1 Corporators. Style. Privileges. No. 127. AN ACT To incorporate the North-western mutual insurance company of Pennsylvania. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That Henry Cadwell, J. M. Smith, John B. Gunnison, Alfred King, George J. Morton, W. L. Haskins, T. G. Colt, Hiram F. Hale, G. W. Colton, W. C. Curry, William A. Galbraith, M. B. Lowrey, James Skinner, and all other persons who may hereafter associate with them in manner hereinafter prescribed, shall be a body politic and corporate by the name of the North-western mutual insurance company of Pennsylvania, and by that name shall have perpetual succession, and may sue and be sued and hold, purchase, receive and convey real and personal estate (with the limitations hereinafter specified), and may have and use a common seal and alter or change the same at pleasure, and also to ordain, establish and put in execution such by-laws, ordinances and regulations as shall appear necessary and convenient for the government of said corporation, not being contrary to the charter or the existing laws of this Commonwealth for the management of its property and the regulations of its affairs, but nothing herein contained shall be construed to give unto the said corporation any banking powers or privileges Further powers SECTION 2. That in addition to the general powers and privileges of of corporation. a corporation as the same are declared by the foregoing section, the corporation hereby erected shall have power to insure against losses by fire upon any house, tenement, barn, manufactory, store, ware-house or any other building, and on goods, wares, merchandize and effects, hay, grain and other agricultural products, and upon buildings generally, and the risks of inland navigation and transportation, to make, execute and perfect such and so many contracts, bargains, agreements, policies and other instruments as shall or may be necessary and as the nature of the case may require, provided no policy shall be issued by said corporation until applications for insurance shall amount to fifty thousand dollars. SECTION 3. That the real estate which it shall be lawful for said corporation to purchase, receive, hold and convey, shall be such as is necessary for the immediate transaction of its business or which shall be conveyed to it in payment of debts due the company. SECTION 4. That all persons who shall hereafter insure with said corporation, and also their heirs, executors, administrators and assigns continuing to be insured in said corporation as hereinafter provided, shall thereby become members thereof during the period they are insured and no longer. SECTION 5. That the affairs of the said corporation shall be managed by a board of directors consisting of thirteen members, to be elected and chosen as hereinafter provided, which board shall appoint from their own number one person as president, they shall also appoint one person as secretary and one person as treasurer, of whom they shall require such securities as may be required by the by-laws, and shall have authority to appoint other officers and employ such clerks, agents and attorneys as may be found necessary for the transaction of the business of said institution, and shall also determine the rates of insurance; a majority of said board shall constitute a quorum to do business. SECTION 6. That every person who shall become a member of this Duties of memcorporation by effecting insurance therein, shall before receiving his bers. policy deposit his or her promissary note, and a part as shall be deter-. mined by the directors shall be immediately paid in, and the remainder of said deposit note shall be payable in part or the whole at any time when the directors shall deem the same requisite for the payment of loss or damage by fire or otherwise, and such incidental charges as shall be necessary for the transaction of the business of the said corporation or any person affecting insurance instead of giving the premium note, may at his or her or their option pay a definite sum in money as may be agreed upon between the applicant and said company in lieu of the premium note required by the first part of this section. SECTION 7. That the persons named in the first section of this act Place of doing shall be the first directors, and the business of said corporation shall be business. done and transacted at such place in the city of Erie, in the county of Erie, as shall be designated by a majority of the directors present at any regular meeting of the board, and said board shall continue in office for one year after the passage of this act, and until others are chosen in their place, which board of directors shall thereafter be elected at such time and place in the city of Erie aforesaid, as the corporation in their by-laws shall appoint, of which election public notice shall be given in at least two of the public newspapers printed in said county, at least thirty days immediately preceding such election; such election shall be holden under inspection of three members not being directors, to be appointed by the dsrectors previous to every election, and such election shall be made by ballot and by a plurality of the members then present, allowing to each member one vote for every hundred dollars insured with said corporation to the amount of one thousand dollars. SECTION 8. That if it shall at any time happen that an election of the president, secretary or directors shall not be made on any day not to dissolve when pursuant to this act it ought to have been made, the said cor- corporation. poration, shall not for that cause be deemed to be dissolved, but it shall be lawful on any other day to hold and make an election of directors in such manner as shall have been regulated by the by-laws and ordi nances of said corporation. Failure to elect SECTION 9. That suits at law may be prosecuted and maintained by Suits against any member against the said company for losses and damage by fire or members. otherwise, if payment be withheld or refusal for more than four months after the company are notified of such losses, no member of the company not being in his individual capacity a party of the suit or suits, thall be incompetent as a witness on account of his being a member of the company. SECTION 10. That it shall be the duty of the treasurer of the said Duties of treascompany at the annual meeting, to exhibit in details the condition of urer of comthe finances of said company, and the names of the person or persons pany. to whom the funds of the company have been loaned, and it shall also be the duty of the secretary and treasurer of said company at the anDual meeting aforesaid, or whenever a majority of the board of directors shall require it, to produce all such books and papers as appertain to the business of the company. SECTION 11. That the president, secretary and directors of said Division company, may at their discretion divide applications for insurance into plicstwo or more classes according to the degree of hazard, and the premium Payment of losses. Reservation. notes shall not in that case be assessed for the payment of any losses except in the class to which they belong. SECTION 12. That every member of said company shall be bound to pay for losses and such necessary expenses as aforesaid, accruing in and to said company, in proportion to the amount of his deposit note, and suits at law may be maintained by said corporation against any of its members for the collection of said deposit notes or for any assessment thereon, or for any other cause relating to the business of the said corporation. SECTION 13. That the Legislature may at any time alter, modify or annul its provisions, in such manner, however, as to do no injustice to the corporators. W. P. SCHELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. THO. CARSON, Speaker of the Senate. APPROVED-The eleventh day of March, A. D., one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three. WM. BIGLER. Preamble. No. 128. AN ACT Authorizing Robert Barber and John R. Stratton, to sell certain real estate in Clarion county; relative to the Shermansville and Ohio Line plank road company; to an election district in Washington county; to the Easton and Wilkesbarre turnpike road company; to an election district in Huntingdon county; to the title of a certain school-house property in Chester county; to the high constable of the borough of Youngsville, Warren county. WHEREAS, William Ferguson, late of Clarion township, in the county of Clarion, deceased, in his lifetime had incurred a heavy expense in erecting a house which was unfinished at the time of his death: And Whereas, Afterwards to render the same habitable and prevent it from dilapidation and decay, Robert Barber and John R. Stratton, the guardians of the minor children of the deceased, were under the necessity of making further expenditures to the amount of one thousand dollars or thereabouts; And Whereas, No sufficient funds came into their hands from the administratrix of said deceased to defray the same; therefore, SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represen tatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the Robert Barber said Robert Barber and John R Stratton be, and they are hereby authorized and empowered to sell at public sale, for the highest and best price that can be had therefor, all the right, title, interest and claim which the said William Ferguson had immediately before, and and John R. Stratton to sell "nin real at the time of his death, of, in, and to all that certain strip of land, commencing at the north-east corner of the Ferguson lot; thence west along the north line of said tract, fifteen perches to a post; thence south one hundred and thirty-two perches to a post; thence east fifteen perches to the east line of said tract; thence north along said line to the place of beginning, containing twelve acres and upwards, and to make, execute, and deliver the purchaser or purchasers thereof, a deed or deeds, in fee simple, or otherwise, which deed or deeds of conveyance, shall be as good and effectual in law, to all intents and purposes, as if made by the said deceased in his lifetime: Provided, That before making such sale, the said guardians shall give sufficient security, to be approved by the orphans' court of Clarion county, conditioned for the faithful appropriation of the proceeds arising from the sale of said real estate: And provided further, That the sale be approved by the said orphans' court. extend SECTION 2. That the Shermansville and Ohio Line plank road com- Extension of pany, incorporated in one thousand eight hundred and fifty, may Shermansville their road from Shermansville to the borough of Meadville, in the county of Crawford. and Ohio Line plank road. SECTION 3. That Mary Ann Spitler, daughter of Simon and Mary Mary Ann SpitSpitler of Jonestown, Lebanon county, shall have and enjoy all the ler legitimated. rights and privileges of a child born in lawful wedlock, and shall be able to inherit and transmit any estate whatsoever, as effectually as if she had been born in lawful wedlock. SECTION 4. That hereafter the citizens of West Bethlehem township, West Bethle Washington county, shall hold their general and township election at hem tp., Washthe house now occupied by Catharine Youman, in the town of Hills-ington co. boro, in said township. SECTION 5. That the election for officers of the Easton and Wilkes- Officers of Easbarre turnpike road company, shall hereafter be held at Wilkesbarre, ton ard Wilkesin the county of Luzerne, and so much of the third section of the act barre turnpike passed February eleventh, one thousand eight hundred and three, in- road. corporating said company, as requires the election of officers to be held alternately at Easton and Wilkesbarre, be and the same is hereby repealed. SECTION 6. That hereafter the qualified voters of Penn township, Penn tp., HuntHuntingdon county, shall hold their township and general elections at ingdon co. school house number eight, in Middle Ridge, near Philip Garner's, in said township. WHEREAS, A certain lot of ground in the township of London Preamble. Grove, in the county of Chester, was granted and conveyed by Francis Hoopes and wife of said township, now deceased, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine, by deed of trust unto Samuel Sharp, Ellis Pussey, and others, their heirs and assigns forever, for the purpose of erecting thereon a school house and establishing a school, be under the care and direction of New Garden monthly meeting of Friends, and by a division of said monthly meeting, amicably made, and the establishment of London Grove monthly meeting, the said bool property known as the Middle Grove school, was transferred to the care and supervision of said London Grove monthly meeting: And Whereas, All the said former trustees are deceased, and most Preamble. their heirs removed and scattered abroad, and some of them without the limits of the State, and no transfer of the right of trust having been made by any of the aforesaid trustees or their legal representares; therefore, SECTION 7. That William Allen of the township of London Grove, Sale nd Ellis Allen of the township of New Garden, both of the county pr thorized. Chester co., au- of Chester, and heirs of one of the former trustees of said property, shall have the exclusive power vested in them, and they are hereby authorized to make a transfer of the title to said lot of ground, and the appurtenances to such person or persons as said monthly meeting of London Grove shall approve, for the uses and purposes set forth in the original deed of trust. Duty of high constable in Youngsville borough. SECTION 8. That from and after the passage of this act, it shall be lawful for the duly elected high constable in the borough of Youngsville, Warren county, to serve civil and criminal process in like manner and with the same force and effect that borough or township constables can or may do, under the existing laws of this Commonwealth, and that every such high constable before entering upon the duties of his office hereby conferred, shall give security in a sum not less than five hundred dollars, which shall be approved by the court of common pleas of Warren county, and that such high constable shall be entitled to the same fees that other constables are entitled to under the present fee bill, and be in like manner liable for remissness in duty. W. P. SCHELL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. THO. CARSON, Speaker of the Senate. APPROVED-The eleventh day of March, A. D., one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three. WM. BIGLER. No. 129. AN ACT To incorporate the Meadville and Lake plank road company; and relative to the real estate of Simon Heller, deceased, late of Monroe county; and relative to an election district in Crawford county. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa tives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That Commissioners. Bailey Courtney, Walter Crocker, Gaylord Church, Frederic Huide Style. cooper, William Reynolds, Samuel A. Torbett, Thomas Van Horne, John M'Namara, James Stratton, and Joseph Kycenceder, be, and they or any two of them are hereby appointed commissioners to open books, to receive subscriptions, and organize a company by the name style and title of "The Meadville and Lake plank road company," with power to construct a plank road commencing at Meadville, in Crawford county, and thence up the valley of Van Horne's run by the most Subject to propracticable route to the out-let of Conneaut lake, subject to all the Visions of cer- provisions and restrictions of an act regulating turnpike and plank road" companies, approved on the twenty-sixth day of January, Anno Domini, one thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, and the supplement thereto. tain act. |