ROYAL GA.

ZETT‘E. 347'

by the Lieutenant'Governor, C‘ouneil'and As- sembly, as follows, that is to say:

,1. The Reverend Eliakim N. Archibald, “ea: Viqfl’icio, J ames "Warren, Alexander McKinlay, Jacob Deckendorfl', John McKinlay and Francis

Rain, and their successors in office, "shall be,

and are hereby constituted and declared to be a body corporate, under and by the name of the "‘ Minister and trustees of the Baptist Church of North River, Lot thirty-two,” and they and their successors in office shall have a common seal, with power to break, change and alter the same, from time to time, as'may‘be found requisite, and shall be in "law capable of suing, pleading,.defending and answering, and of being sued, impleaded, defended and answer- ed unto, in all ‘Courts of Judicature, in all. man- ner‘of actions ; and also of contracting and being contracted with relative to lands and "funds of said corporation, and the other pur- poses for which it is constituted, as hereinafter declared, and may establish, put in ex’eCu- tion, alter or repeal such by-laws and regu- lations as shall not be contrary to the constitu- tion‘and’ laws of this Island, or the provisions of this Act as may appear to the said corporation ne- cessary andexpedient for the interest thereof, and for these purposes appoint their own chair- man and other officers, four members being a quorum in all matters to be done and disposed of by the said corporation.

II. When any vacancy in the trustees shall arise by death, resignation, or otherwise, then the minister of said church shall give notice that a congregational meeting of the said church shall be held on a given day for the election of one or more trustees to fill the said vacancy or vacancies, and that-the said noticeshall be given in the said church of North River, Lot thirty- two, immediately after divine service, on a Sab- bath, at least ten days previous to the said meeting, andthe choice of said trustee or trus- tees shall be determined by the vote of the majority of the adherents in the "congregation, being of the age of twenty-one years, who may be contributing from six shillings and upwards, annually, and not in arrears ; and any male adherent in the congregation, being of the age of twenty-one years, and who may be contribut- ing, annually, from fifteen shillings and up- wards, and not in arrears, shall be eligible to hold office as a trustee. ‘

III. The seal of said congregation, and all deeds, books, minutes, vouchers, subscriptions,

obligations, and securities for moneys, and all: and every description of property really and truly belonging to the congregation, shalt, ina- media‘tely after the passing of this .Act, pass- ,into the custody and 'pOSSession of the above named trustees, and shall be by them trans- ferred to their successors immediately following them in office as trustees.

IV. It shall and may be lawful for the said corporation to contract for and purchase, or in any lawful mode, Whether by demise, bequest or otherwise, to acquire or obtain, either in fee- simple, for life, or for any term of years, for the benefit of the said church, any messuages, lands, tenements, buildings, real or personal estate whatsoever, in this Island, and to take and receive ‘the necesSary legal conveyances, securities and transfers thereof, and which said messuages, lands, tenements, buildings, real or personal estate, shall, be and remain vested in the said corporation, to be used and diSposed cf, however, for the benefit of said congregation, acCording to the directions of said corporate body. '

V. It shall and may be lawful {or the said corporate body for the time being, and they are hereby authorized and empowered, to grant, sell, lease, exchange, mortgage, convey, or dis- " pose of, to such person or persons as they shall think proper, and for such prices, sums, rents, or terms as shall be agreed upon, the whole or any part of the said lands and premises now held, or hereafter to be conveyed to or held by the said. corporate body, and to such extent and proportion as they shall think proper, and every deed or conveyance thereof executed by the said trustees, in their name of office, under their common seal, shall be valid in law, to convey for years or otherwise, all such estate, title and interest as the corporation of the said Baptist Church» have or may hereafter have in the same.

VI. It shall not be lawful for the said cor- poration to hold real estate for the use of the said congregation which shallexceed in value and yield, at any time, more than a clear net

yearly income of two hundred pounds currency of this Island.

VII. This Act'shall be deemed a public Act, and shall be judicially taken notice of as such by all Judges, Justices of the Peace and minis- ters of justice and other persons iwhomsoever, without being specially pleaded.