Pursuant to call, a meeting of the citizens of the 201 of Livingston, friendly to the organization of a County Agricultural Society, was held at the Court House, in the village of Howell, on Thursday, the 24th day of February, 1853. The meeting was organized by appointing Freeman Webb, Jr., Chairman, and James M. Murray, Secretary.

On motion of W. A. Buckland,

Resolved, That it is expedient at the present time to organize a County Agricultural Society.

Adopted unanimously.

On motion of E. F. Burt,

The chair appointed a committee of seven, viz: E. F. Burt, W. A. Buckland, Lorenzo Boutell, J. R. Goodrich, R. C. Rumsey, A. W. Olds, and V. R. T. Angel, to report a constitution for an agricultural society.

Said committee reported the following constitution which was accepted and adopted by the meeting:

Art. 1. This society shall be called The Livingston County Agricultural Society, auxiliary to the "Michigan State Agricultural Society," and the same is "organized and established for the encouragement and advancement of agriculture, manufactures and the mechanic arts."

2d. Any person may become a member of the society by signing the constitution and paying one dollar into the treasury; and may continue a member by paying annually thereafter the sum of fifty

Life memberships may be obtained on payment of the sum

of ten dollars, and all certificates of membership shall include the family of the person to whom they are given. The officers elected apon the organization of the society, shall be considered members for one year.

ad. The officers of the society shall consist of a president, sixteen vice presidents, one in each township in the county, a treasurer, a secretary, and a committee of five persons, who together with the president and secretary, shall constitute a board of directors of the society, all to be elected by ballot, except at the first election, and to hold their offices for one year and until others are chosen.

4th. The duties of the officers shall be such as usually pertain to such offices and as shall be prescribed by this constitution and by the by-laws of the society.

5th. The annual meeting of the society for the election of officers and transaction of other necessary business, shall be held on the last Thursday in February, unless otherwise determined by the board of directors, and at such place as said board shall appoint-they giving suitable notice thereof, and special meetings may be held upon the call of said board.

6th. The society shall hold an annual fair and general exhibition of animals, agricultural and horticultural products, articles of domestie manufacture and of the mechanic arts, and also such other matters as the board of directors shall determine; said board to direct as to the time and place of holding said fair and the premiums to be awarded, giving at least ninety days public notice of the same.

7th. No premium shall be given to a person not a member of the society.

8th. Any vacancy in the offices of the society, may be temporarily filled by the board of directors.

9th. It shall be the duty of the board of directors to adopt a code of by-laws, and publish the same with the constitution for the benefit of the society; and this constitution and said by-laws may be altered er amended at any regular meeting of the society, by a majority vote of the members present.

10th. Is shall be the duty of the several officers to obtain the names of persons wishing to become members of the society and to solicit and pay over to the treasurer all moneys received for memberships and as donations.

On motion of E. Barnard,

A committee of five, to wit: E. Barnard, R. C. Rumsey, G. W. Kneeland, S. K. Tubbs and John Bush, was appointed by the chair to report the names of officers of the society for the year ensuing. The committee reported the following:

President-Ira Jennings, of Green Oak.

Vice Presidents-Royal C. Rumsey, of Green Oak; Stodard W. Twitchel, of Hamburg; Freeman Webb. Jr, of Putnam; V. R. T. Angel, of Unadilla; Daniel Person, of losco; Ezra N. Fairchild of Marion; Ely Barnard, of Genoa; Job Cranson, of Brighton; Chancy L. Crouse, of Hartland; Joel B. Rumsey, of Oceola; O. J. Smith, of Howell; Marvin Gaston, of Handy; David Bush, of Conway; Jacob Kanouse, of Tuscola ; Lorenzo Boutell, of Deerfield; John C. Salsbury, of Tyrone.

Treasurer-W. A. Buckland, of Genoa.

Secretary-E. F. Burt, of Marion.

Committee Nelson G. Isbell, Marion; Ephraim J. [Hardy, Oceola; A. W. Olds, Green Oak; James M. Murray, Genoa; John Howe, Deerfield.

The report was accepted and the individuals named duly elected officers of the society for one year.

On motion,

Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting, together with the constitution adopted, be published in the Livingston Courier, and that a copy of the proceedings of the meeting be presented to the Michigan Farmer and the Farmers' Companion for publication.

Whereupon, on motion, voted to adjourn.

JAS. M. MURRAY, Secretary.

F. WEBB, JR., Chairman.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

The Board met pursuant to appointment, at Howell, March 12, 1853. Present, Ira Jennings, N. G. Isbell, E. J. Hardy, James M. Murray, John How and E. F. Burt.

The Board adopted the following

BY-LAWS:

1. The Board of Directors shall provide suitable accommodations for the annual exhibitions, and it shall be their duty annually to appoint a Marshal, whose duty it shall be to cause to be provided suitable pens for the reception of stock offered for premiums; he shall take charge of such pens, and assign each animal and each product its proper place on days of exhibition; he shall keep a list of such animals, with such other information in relation to each as may be communicated to him by the Secretary, for the inspection of the Viewing Committees; he may appoint necessary assistants, with the same duties subject to himself.

2. They shall appoint judges who shall examine the property and specimens produced by the persons applying for premiums at the annual fairs, and shall determine whether any or either of the ap plicants be entitled to a premium according to the conditions prescribed, and they may also appoint judges to visit and examine such farms as may be entered for premiums, at such times and under such regulations as shall be prescribed by the Board.

3. No article shall be entitled to a premium, but such as actually belong to and are bona fide the property of competitors, or such as they have had possession of, and been by them kept within the county for three months next preceeding the exhibition. Applicants for premiums shall give in written statements relative to the article exhibited, and shall be prepared to procure satisfactory evidence to sustain them.

4. No member of any Viewing Committee shall, prior to their award, ask or receive from any person on the day of the Fair, information touching animals or products, except from the Marshal or his assistants; nor shall the Marshal or his assistants, prior to such award, communicate to the Committee in any case the names of the owners of such animals or products.

5. The Viewing Committee shall be attended to the pens by the Marshal and his assistants; and any owner of stock or member of the Society, who shall in any way attempt to influence the decisions of the Committees, shall forfeit all claims to a premium. Any member who shall refuse to obey the Marshal, when acting within

the sphere of his duty, or shall resist in the execution of his duties, shall be expelled from the Society.

6. All reports of Viewing Committees shall be in writing and signed by the members of the committee assenting thereto; and premiums shall be conferred on the award of a majority of any such com

mittee.

7. No premiums shall be awarded without competition, unless the Viewing Committee shall deem the animal or product highly meritorious; nor shall premiums be given in cases where there is competition unless the Viewing Committee shall deem the said animal or product worthy of the same.

8. No premium shall be delivered but to the person to whom it was awarded, who shall forfeit the same if not present to receive it on the day of exhibition, unless in case of sickness or for some other unavoidable occurrences, to be determined by the Board.

9. No animal presented for competition shall be entitled to receive more than one premium annually.

10. No domestic, household, or other manufacture presented for competition, shall be entitled to receive more than one premium annually.

11. It shall be the duty of the Viewing Committee to deposit with the Secretary their awards, and the same shall be preserved in the archives of the Society.

12. The Board of Directors, agreeable to article 10th of the constitution, shall audit the accounts of the Treasurer, and if found correct shall certify to the same prior to its submission to the annual meeting of the Society.

13. The Treasurer shall receive and have charge of all the funds of the Society, and shall disburse the same under the direction of the Board, and shall report at each annual meeting.

14. It shall be the duty of the President, upon the application of five members of the Board of Directors, to call a meeting of the same for the dispatch of business.

15. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive and keep all books, pamphlets, papers, &c., designed for the Society, and loan the same to its members; and also to report to the annual meeting the number of volumes pertaining to the library.