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diate predecessor in office enjoyed, if any predecessor he had; if not, then such salary, as the Regents shall direct, to be paid by the Trustees, who shall, out of the funds or estate of their College or Academy, be compellable by the said President or Principal to pay the same. IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said Regents shall have the right of conferring, by diplomas under their common seal [upon], any person or persons whom they may think worthy thereof, all such degree or degrees above or beyond those of Bachelor or Master of Arts, as are known to and usually granted by any University or College in Europe.

V. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Regents, from time to time, to apply such part of their estate and funds in such manner as they may think most conducive to the promotion of literature and the advancement of useful knowledge within this State. Provided, always, That where grants shall be made to them for certain uses and purposes therein expressed and declared, the same shall not be applied, either in whole or in part, to any other uses.

VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the Regents shall annually meet on the second Thursday next after the Senate and Assembly, at the annual session of the Legislature, shall have formed a quorum respectively, and at the Assembly chamber immediately after the Assembly shall have adjourned. That the said Regents, at such meetings, and all others, may adjourn from time to time, not exceeding ten days at any one time.

VII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That any citizen or citizens, or bodies corporate, within this State, being minded to found a College at any place within the same, he or they shall, in writing, make known to the Regents the place where, the plan on which, and the funds with which it is intended to found and provide for the same, and who are proposed for the first Trustees; and in case the said Regents shall approve thereof, then they shall declare their approbation by an instrument under their common seal, and allow a convenient time for completing the same. And if at the expiration of the said time it shall appear, to the satisfaction of the Regents, that the said plan and propositions are fully executed, then they shall, by act under their common seal, declare that the said College to be named as the founders shall signify, and with such trustees, not exceeding twenty-four, nor less than ten, as they shall name, shall forthwith become incorporated, and shall have perpetual succession, and enjoy all the corporate rights and privileges enjoyed by Columbia College, hereinafter mentioned.

VIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the charter heretofore granted to the Governors of the College of the Province of New York, in the city of New York, in America, dated the 31st day of October, in the year of our Lord 1754, shall be, and hereby is fully and absolutely ratified and confirmed in all respects, except that the College thereby established shall be henceforth called Columbia College; that the style of the said corporation shall be

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The Trustees of Columbia College in the city of New York, and that no persons shall be Trustees of the same in virtue of any offices, characters or descriptions whatever; excepting also such clauses thereof as requires the taking of oaths and subscribing the declaration therein mentioned, and which render a person ineligible to the office of President of the College on account of his religious tenets; and prescribe a form of public prayer to be used in the said College, and also excepting the clause thereof which provides that the bylaws and ordinances to be made in pursuance thereof should not be repugnant to the laws and statutes of that part of the kingdom of Great Britain called England; except also that in all cases where fifteen Governors are required to constitute a quorum for the dispatch of business, thirteen Trustees shall be sufficient. Provided, always, That the by-laws and ordinances to be made by the trustees of the said Columbia College shall not be contrary to the Constitution and Laws of this State.

IX. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That James Duane, Samuel Provost, John H. Livingston, Richard Varick, Alexander Hamilton, John Mason, James Wilson, John Gano, Brockholst Livingston, Robert Harpur, John Daniel Gross, Johann Christoff Kunze, Walter Livingston, Lewis A. Scott, Joseph Delaplaine, Leon[a]rd Lispenard, Abraham Beach, John Lawrence, John Rutherfurd, Morgan Lewis, John Cochran, Gershom Seixas, Charles McKnight, Thomas Jones, Malachi Treat, Samuel Bard, Nicholas Romein, Benjamin Kiss[a]m and Ebenezer Crosby, shall be, and they are hereby constituted and declared to be the present Trustees of Columbia College, in the city of New York, and that when by the death or resignation or removal of any of the said Trustees, the number of those Trustees shall be reduced to twenty-four; then and from thenceforth the said twenty-four Trustees shall be and they hereby are declared and constituted Trustees of the said Columbia College in perpetual succession, according to the true intent and meaning of the said charter, and all vacancies thereafter shall be supplied in the manner thereby directed.

X. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all and singular the power, authority, rights, privileges, franchises and immunities, so heretofore granted to, and vested in, the said Governors of the College of the Province of New York, in the city of New York, in America, by the said charter, excepting as before excepted, shall be, and the same hereby are granted to and vested in the Trustees of Columbia College, in the city of New York, and their successors forever, as fully and effectually, to all intents and purposes, as if the same were herein particularly specified and expressed; and all and singular the lands, tenements, hereditaments and real estate, goods, chattels, rents, annuities, moneys, books, and other property, whereof the said Governors of the College of the Province of New York, in the city of New York, in America, were seized, possessed or entitled, under and in virtue of the said charter, or with which the Regents of the said University were invested, under or by virtue

of the said acts, for the use or benefit of the said Columbia College, shall be, and the same hereby are granted to and vested in the said Trustees of Columbia College, in the city of New York, and their successors forever, for the sole use and benefit of the said College; and it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Trustees and their successors, to grant, bargain, sell, demise, improve and dispose of the same, as to them shall seem meet. Provided, always, That lands given and granted to the Governors of the College of the Province of New York, in the city of New York, in America, by the corporation heretofore styled the Rector and Inhabitants of the city of New York, in communion with the Church of England as by law established, on part whereof the said College is erected, shall not be granted for any greater estate, or in any other manner than is limited by the said charter.

XI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That when any special meeting of the Trustees of the said College shall be deemed necessary it shall and may be lawful to and for the senior Trustee of the said College then in the city of New York, and upon taking upon himself the exercise of the office (which seniority shall be determined according to the order in which the said Trustees are named in this act, and shall be elected hereafter), and he is hereby authorized and required, on application for that purpose, in writing, under the hands of any five or more of the said Trustees, to appoint a time for such special meeting, in some convenient place within the said city, and to cause due notice thereof to be given in the manner directed by the said charter.

XII. And whereas Academies for the instructions of youth in the languages, and other branches of useful learning, have been erected and instituted in different parts of this State, by the free and liberal benefactions of corporations as well as individuals; and the Regents of the University having represented, that the appointment and incorporation of the trustees for each of the said Academies, with competent power to manage the funds already appropriated, and the donations which may be made to such Academies, and to superintend the morals and education of the scholars, and the conduct of the Principal, masters and teachers, would greatly conduce to their security and prosperity. Therefore,

Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That upon the application of the founders and benefactors of any Academy, now or hereafter to be erected or established within any of the cities or counties of this State, or as many of them as shall have contributed more than one-half in value of the real and personal property and estate, collected or appropriated for the use and benefit thereof, by an instrument in writing under their hands and seals, to the Regents of the University, expressing their request, that such Academy should be incorporated, and be subject to the visitation of the Regents, nominating in such instrument the Trustees, not more than twentyfour or less than twelve, for such Academy, and specifying the name by which the said Trustees shall be called and distinguished, and

whenever any such request shall be made to the said Regents, they shall in every such case, if they conceive such Academy calculated for the promotion of literature, by an instrument under their common seal, signifying their approbation to the incorporation of the Trustees of such Academy, nained by the founders thereof, by the name mentioned in and by their said request in writing; which said request in writing, and instrument of approbation by the said Regents, shall be recorded in the Secretary's office of the State.

XIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the Trustees so constituted shall be the first Trustees for the Academy for which they shall be appointed, and immediately after recording the request in writing and instrument of approbation, shall be legally invested with all the real and personal estate appertaining to such Academy, or in any wise given or granted, for the use thereof; and the said Trustees, from the time of their appointment as aforesaid, and their successors forever thereafter, shall be a body corporate and politic, in deed, fact and name, known and distinguished by the name and style to be expressed in the said instrument; and by that name shall have perpetual succession, and be capable in the law to sue and be sued, and defend and be defended in all courts, and in all causes, plaints, controversies, matters and things whatsoever; and by the same name and style, they and their successors shall lawfully hold, use and enjoy the lands, tenements and hereditaments, in any wise appertaining to the Academy for which they shall be constituted Trustees, and shall and may lawfully have, take, acquire, purchase and enjoy lands, tenements and hereditaments, and use and improve such goods and chattels in such manner as they shall judge to be most beneficial for such Academy; provided that the annual revenue or income arising from the real and personal estate of any such Academy shall not exceed the value of four thousand bushels of wheat, any law, usage, or custom to the contrary notwithstanding.

XIV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful to and for such Trustees, and their successors forever, to have and use a common seal, and the same to alter, break and make a new at their pleasure, and as often as any three or more of the said Trustees shall think fit, and signify their request, the senior Trustee actually exercising his office, and residing within three miles of such Academy, shall call a meeting of the said Trustees, at such convenient time and place as he shall appoint, not less than eight nor more than twelve days from the time of such request, of which previous notice in writing shall be affixed on the door of the Academy, and of the church nearest thereto, within two days after such appointment, and at every such meeting the senior Trustee shall preside; such seniority in all cases to be determined according to the order of their nomination in the said instrument, or according to the priority of election after all the first Trustees shall become extinct, and the major part of such Trustees shall always be a sufficient quorun to proceed on business, and shall have full power and authority to adjourn from time to time, not exceeding seven days at one time,

as the duties of their trust may require. And it shall and may be lawful to and for such quorum of the said Trustees, when assembled and met in manner aforesaid, or the major part of them, from time to time to appoint a Treasurer and Clerk, Principal, Masters, Tutors, Teachers and other necessary officers; to ascertain their respective salaries, and to remove and displace any of them at their pleasure; and to make by-laws for the admission, education, government, and discipline of the scholars or students, and the establishment of the prices or terms of tuition; for securing, revising and paying out and disposing of the revenues, and in general for conducting and managing the estate, business, and affairs of the said Academy, and every matter and thing relating thereto, in such manner as they shall judge to be most conducive to its interest and prosperity, and the end of their

trust.

And in order to preserve the succession of Trustees for the said Academies respectively:

XV. Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That whenever a vacancy shall happen in any corporation of Trustees, by the death, resignation or refusal to act of any Trustee, it shall and may be lawful for the Trustees of such Academy, and they are hereby authorized and required, at any legal meeting of the Trustees, to elect and choose a fit person to fill up and supply such vacancy, and for the greater encouragement of such Academies, and to render them more useful and respectable.

XVI. Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the Regents of the University shall be Visitors of such Academies, and the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, or a Committee of the Regents, shall, as often as they see proper, visit such Academies to inquire into the state and progress of literature therein.

XVII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That when any scholar who shall be educated at any of the said Academies, on due examination by the President and Professors of Columbia College, or any other College subject to the visitation of the said Regents, shall be found competent, in the judgment of the said President and Professors, to enter into the Sophomore, Junior and Senior classes of such Colleges, respectively, such scholar shall be entitled to an admission into such of the said classes for which he shall be so adjudged competent, and shall be admitted accordingly, at any one of the quarterly examinations of such respective classes.

Provided always.

XVIII. And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That to entitle the scholars of any such Academy to the privileges aforesaid, the Trustees thereof shall lay before the Regents of said University, from time to time, the plan or system proposed to be adopted, for the education of the students in each of the said Academies, respectively, in order that the same may be revised and examined by the said Regents, and by them altered or amended, or approved and confirmed, as they shall judge proper.

XIX. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That

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