who shall thereupon associate with him another justice, or an assessor, or commissioner of highways of such township, to act with him in deciding upon such application. TITLE IX. CHAPTER 51. SEC. 3. The person claiming such bounty shall then be sworn by Examination of such justice, and state on oath the time and place, when and where applicant. every wolf and wolf's whelp, for which a bounty is claimed by him, was taken and killed; and he shall also submit to such further examination on oath, concerning the taking and killing of such wolf or whelp, as the justice and officer associated with him may require, and the statement made by him shall be reduced to writing in the form of an affidavit, which shall be subscribed by the person making it. When certificate SEC. 4. If it shall appear to the justice and officer associated with him, that the wolf or whelp was taken and killed within such town- to be given. ship by the person applying for such bounty, and that the mother of any such whelp was not taken before she brought forth the same, they shall cut off and burn to ashes, the ears and scalp of such wolf or whelp, and deliver to the person so applying a certificate of the facts, and whether the same was over or under the age of three months when taken, annexing thereto the original affidavit made and subscribed by such person. Certificate to be pervisor. SEC. 5. Such certificate, with the affidavit annexed, shall, within fifteen days after the date thereof, be delivered to one of the super- delivered to su visors of the same county; and if such supervisor shall doubt the correctness of the certificate or affidavit, he shall give notice to the person claiming the bounty, to give further evidence of the correctness thereof, and shall retain the papers in his hands until such further proof shall be made. Certificate to be &c. SEC. 6. If such supervisor shall have no doubt as to the correctness of such certificate and affidavit, or if his doubts shall be removed by laid before board further proof, he shall lay such certificate and affidavit before the board of supervisors, of supervisors at their next meeting, and if the board shall be satisfied that such certificate and affidavit are just and correct, they shall award to the person to whom such certificate shall have been granted, the bounty above specified, and shall cause the certificate and affidavit to be filed with their clerk. to be delivered to SEC. 7. Duplicate certificates, stating all the bounties that shall Duplicate certifihave been allowed by the board at any meeting, shall be made under cares of bounties their direction, and after being signed by their chairmain and clerk, treasurer, and shall be delivered to the county treasurer, who shall thereupon pay to bounties paid. the several persons named in such certificate, out of any moneys in the treasury for defraying the contingent expenses of the county, the bounties to them respectively allowed. One-half of charged to state treasurer, &c. SEC. 8. The county treasurer shall charge to the treasurer of the state, the one-half of all the bounties allowed by the board of super- bounties to be visors, and shall transmit an account thereof to the auditor general, accompanied by one of the duplicate certificates, received from the board of supervisors; and shall also procure and transmit with such account, a certified copy of the original certificates and affidavits filed with the clerk of the board of supervisors, upon which the bounties mentioned in such account shall have been allowed. SEC. 9. The auditor general shall examine every account so transAuditor general mitted to him, and if he shall discover any defect or irregularity, to exrmine acwhich shall induce him to believe the same ought not to be allowed, ceeeings thereon. he may suspend, in whole or in part, as he may think proper, the pay counts, &c., pro TITLE IX. CHAPTER 51. Sums audited to be paid out of state treasury. Additional bounties. Giving false cer meanor. ment of such account, until satisfactory proof be made to him, by affidavit or otherwise, of the justice of such account; and if the further proofs produced to him shall not be satisfactory, he shall reject such portion of the account as shall have been suspended, and his decision thereon shall be final and conclusive. SEC. 10. Every sum audited and allowed by the auditor general, upon any such account, not exceeding the one half of the bounties allowed by the board of supervisors, shall be paid out of the treasury of the state, to the treasurer of the county from which such account was transmitted. SEC. 11. The boards of supervisors of the several counties of this state, shall have power, at the expense of their respective counties, to award and allow such other and further bounties for the destruction of wolves, wolf whelps, and such bounties for the destruction of panthers and other noxious animals within their respective counties, as they may think proper; and the same proof shall be required in such case, as is hereinbefore prescribed, and such additional and other bounties, when duly allowed and certified, shall be paid out of the county treasury. SEC. 12. If any justice of the peace, or other officer, who shall be tificate, a misde- applied to for a certificate under the provisions of this chapter, shall wilfully give a false certificate in the premises, such justice or other officer shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year. TITLE X. OF CORPORATIONS. Chapter 52. Of Religious Societies. Chapter 53. Of Libraries and Lyceums. Chapter 54. Of Burying Grounds. Chapter 55. General Provisions relating to Corporations. CHAPTER 52. TITLE X. CHAPTER 52 OF RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES. societies may SECTION 1. It shall be lawful for all persons of full age, belonging Persons belongto any church, congregation or religious society not already incorpor- ing to religious ated, to assemble at the church, or meeting house, or other place elect trustees. where they statedly attend for divine worship, and by a plurality of votes to elect any number of discreet persons of their church, congregation or society, not less than three nor more than nine in number, as trustees to take charge of the estate and property belonging thereto, and to transact all affairs relative to the temporalities thereof. who entitled to SEC. 2. It shall be lawful for any such church, congregation or re- Presidents of ligious society to choose their minister to be the president of the said corporations, corporation, and of their meetings, by a vote as aforesaid; and at the vote. election provided for in this chapter, every person of full age, who has statedly worshiped with such church, congregation or society, and has been formerly considered as belonging thereto, shall be entitled to a vote. Notifying elec SEC. 3. The minister of such congregation or society, or in case of his death or absence, one of the elders or deacons, church wardens or tions. vestrymen thereof, and for the want of such officers, any other person being a member or stated hearer in such church, congregation or society, shall publicly notify the congregation of the time when, and the place where the said election shall be held, at least fifteen days before the day of election; and such notification shall be given for two successive sabbaths, on which such church, congregation or society shall statedly meet for public worship, preceding the election. SEC. 4. Any two of the elders, deacons, church wardens or vestry- who to preside, men of such church, congregation or society, or, if such officers shall certificate. not be present, then any two voters present, to be nominated by a majority of the voters, shall preside at such election, receive the votes and determine the qualification of voters; and they shall, immediately after the election, certify under their hands and seals, the names of the persons elected to serve as trustees; in which certificate, the name by which the said trustees and their successors in office shall forever TITLE X. CHAPTER 55. Certificate to be acknowledged and recorded. Powers of trustees. Ib. Ib. Ib. clerk and treasu rer. thereafter be called and known, shall be particularly mentioned and specified. SEC. 5. Such certificate shall be acknowledged by the person (persons) making the same, or proved by a subscribing witness thereto before some officer authorized to take the acknowledgment of deeds, and recorded, together with the certificate of such acknowledgment or proof, by the clerk of the county within which the church or place of worship of such congregation shall be situated, in a book to be provided by him for that purpose, who shall be entitled to receive seventy-five cents for such recording; and thereafter such trustees and their successors shall be a body corporate by the name expressed in such certificate. SEC. 6. Such trustees may have a common seal, and may alter the same at pleasure, and they may take into their possession and custody all the temporalities of such church, congregation or society, whether the same shall consist of real or personal estate, and whether the same may have been given, granted or devised, directly or indirectly so such church, congregation or society, or to any other person or persons for their use. SEC. 7. Such trustees may also, in their corporate name, sue and be sued in all courts and places, and they may recover and hold, all the debts, demands, rights and privileges, all churches, buildings, burying places, and all the estate and appurtenances belonging to such church, congregation or society, in whatsoever manner the same may have been acquired, or in whose hands soever the same may be held, as fully and amply as if the right and title thereto had been originally vested in the said trustees; and they may hold other real or personal estate, and demise, lease and improve the same; but the whole of such estate, real and personal, shall not exceed the yearly value or income of three thousand dollars. SEC. S. The said trustees shall also have authority to alter and repair their churches and meeting houses, and under the direction of the society or congregation, to erect churches and meeting houses, and dwelling houses for their ministers, and other buildings for the use of their church, congregation or society. SEC. 9. They shall also have authority to make rules and orders for managing the temporal affairs of such church, congregation or society, and to dispose of all moneys belonging thereto, and to order and regulate the renting of pews or slips in their churches and meeting houses, and the perquisites for the breaking of the ground in the cemetery or church yard, and in the said churches and meeting houses, for burying the dead. SEC. 10. They may appoint a clerk and treasurer of their board, Appointment of and a collector to collect and receive their rents and revenues, and may regulate the fees to be allowed to such clerk, treasurer and collector, and may remove them and appoint others in their stead at pleasure; and such clerk shall enter all rules and orders made by such trustees, and payments ordered by them, in a book to be procured by them for that purpose. Two trustees SEC. 11. Any two of the trustees may at any time call a meeting may call meeting of the trustees; and a majority of them being lawfully convened, shall be competent to do and perform all matters and things which such trustees are authorized to do and perform. Classification of trustces. SEC. 12. The said trustees shall hold their offices for three years; and immediately after their first election, as hereinbefore provided, the said trustees shall be divided by lot into three classes, numbered one, two, and three; and the seats of the first class shall be vacated at the end of the first year, of the second class at the end of the second year, and of the third class at the end of the third year, to the end that as near as may be, one-third part of the whole number of trustees may be annually chosen. TITLE X. CHAPTER 52. trustee, and of SEC. 13. It shall be the duty of the clerk of said trustees, at least Notice of expiraone month before the expiration of the office of any of the said trus- tion of term of tees, to notify the same in writing to the minister, or in case of his election of suc death or absence, to the elders or church wardens, and if there be cessor. no elders or church wardens, then to the deacons or vestrymen of any such church, congregation or society, specifying in such notice the names of the trustees whose office will expire; and the minister, or other officers receiving such notice shall, in manner aforesaid, notify the members of such church, congregation or society of such vacancies, and appoint the time and place for the election to supply the same. vacancies. SEC. 14. Such election shall be held at least six days before vacan- Conducting elec cies shall happen as aforesaid, and all such subsequent elections shall tion and filling be held and conducted by the same persons, and in the same manner as hereinbefore provided for the first election; and in case any vacancy shall happen by the death of a trustee, his refusal to act, or removal from the society before his term of office expires, or otherwise, notice thereof shall be given as aforesaid, and an election shall be held, and another trustee chosen in his stead for the remainder of such term. election. SEC. 15. No person belonging to any such church, congregation or Qualification of society, incorporated under the provisions of this chapter, shall be votere, after first entitled to vote at any election after the first, until he shall have been an attendant on public worship in such church, congregation or society, at least six months before such election, and shall have contributed to the support of such church, congregation or society, according to the usages and customs thereof. Clerk to keep hearers. SEC. 16. The clerk of the trustees shall keep a register of the names of all such persons as shall desire to become stated hearers in register of stated the said church, congregation or society, and shall therein note the time when such request was made, and the said clerk shall attend all subsequent elections, in order to test the qualifications of such voters, in case they shall be questioned. pensation of min SEC. 17. Nothing in this chapter contained, shall be construed to Majority of soci give to such trustees the power to fix or ascertain the salary or com- ety to fix com. pensation to be paid to any minister, but the same shall be ascertained ter. and fixed by a majority of such society entitled to vote at the election of trustees. When circuit sale of property. SEC. 18. It shall be lawful for the circuit court for the county in which any such religious corporation shall have been constituted, on court may order the application of such corporation, if such court shall deem it proper, to make an order for the sale of any real estate belonging to such corporation, and to direct the application of the moneys arising therefrom, to such uses as the said corporation, with the approbation of said court, shall conceive to be for the interest of such corporation. Sec. 19. At least thirty days previous notice of any such applica- Notice of applition to the circuit court shall be given, by publishing the same in cation for order |