xpulsion or otherwise; and when any vacancy is filled up, The same must be certified under the hand or hands of the person or persons presiding in the said society, and according to the form of government or discipline practiced by the -aid church or society; which certificate must express the iame of the person appointed to fill the vacancy, and the Dame of the person in whose place he may be appointed, and on the certificate being recorded in the office of the clerk of the Superior Court of the county in which the land lies, the person so appointed to fill such vacancy becomes as fully vested with such trust, as if a party to and named in the original deed. (Ib., Sec. 2.)

§ 750. The lots or parcels of land on which the churches of the different denominations in the State and the burying grounds attached thereto are situated, are not subject to taxation for any purpose, though the lots or parcels of land claimed by such churches must not exceed five acres. (Ib., 1070, Sec. 94.)

§ 751. The form of the petition to become incorporated as a religious society may be as follows:

To the Honorable the Superior Court of the county of Richmond:

The petition of the undersigned respectfully shows that they are interested in a Christian church association and desire the same to be incorporated. That the said associa tion was formed and is located in the city of Augusta, county of Richmond. That the object of such association is to sustain divine worship, and support the gospel ministry according to the rites of the Presbyterian church in the United States. That they desire to exercise the privileges of a Christian church and religious society, as the same are guaranteed by the statutes of the State of Georgia; and the name and style by which they desire to become incorporated is, "The First Presbyterian Church of Augusta."

Your petitioners therefore pray that said association may

§ 749. No such church or camp-ground can be incorporated in the manner aforesaid for a longer period than fourteen years, though the same may be renewed whenever necessary in the same manner as is provided for the original incorporation. The clerk of the court is entitled to a fee of five dollars for entering the petition and order on the minutes of the court, and furnishing a certified copy thereof; such certified copy is made evidence of the matters therein stated in any court of law or equity in the State. (Ib., Secs. 3 and 5.)

§ 750. All deeds of conveyance made by any person or persons for any lots of land within the State, to any church or religious society, or to trustees for the use of any church or religious society, for the purpose of erecting churches or meeting-houses, are deemed and taken to be good and valid, and available in law, for the interests, uses and purposes contained in such deeds of conveyance; and all lots of land so conveyed are fully and absolutely vested in such church or religious society, or in their respective trustees, for the uses and purposes in the said deed expressed: to be holden to them or their trustees for their use, by succession, according to the mode of church government or rules of discipline exercised by such churches or religious societies respectively. (Ib., 899, Sec. 1.)

§ 749. All trustees to whom conveyances are made for the purposes in the last preceding section expressed, are made subject to the authority of the church or religious society for which they hold the same in trust, and may be expelled from the said trust by such church or society, according to the form of government or rules of discipline by which they may be governed. And every such church or religious society are authorized and empowered to fill up all vacancies which may happen in the said trusts, by death, removal,

expulsion or otherwise; and when any vacancy is filled up, the same must be certified under the hand or hands of the person or persons presiding in the said society, and according to the form of government or discipline practiced by the said church or society; which certificate must express the name of the person appointed to fill the vacancy, and the name of the person in whose place he may be appointed, and on the certificate being recorded in the office of the clerk of the Superior Court of the county in which the land lies, the person so appointed to fill such vacancy becomes as fully vested with such trust, as if a party to and named in the original deed. (Ib., Sec. 2.)

§ 750. The lots or parcels of land on which the churches of the different denominations in the State and the burying grounds attached thereto are situated, are not subject to taxation for any purpose, though the lots or parcels of land claimed by such churches must not exceed five acres. (Ib., 1070, Sec. 94.)

§751. The form of the petition to become incorporated as a religious society may be as follows:

To the Honorable the Superior Court of the county of Richmond:

The petition of the undersigned respectfully shows that they are interested in a Christian church association and desire the same to be incorporated. That the said association was formed and is located in the city of Augusta, county of Richmond. That the object of such association is to sustain divine worship, and support the gospel ministry according to the rites of the Presbyterian church in the United States. That they desire to exercise the privileges of a Christian church and religious society, as the same are guaranteed by the statutes of the State of Georgia; and the name and style by which they desire to become incorporated is, "The First Presbyterian Church of Augusta."

Your petitioners therefore pray that said association may

be incorporated for the object, with the privileges and the name and style above set forth.

And your petitioners will ever pray, &c.

(Signatures.)

§ 752. The following will answer for the form of the order to be entered on the petition:

At a term of the Superior Court of the county of Richmond, held at the city of Augusta on the

day of

Present-Hon. William W. Holt, Judge.

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF
AUGUSTA TO BECOME INCORPORATED.

18 .

On reading the petition in this case, on motion of Mr. A. B., of counsel for the petitioners, it is ordered and adjudged that the prayer of the said petitioners be granted, and that said petition be entered of record in the minutes of the court.

CHAPTER LIII.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES IN FLORIDA-HOW INCORPORATED THE TRUSTEES AND THEIR POWERS-THE PROPERTY OF RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

§ 753. The members of any society or congregation formed in the State of Florida for purposes of religious worship, may receive by gift, devise or purchase a quantity of land not exceeding ten acres, and erect or build thereon such houses and buildings as they may deem necessary for such purposes, and make such other use of the land, and make such other improvements thereon as may be deemed necessary for the comfort and convenience of such society or congregation; and such society or congregation may assume a

name, and elect or appoint any number of trustees, not exceeding ten, who will be styled trustees of such society or congregation, or wardens or vestrymen of such society or congregation by the name assumed, and the title to the land purchased and improvements made is vested in the trustees, by the name and style assumed as aforesaid. (Thompson's Digest, Laws of Florida, Title VIII, Chap. 11, Sec. 3, Sub. 1.)

§ 754. Immediately after the election or appointment of trustees by any such society or congregation, the persons elected or appointed must make a certificate, under their hands and seals, stating the date of their election or appointment, the name of the society or congregation, and the length of time for which they were elected or appointed, which must be verified by the affidavit of some one of the persons making the same, and must be recorded in the office of the public records of the county in which such society or congregation may be formed; and the trustees, by whatever title they may be designated, must hold their office for and during the period stated in such certificate. At the expiration of their term of service, and forever thereafter at the expiration of the term of service of any trustee elected or appointed as aforesaid, the said society or congregation must elect or appoint successors, who in like manner will continue in office for such period as may be limited by the society or congregation; and a certificate of their election or appointment must be made by the trustees whose term of service shall have expired, which must also be verified by affidavit, and recorded as provided in the election or appointment of trustees in the first instance. (Ib., Sub. 2.)

§ 755. The trustees elected or appointed as aforesaid, and their successors, will have perpetual succession and existence, and be, to all intents and purposes, a body corporate.