"House of Representatives, June 2, 1820. Read and concurred, and Messrs. Greenleaf of Portland, Holland of Jay, Emerson of Machias are joined. Ben. Ames, Speaker."
The committee to which the petition was referred, submitted the bill which follows:
STATE OF MAINE
In the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty.
An act to enlarge the powers of the Maine Literary & Theological Institution.
Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate & House of Representatives in Legislature assembled—That the President & Trustees of the Maine Literary & Theological Institution are hereby authorized & empowered to confer such Degrees as are usually conferred by Universities established for the education of youth;—Provided that the said Corporation shall confer no Degrees other than those of Bachelor of Arts, & Master of Arts, until after the first day of January which will be in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred & Thirty—(A)
Sec. 2nd. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid—That the Legislature of this state shall have the right to grant any further powers to alter, limit, or restrain any of the powers vested in said Corporation as shall be judged necessary to promote the best interests thereof—
Action on the bill is recorded thus :
"In Senate, June 12. The committee on Bills in the 2d Reading report that this Bill ought to pass as amended at A—
E. Foote, pr oder."
A slip accompanies the bill bearing the proposed amendment:
"And provided also, that the said corporation shall not make or have any rule or by-law requiring hat any number of the Trustees shall be of any particular religious denomination, (at A add this proviso)
B Add after above amendment the amendment marked B."
The change was accepted and on the following day the bill was passed to be engrossed, and sent down for concurrence. The House added to the amendment already adopted for further proviso:
"Add this to end of former amendment at Letter B:
Provided that no student belonging or who may hereafter belong to said institution sustaining a fair moral character shall be deprived of any privileges of said institution, or be subjected to the forfeiture of any aid which has been granted by said Institution for the purpose of enabling him to prosecute his studies, or be denied the usual testimonials on closing his studies or be denied admission to said Institution on the ground that his interpretations of the Scriptures differ from those which are contained in the articles of faith adopted or to be adopted by said Institution."
With this change the bill was returned to the Senate where the final action is recorded thus:
