Canonsburg Academy contract
Academy and Library Company of the Town of Canonsburg March 11, 1794
Whereas in and by an Act entitled an Act to Confer on Certain Associations of the Citizens of this Commonwealth, the powers and immunities of corporations, or bodies politic in law, it is provided that when any number of persons, citizens of this Commonwealth are associated or mean to associate for any literary, charitable or for any religious purpose and shall be desirous to acquire and enjoy the powers and immunities of a corporation or body politic in law, it shall and may be lawful for such persons to prepare an instrument in writing therein specifying the objects, articles, conditions, and name, style, or title under which they have associated or mean to associate, and that after the same has been examined, approved, and enrolled in the manner in the said recited act prescribed, the persons so associated or meaning to associate shall according to the objects, articles, and conditions, in the said instrument set forth and contained become and/or a corporation or body politic in law and in fact to have continuance by the name, style, and title in such instrument provided and declared: Ajid whereas sundry citizens of this Commonwealth, inhabitants of the County of Washington have associated themselves for the purpose of establishing an Academy and Library at Canonsburgh, in the County aforesaid, and are desirous to have and enjoy the benefits of the said recited act. NOW THIS INSTRUMENT WITNESSETH that the following are the objects, articles and conditions of the said association.
That is to say
(i.) That until the first election under the act of incorporation, John Canon, John McDowell, Craig Ritchie, Robert Ralston, Thomas Bucker, John Tod, James Foster, David Gault, David Johnston, and their successors shall be the Trustees of an Academy and Library to be established in the town of Canonsburgh in the County of Washington aforesaid and under the style, name, and title of the Trustees of the Academy and Library of the Town of Canonsburgh shall have and enjoy all the power, privileges and immunities of a corporation body politic in law and in fact, according to the said recited act of the General Assembly and the objects, articles, and conditions, in their instrument contained.
(2.) That the said Trustees and their successors have and may at all times and hold gifts, grants, devises and bequests any estate real, personal, or mixed, for the use of the said Academy and Library; provided that the annual income of such estate including the interest of money lent shall not exceed the sum of $500.00.
(3.) That all persons contributing to the establishment of the said Academy and Library shall on their request be included in the association and act of incorporation, and shall yearly and every year on the first Tuesday of October, elect by ballot nine persons, inhabitants of the said county of Washington to be Trustees of the said Academy and Library.
(4.) That the trustees shall have power to make and declare all necessary and proper bye-laws and rules for the good management and preservation of the said Academy and Library; provided that such bye-laws shall be submitted to the Court of Common Pleas of the said county of Washington for the examination and approbation thereof; and that the same shall not be in any wise contrary to the constitution and laws of the United States, and of this state.
(5.) That for the immediate purpose of superintending the said Library the contributors shall annually on the day of electing Trustees choose thirteen persons whose duty it shall be to expend the monies previously appropriated by the Trustees for the purchase of books; to receive all books presented to the company; to take care that the books belonging to the Library be well and safely kept, and where loaned that they be duly returned according to the rules in that behalf by the Trustees established.
(6.) That until the first choice under the act of incorporation Robert Bowland, Daniel McCoy, Walter Buchanan, Mathew Boluiland, James Allison, John Allison, John Messer, William Messer, Andrew Monrow, Thomas Speers, William Canon, William Marshall and Samuel Miller, shall be the superintendents of the said Library. In Witness whereof the subscribers on behalf of themselves, and the other contributors to the establishment of the said Academy and Library, have hereunto set their hands and seals this sjoth day of March in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety three. John Canon, John McDowell (Seal) Craig Ritchie (Seal) Tho. Bracken, James Foster, David Johnston, Robert Rallston, John Tod, Mathew Bowland, John Mercer, William Mercer, William Marshall, Daniel McKay, Samuel Miller, W. Buchanan, James Allison, Tho. Speer, Andrew Munro, Wm. Speer, John Sutherland, John Martin, John Struthers, Jr., Abraham De Haven, Arthur Patterson, John Donnell, Robert Bowland, William Cannon, Jr.
I have examined the preceding instrument containing the articles of the Trustees of the Academy and Library of the town of Canonsburgh and am of the opinion that the objects, articles and conditions therein contained are lawful. Philadelphia, January 13, 1794 Jared Ingersoll, Atty. Genl. We the justice of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby certify to his excellency Thomas Mifflin, Esquire, Governor of the said Commonwealth that we have perused and examined the foregoing instrument and that it is our opinion that the objects, articles and conditions therein set forth and contained are lawful, witness our hands January 23, 1794. Thomas McShean, Edward Shippen, Jasper Yeates, Wm. Bradford. In the name and by the authority of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Thomas Mifflin, Governor of the said Commonwealth to Mathew Irwin, Esquire, Master of the Rolls, in and for the Commonwealth aforesaid sends Greeting. Whereas, it has been certified to me by Jared Ingersoll, Esquire, Attorney General of the said Commonwealth and by Thomas McShean, Esquire, Chief Justice and Edward Shippen, Jasper Yeates, and William Bradford, Esquires, Justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, that they have respectively perused and examined the annexed instrument for the incorporation of the Trustees of the Academy and Library of the town of Canonsburgh in the County of Washington, and that they concur in opinion that the objects, articles, and conditions, therein set forth and contained are lawful: Now know you that in pursuance of the Act of the General Assembly in such case made and provided, I have transmitted the said act or instrument of incorporation unto you the said Mathew Irwin, Master of the Rolls, aforesaid, hereby requiring you to inroll the same at the expense of the applicants to the intent that according to be objects, articles and conditions therein set forth and contained, the parties may become and be a corporation or body politic in law and in fact to have continuance by the name, style, and title in the said instrument provided and declared. Given under my hand, and the great seal of the State at Philadelphia this eleventh day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety four, and the commonwealth the eighteenth.
By the Governor A. T. Dallas, Secretary. Inrolled the eigth of March, 1794.
This indenture made the twenty seventh day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety four between Samuel Meredith of the City of Philadelphia in the Com.