or contrary to

Great Britain

For the suc

ings only,

elect and

us, our heirs and successors, to be from time to time and at all times hereafter, kept, obeyed and performed in all and be obeyed, things as the same ought to be, on the penalties and amercements in the same to be imposed and limited, so as the same laws, constitutions, regulations and statutes be reasonable in themselves, and not repugnant or con- so that they are trary to the laws and statutes of that part of our kingdom not repuguant of Great Britain called England, nor of our said province the laws of of New-York. And, for the keeping up and preserving and New-York. for ever hereafter a succession of members for the said Corporation, our will and pleasure is, and we do hereby cession of memfor us, our heirs and successors, ordain and give and bers, grant to the said Corporation of the Chamber of Commerce in the City of New-York, in America, and their suc-. cessors for ever, that at any of the stated legal meetings at stated meetof the said Corporation, to be held on the first Tuesday in every month for ever hereafter, but at no other meeting of our said Corporation, it shall and may be lawful for them and their successors for ever, to elect and choose, to in such manner and form, and upon such terms and con- choose, ditions, as shall be directed, ordained and established for that purpose by any of the said by-laws, statutes, constitutions or ordinances of the said Corporation, such and so many persons to be members of the said Corporation. as they shall think beneficial to the laudable designs of the said Corporation; which persons, and every of them so from time to time elected and chosen, shall, by virtue who are to have of these presents and of such election, be vested with all priviall the powers, authorities and privileges which any member is heremember of the said Corporation is hereby invested with. with. And in case any other extraordinary meeting or meetings Extraordinary of the said Corporation shall at any time or times be meeting, judged necessary for the promoting the interest and business of the said Corporation, we do hereby for us, our heirs and successors, will, declare and ordain, that it shall and may be lawful for our said Corporation to meet from time to time, at such days and times, and at such places in our said City of New-York, and upon such no- to meet upon notice, tices or summons as shall for that purpose from time to time be settled, established, directed, ordained and appointed for that purpose, shall, together with the President, or one of the Vice-Presidents of the said Corporation for the time being, be a legal meeting of the said Corpo- to be legal, ration; and they, or the major part of them so met, shall have full power and authority to act, transact, do and perform all and singular whatsoever may be transacted, done and performed at any of the hereby stated meetings aforesaid of the said Corporation, saving and except the but not to elect electing members, making laws, ordinances and statutes, laws, or dispose members, make and disposing of the real estates of the said Corporation, of real estate. And our will and pleasure is, that until the same shall be

the leges that any

invested

eut.]

otherwise regulated as aforesaid, that the meetings of the said Corporation shall be held in the great room of the To be held in building commonly called the Exchange, situate at the the Exchange. lower end of the street called Broad-street, in the said City of New-York; and that until the same shall be also No act done otherwise regulated as aforesaid, that no act done in any in any meeting meeting of the said Corporation shall be legal, good or to be valid (unless a given valid, unless the President, or one of the Vice-Presidents, number be pres- and twenty others of the members of the said Corporation at the least be present, and the major part of them consenting thereto. And we do further give and grant to the said Corporation of the Chamber of Commerce in the City of New-York, in America, that it shall and may be lawful for the President of the said Corporation, at all times hereafter for ever, to appoint a door-keeper, one or more messenger or messengers, and all such other inferior officers as shall by him be thought necessary for the said Corporation, and to displace them, and any or every of them, at his will and pleasure. Provided, nevertheless, that no such door-keeper, messenger or other officer shall hold his or their office or offices by virtue of any such appointment longer than until the then next lawful meeting of our said Corporation, unless such person or persons so appointed shall be then approved of by the majority of such of the members of the said Corporation as shall then be met. And we do further, of our especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, for us, our heirs and successors, grant and ordain, that when and as often as the President, or any Vice-President, Treasurer or Secretary of the said Corporation shall misdemean himself in his or their said offices respectively, and thereupon a complaint or charge in writing shall be exhibited against him or them, by any member of the said Corporation, at any legal meeting or meetings of the said Corporation, that it shall and may be lawful for the members of the said Corporation then met, or the major part of them, from time to time, upon examination and due proof, to suspend or discharge such President, VicePresident, Treasurer or Secretary, from their offices respectively, although the yearly or other time for their respective services shall not be expired, any thing before in these presents contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. And further, we do by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, give and grant unto the said Corporation of the Chamber of Commerce in the City of New-York, in America, and their successors for ever, that this our present Charter shall be deemed, adjudged and construed in all cases most favorably, and for the best benefit and advantage of our said Corporation, and for promoting the good intentions and designs herein before expressed, inducing us graciously

to grant the same; and that this our present grant, being entered on record as hereinafter is expressed, or the enrolment thereof, shall be for ever hereafter good and effectual in the law, according to our true intent and meaning herein before declared, without any other license, grant or confirmation from us, our heirs and successors, hereafter by the said Corporation to be had or obtained, notwithstanding the not reciting or misrecital, or not naming or misnaming of the aforesaid offices, franchises, privileges, immunities or other the premises, or any of them, and although no writ of ad quo damnum, or other writs, inquisitions or precepts hath been upon this occasion had, made, issued or prosecuted, any statute, act, ordinance or provision, or other matter or thing to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. In testimony whereof, we have caused these our letters to be made patent, and the great seal of our said province to be hereunto affixed, and the same to be entered on record in our Secretary's office, for our said province, in one of the books of patents there remaining.

Witness our trusty and well-beloved CADWALLADER COLDEN, Esquire, our Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of our said province of New-York, and the territories depending thereon, in America, by and with the advice and consent of our Council for our said province, at Fort George, in our City of New-York, this thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy, and of our reign the tenth.

13

ACT OF RE-INCORPORATION

OF THE

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

AN ACT

TO REMOVE DOUBTS CONCERNING THE CORPORATION OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND TO CONFIRM THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES

THEREOF.

Preamble.

Reciting the

petitioners for a Corporation.

Passed the 13th April, 1784.

WHEREAS, GEORGE THE THIRD, King of Great Britain, did, on the thirteenth day of March, one thousand seven hundred and seventy, grant certain letters patent to the persons therein named, under the great seal of the then colony of New-York, which said letters patent are in the words following, that is to say:

(Here follows a recital of the preceding Charter.)

And whereas, SAMUEL BROOME, JEREMIAH PLATT, JOHN revival of the BROOME, BENJAMIN LEDYARD, THOMAS RANDALL, ROBERT BOWNE, DANIEL PHOENIX, JACOB MORRIS, ELIPHALET BRUSH, JAMES JARVIS, JOHN BLAGGE, VINER VAN ZANDT, STEPHEN SAYRE, JACOBUS VAN ZANDT, NATHANIEL HAZARD, THOMAS HAZARD, ABRAHAM P. LOTT, ABRAHAM DURYEE, WILLIAM MALCOLM, JOHN ALSOP, ISAAC SEARS, JAMES BEEKMAN, ABRAHAM LOTT, COMFORT SANDS, JoSEPH BLACKWELL, JOSHUA SANDS, LAWRENCE EMBREE, GEORGE EMBREE, GERARDUS DUYCKINCK, Jun., CORNELIUS RAY, ANTHONY GRIFFITHS, THOMAS TUCKER, JOHN BERRIAN, ISAAC ROOSEVELT, JOHN FRANKLIN, JOHN H. KIP, HENRY H. KIP, ARCHIBALD CURRIE, DAVID CURRIE, and JONATHAN LAWRENCE, all of the said city, merchants, have by their humble petition set forth, that the said letters patent, and the powers and privileges exercised and enjoyed under the same, have greatly promoted the commercial interest of this State, and that great and daily inconveniences and injury are suffered by the suspension thereof, and have prayed that the said letters patent, with all and singular the powers and franchises therein contained, may be revived, confirmed and established:

Chamber

of

non

April, 1775, and

the

present

of

1. Be it therefore 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 letters patent, and all and singular the powers, rights, privileges, franchises and immunities therein and thereby granted, shall be, and the same are hereby ratified and Charter of the confirmed; and the said letters patent, and all and every Commerce conother former rights, privileges, franchises and immunities firmed, therein and thereby granted, shall be and remain in full force and efficacy, notwithstanding any non-user or mis- notwithstanduser of any of the said powers, rights, privileges, fran- in, an user, between chises and immunities heretofore had, committed, done or the 19th of suffered, between the nineteenth day of April, one thou- the date of this sand seven hundred and seventy-five, and the day of the Act. passing of this Act. And the said SAMUEL BROOME, Members of JEREMIAH PLATT, JOHN BROOME, BENJAMIN LEDYARD, Chamber THOMAS RANDALL, ROBERT BOWNE, DANIEL PHOENIX, Commerce. JACOB MORRIS, ELIPHALET BRUSH, JAMES JARVIS, JOHN BLAGGE, VINER VAN ZANDT, STEPHEN SAYRE, JACOBUS VAN ZANDT, NATHANIEL HAZARD, THOMAS HAZARD, ABRAHAM P. LOTT, ABRAHAM DURYEE, WILLIAM MALCOLM, JOHN ALSOP, ISAAC SEARS, JAMES BEEKMAN, ABRAHAM LOTT, COMFORT SANDS, JOSEPH BLACKWELL, JOSHUA SANDS, LAWRENCE EMBREE, GEORGE EMBREE, GERARDUS DUYCKINCK, Jr., CORNELIUS RAY, ANTHONY GRIFFITHS, THOMAS TUCKER, JOHN BERRIAN, ISAAC ROOSEVELT, JOHN FRANKLIN, JOHN H. KIP, HENRY H. KIP, ARCHIBALD CURRIE, DAVID CURRIE and JONATHAN LAWRENCE, shall and may for ever hereafter remain, continue, and be a body corporate and politic in deed, fact Name of the and name, by the name of "THE CORPORATION OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE STATE OF NEW-YORK," merce. and by that name to sue, plead and be impleaded, and to answer and to be answered.

present Chamber of Com

President, Vice

Secretary.

2. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, Names of the That the said JOHN ALSOP shall be the present President, President, and the above named ISAAC SEARS the present Vice- Treasurer and President; that the above named JOHN BROOME, the present Treasurer, and the above named JOHN BLAGGE, Their continuthe present Secretary of the said Corporation, who shall ance in office. hold, possess and enjoy their said respective offices, until the first Tuesday in May now next ensuing; and in case any or either of the said persons hereby nominated and appointed to the respective offices aforesaid, shall happen to die, or shall neglect or refuse to act in or execnte, or shall be removed from such office or offices respectively, before the said first Tuesday in May next, that then, and When and how in every such case, it shall and may be lawful for the shall be elected members of the said body corporate to meet at such time to the Presiand times, and such place and places within the said dency, &c.

other officers