siness,

major part of them so met, shall have full power and authority to adjourn from day to day, or for any other time, as the business of our said Corporation may require, and to do, execute, and perform 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 by these our and transact bu- 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 us, our heirs and successors, to be from time and be obeyed, to time and at all times hereafter, kept, obeyed, and performed in all 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 contrary to the laws and statutes of that part of our kingdom of Great Britain called England, nor of our said province of New York.-And, for the keeping up and preserving for ever hereafter a succession of members for the said Corporation, our sion of members, will and pleasure is, and we do hereby for us, our heirs and successors, ordain, and give and grant to the said Corporation of the Chamber of Commerce in the city

so that they are

not repugnant or

contrary to the

laws of Great

Britain and New
York.

For the succes

of New York, in America, and their successors for ever,

who are to have all the privileges that any member

is hereby invest

ed with.

that at any of the stated legal meetings of the said Cor- at stated meetporation, to be held on the first Tuesday in every month ings only, 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 in such to elect and choose, 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 of these presents and of such election, be vested with all the powers, authorities, and privileges which any member of the said Corporation is hereby invested with. And in case any other extraordinary meeting or meet- Extraordinary ings of the said Corporation shall at any time or times meeting, be 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 notices or summons as shall for that purpose from time to meet upon noto time be settled, established, directed, ordained, and tice, 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 Corporation; 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 saidCorporation, saving and except the electing members, making laws, ordinances and statutes, and disposing of the real estates of the said Corporation. And our will and pleasure is, that until the same shall be otherwise regulated as aforesaid, that the meetings of the said Corporation shall be

to be legal,

but not to elect

members, make

laws or dispose

of real estate.

Exchange.

any meeting to

held in the great room of the building commonly called To be held in the the Exchange, situate at the lower end of the street called Broad street, in the said city of New York: and that until the same shall be also otherwise regulated as No act done in aforesaid, that no act done in any meeting of the said be valid [unless] Corporation shall be legal, good, or valid, unless the President, or one of the Vice Presidents, 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, Vice President, 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 con

tained 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 herein after is expressed, or the enrolment thereof, shall be for ever hereafter good and effectual in the law, according to our true intent and meaning hereinbefore 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 had 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 Counsel 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.

Preamble.

Reciting the pe

vival of the Cor

poration.

AN ACT

To remove doubts concerning the Corporation of the Chamber of Commerce, and to confirm the rights and privileges thereof.

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 titioners for a re- 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 Malcom, 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