van Schoonhoven, Isaac Keeler, Joseph Lockwood, John Hutchinson, John Hazard, Hezekiah Ketcham, Matthew Gregory, Depuy Rosekrans, Joseph Robbins, Flores Bancker, Mathew Perry and George Tibbits, have by petition represent to the legislature, that they have become subscribers to, and have associated for the purpose of establishing a public library in the village of Lansingburgh; that the said subscribers have appointed John Van Rensselaer, John D. Dickenson, Charles Selden, Benjamin Tibbits, Elijah Janes, John Keating, William Bell, Silvester Tiffany, Nicholas Schuyler, Nathaniel Williams, Jonas Coe and Guert Van Schoonhoven, trustees for the said library, so to remain until the second Monday in March next, with power among other things to appoint a treasurer for the said library; that the trustees aforesaid pursuant to the power in them vested by the said subscribers have appointed William Bradley treasurer of the said library; that each of the said subscribers have paid, or secured to be paid to the said treasurer the sum of thirty shillings for each right such subscriber held therein, and that each of the said subscribers have by their association for the purpose aforesaid, agreed to pay to the treasurer of the said library, the further sum of thirty shillings on the first day of May last, and annually the further sum of twenty shillings for each right by them respectively held in the said library, for the term of four years, to be computed from the first day of February, one thousand seven hundred and ninety four, and annually for ever thereafter, the sum of eight shillings for every such right: And thereupon the said subscribers in and by their said petition have prayed, that for promoting the object of such association as aforesaid, the subscribers to the said library might be incorporated on principles as nearly as might be correspondent with their original association; a copy whereof accompanied the said petition; therefore in compliance with the prayer of the said petition.Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same. That the said John Van Rensselaer, Jonas Coe, Nathaniel Williams, Silvester Tiffany, Elijah Janes, William Bell, Elisha Putnam, Hiram Hopkins, Benjamin Tibbits, John D. Dickenson, John Wolcott, Shubal Gorham, Mathew Lyne, Annanias Platt, Joseph Alexander, Levinus Lansing, John Gaston, Herculus Marriner, John Rockwell, Jonathan Burr, David Spalding, Cornelius Lansing, Archibald Campbell, James Hickok, Lewis Beebe, Nicholas Schuyler, Thomas Rattoon, Wheeler Douglass, John Keating, Michael Henry, Ashbel Root, Thomas Bassell, Stephen W. Johnson, William W. Wands, John Lovett, William Bradley, Bela Redfield, Charles Selden, Jonas Morgan, Simeon Johnson, Ezra Hickok, Abiel Bugbey, Thomas Turner, Zachariah Garnwrick, Joseph D. Selden, Joshua Burnham, William Sim, David Thompson, James Reed, George F. Tennery, Samuel Stewart, Jacob A. Lansing, Guert Van Schoonhoven, Isaac Keeler, Joseph Lockwood, John Hutchinson,' John Hazard, Hezekiah Ketcham, Mathew Gregory, Depuy Rosekrans, Joseph Robbins, Flores Bancker, Mathew Perry and George Tibbits, and such other persons as shall be hereafter admitted members of the corporation hereby erected, be arfd hereby are, ordained, constituted, and declared to be, one body corporate and politic, in fact and in name, by the name of "the Trustees of the Lansingburgh Library," and by that name, they and their successors shall, and may forever hereafter, have perpetual succession, and shall and may by the same name, be persons capable in the law to sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, answer and be answered unto, defend and be defended, in all courts and places whatsoever, in all manner of actions suits complaints matters and causes whatsoever, and of what kind or nature forever; and that they and their successors may have a common seal, and may change and alter the same at their pleasure, and also that they and their successors by the name of "the Trustees of the Lansingburgh Library," shall be in law capable of purchasing, holding and conveying any estate real or personal for the use of the said corporation, provided such real and personal estat.e at any one time held by the said trustees of the Lansingburgh library, shall not exceed the annual value of five hundred dollars, exclusive of the books, and of the annual payments herein after mentioned to be made by the members of the said corporation.And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That for the better carrying into execution the purpose aforesaid, there shall forever hereafter, belong to the corporation of the trustees of the Lansingburgh library aforesaid, twelve trustees, who shall conduct and manage the business of the said corporation library, in the manner herein after directed and appointed; and that the said John Van Rensselaer, John D. Dickenson, Charles Selden, Benjamin Tibbets, Elijah Janes, John Keating, William Bell, Silvester Tiffany, Nicholas Schuyler, Nathaniel Williams, Jonas Coe, and Guert Van Schoonhoven be the present trustees of the said library, who shall remain in those offices until the second Monday in March next, and until others shall be chosen in their stead. That there shall forever hereafter be one chairman of the said trustees one treasurer and one librarian, to be elected and appointed in the manner herein after mentioned, and that it shall and may be lawful to and for the said trustees, in their discretion whenever they conceive it necessary, and for the interest of the said corporation, to appoint one, and the same person both treasurer and librarian: That the said John Van Rensselaer be the present chairman of the trustees of the said library, and that the said William Bradley be the present treasurer and librarian of the said library.And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That on or before Expiration the first Monday in March next, the said trustees shall by lot be divided Sreuioard; into two classes, each class to consist of six of the said trustees; that elections, the officers of the first class of the said trustees shall determine on the second Monday in March next, and the offices of the trustees of the second class shall determine on the second Monday in March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety six; and that on the first Monday in March next, and on the first Monday in March in every year forever thereafter, there shall be a general meeting of the members of the said corporation for the time being at some convenient place in Lansingburgh, to be from time to time ascertained and fixed by the bye-laws of the said corporation; and that then and there by a plurality of votes of such members as shall so meet, six trustees shall be elected by ballot so that one half of the said trustees shall be annually chosen: That any person holding more than one right in the said library, shall be entitled to one vote for each right he or she shall hold in the same; that the trustees of the said library shall annually at their first meeting on or after the second Monday in March, in every year as aforesaid, appoint one of the said trustees their chairman: That when and as often as any vacancy shall happen by the death, removal, resignation, or neglect to serve of any of the said trustees, it shall be lawful for the chairman of the said trustees, or on his neglect or refusal, for any other three of the said trustees to summon a meeting of the members of the said corporation at such place in Lansingburgh as shall have been fixed and ascertained by the bye-laws of the said corporation, for the purpose of electing another or other person or persons instead of such as shall so have died removed refused or neglected to serve as aforesaid, and that such person or persons so to be chosen trustee or trustees at such meeting as last aforesaid, shall respectively remain in office during sucn time as the person in whose stead such trustee shall be chosen, would have done, in case such death removal refusal or neglect had not happened and no longer. That in case of the death removal refusal or neglect, to serve of the chairman for the time being, it shall be lawful for the trustees of the said library, at any of their meetings to appoint another chairman instead of the one dying, removing, refusing or neglecting to serve as aforesaid, to remain in office until the first meeting of the said trustees, on or after the second Monday in March then next; that the trustees of the said library, shall at every such annual general meeting of the members of the said corporation, exhibit to such members, a state of the said library, the minutes of the proceedings of the trustees, during the year immediately preceding such meeting, and the treasurer and librarians accounts, stating the amount of receipts and expenditures during such year.And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said trustees shall have stated meetings once in every quarter in every year, at such times as the said trustees, shall from time to time appoint for fJKcilicer' that purpose; that the said chairman, or any three of the trustees of the said library for the time being, shall and may. from time to time, as ut 6*. occasion may require summon and call together at such place in Lansingburgh as shall from time to time be appointed by the bye-laws of the said corporation, the trustees of the said library, giving them at least two days notice of such meeting; that the chairman and any six or more of the said trustees, and in the absence of the chairman, any seven or more of the said trustees shall form a board of trustees, and that the chairman and the other of the said trustees so met, shall respectively have one vote in the proceedings of the said trustees ; that any seven or more of the said trustees, or a majority of them so met, shall have full power and authority, to adjourn from day to day, or for such other time as the business of the corporation may require; and from time to time, to appoint, and at their pleasure to displace a treasurer and librarian of the said library, and to appoint other or others in their stead and place; from time to time to ascertain the compensation to be allowed the treasurer or librarian, or either of them for their service 'in their station respectively; and from time to time to regulate and appoint to them the said treasurer and librarian or either of them, their respective powers trusts and duties ; to direct the application of the monies belonging to the said corporation, to the purchase of such books as they shall from time to time think proper, to the providing a room or house for the safe keeping of the books of the said library, and to transact, do, manage and perform in tbe name of the said corporation all and every act and acts, thing and things whatsoever, which shall be necessary to be done, and which the trustees of the Lansingburgh library aforesaid, are by virtue of this law authorized to do ; and to make frame constitute establish and ordain from time to time and at all times hereafter, such laws, constitutions, ordinances and regulations for the better government of the officers, members and servants of the said corporation ; for regulating the terms upon which the books of the said library shall be lent out, both to the members of the said corporation and others, for fixing and ascertaining the times and places of quarterly meetings of the said trustees; for altering fixing and ascertaining the places of meeting of the members of the said corporation for the election of trustees ; for regulating the management and disposition of the books of the said library, and the monies funds and effects belonging to the said corporation; the transferring rights in the said library from one person to another, and all other the business and affairs whatsoever of the said corporation as they or the major part of them so legally met, shall judge best for the general good of the said corporation, and for the more effectual promoting, increasing, and preserving of said library, and the same or any of them to alter, amend or repeal from time to time, as they or the major part of them so met shall think proper. Provided such laws, constitutions, regulations and ordinances be not repugnant to the laws of this State.K'Bhtbe°f And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful to and for each and every of the members for the time being of the said corporation, his and her executors administrators and assigns, to give, sell, alien, assign, devise or dispose of their respective rights in the said library, and that their respective assigns shall be members of the said corporation, and shall be entitled to all and every the same rights and privileges in the said library, and in the said corporation, as the members in this act named are entitled to by virtue of this act: Provided always, that a part of a right in the said library, shall not entitle the proprietor or owner thereof to any privilege whatsoever in the said library or corporation.And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That it shall and By.laws may be lawful at such meetings of seven or more of the said trustees of nances." the library for the time being, or for the major part of them so met, to make any bye-laws, constitutions or ordinances of the said corporation to admit under the common seal of the said corporation such and so many persons members of the said corporation as they shall think beneficial to the said library, which members so admitted shall be entitled to have hold and enjoy, all and every of the same rights and privileges as the members herein particularly named are entitled to by virtue of this act.And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That each and Assesaevery of the members of the said corporation for the time being shall, members.' on or before the first day of May next, pay to the treasurer of the said library for the use of the said corporation the sum of twenty shillings for each right they respectively hold, and on or before the first day of February in every of the three next succeeding years, to be computed from the first day of February next pay to the treasurer of the said library for the use of the said corporation, the further sum of twenty shillings for each right such members respectively hold in the said library, and from and after the expiration of the said three years the sum of eight shillings for each right such members respectively hold in the said library on or before the first day of February in every year for ever thereafter; and that in case any of the said annual sums, or any other sum which of right shall become due to the corporation from any of its members, shall at any time or times hereafter be in arrear and unpaid by and for the space of forty days next after any of the days on which the same ought to have been paid, that then the person or persons from whom the same shall be due and payable, shall be precluded from exercising any of the privileges to which he became entitled by virtue of his being or becoming a member of the said corporation until such sums shall be fully satisfied; and if such payment shall not be made within two years after any such sums shall become due as aforesaid, that then and after the expiration of two years from the time such payment shall become due the person or persons from whom the same shall become due and payable, shall thereupon forfeit and be utterly excluded of all his her or their rights and privileges in the said library and corporation.And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That in case it Failure of should so happen, that an election of trustees should not be made on trustees °' any day when pursuant to this act it ought to have been made, the said corporation shall not for that cause be deemed to be dissolved, but that charter, it shall and may be lawful on any other day to hold and make an election of trustees, in such manner as shall have been regulated by the laws and ordinances of the said corporation.Laws of the State of New York Passed at the Sessions of The Legislature Held in the Years 1789, 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795 and 1796, inclusive. Vol. 3. Albany, NY: Weed, Parsons & Co., 1887.547-551.