affirmation be dent or Vice charge of their duty. every year. or any one of Officers to Vice-Presidents of the preceding year, (who are hereby take an oath or authorized to administer the same,) for the faithful and fore the Presi- due execution of their respective offices during their conPresident, for tinuance in the same respectively. And we do further, the faithful dis- for us, our heirs and successors, give and grant to the Corporation of the Chamber of Commerce in the City of New-York, in America, and their successors for ever, that besides the annual meeting of our said Corporation hereinThe first Tues- before directed and appointed to be held on the first day in May in Tuesday in May in every year, it shall and may be lawful for them, their heirs and successors, for ever hereafter, for promoting and carrying into execution the laudable intents and designs aforesaid, and for the transacting the business and concerns of our said Corporation, to meet together on the first Tuesday in every month, for ever, at such place or places in our said City of New-York as shall for that purpose be established, fixed, ascertained and appointed by the by-laws and regulations of our said Corporation; and that the members of our said Corporation being so met, or so many of them in number at the least as shall by the by-laws or ordinances of our said Corporation be for that purpose from time to time established, directed, ordained or appointed, shall, together with the The President President or any one of the Vice-Presidents of our said the Vice-Presi Corporation for the time being, be a legal meeting of our dents, with such said Corporation; and they or the major part of them so members as the met, shall have full power and authority to adjourn from by-laws direct, day to day, or for any other time, as the business of our meeting to ad- said Corporation may require, and to do, execute and perjourn from day form all and every act and acts, thing and things whatsoever which the said Corporation of the Chamber of Commerce in the City of New-York, in America, are or shall and transact by these our letters patent be authorized to do, act or transact, in as full and ample manner as if all and every of the members of the said Corporation were present. And that at any such legal meeting of the said Corporation, they shall and may in writing, under the common seal, make, frame, constitute, establish and ordain, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, such laws, constitutions, ordinances, regulations and statutes, for the better government of the officers and members of the said Corporation, for fixing and ascertaining the places of meeting of our said Corporation as aforesaid, and for regulating all other their affairs and business as they, or the major part of them so legally met, shall judge best for the general good of the said Corporation, and profitable for the more effectually promoting the beneficial designs of their institution ;-all which laws, constitutions, regulations, ordinances and statutes so to be made, framed, constituted, established and ordained as aforesaid, we will, command and ordain by these presents for a number of the to be a legal to-day, business, not Great Britain For the suc ings only, elect and choose, 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 repugnant 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 successors 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 conditions, 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 privileges that any all the powers, authorities and privileges which any member is heremember of the said Corporation is hereby invested with. Wit with. And in case any other extraordinary meeting or meetings 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 tices or summons as shall for that purpose from time to notice, 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, 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 invested Extraordinary upon laws, or dispose 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 given valid, unless the President, or one of the Vice-Presidents, number be pres- and twenty others of the members of the said Corporation to be valid [un less a that no 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, 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 hereinbefore 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. AN ACT FOR CONFIRMING THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES 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 therei n contained, may be revived, confirmed and established: |