use and service of the library; they fhall have the choosing of books for the library; the renting a houfe or place for the fervice of the library; the furnishing the fame with preffes, shelves, and other things neceflary and fit; the keeping and power of affixing the foal of the company; which feal fhall be and remain the fame that is now used and affixed to this law, until another fhall be appointed; the lending of books; the appointing fecurities for the return of the books to the library, and the prices of the loans; the printing and dispersing of catalogues; the admiffion of new members, under the limitations and conditions now or hereafter to be established by the laws of the company; the fettling the accounts with the company's Treasurer; the payment of house-rent, servants and officers wages, and all other incident charges belonging to the company. Moreover the Directors are hereby invefted with a difcretional power to make fuitable returns (on behalf of the company) unto fuch benefactors as fhall honor them by donations or otherwise. to meet AND for the more orderly execution of the duty and trust Directors belonging to the said Directors, they are hereby required to meet monthly. once a month, at the place where the library fhall be kept, or fome other fit place in the faid city of Philadelphia, to confer and conclude concerning the matters hereby committed to them. In every of which meetings of the Directors aforefaid, seven Seven of of their number met shall be a quorum, capable to confult, then a queconfer, and conclude of, and upon all matters appertaining to the Directors, according to the laws and constitutions of the company and whatever fix of the number fo met fhall fo conclude, fhall be deemed and taken for and as the refolution of the Directors for the time, and accordingly entered in their minutes. rum. be deposited THAT the charter granted to the faid company fhall be depo- Charter to fited in the library, for the inspection and perufal of all perfons be their concerned; who fhall also have recourse to the journals of the ry. Directors, the minutes and entries of their Secretaries, with the Treasurer's accounts, and all other books and papers belonging, to the company; and may, if the Directors think fit, take copies thereof. be A Law for recording the laws of the company, and the names of fuch perfans as fhall hereafter be admitted members thereof, &c. TP O THE END that the laws of the Library Company of Philadelphia may be fecurely preferved, and that every member of the faid company may have opportunity of being fully acquainted therewith; It is hereby enacted by the faid company, record that all laws paffed at the general meetings of the faid company, Laws ed, &c. to Name, &c. of a new ad recorded. pursuant to their charter, fhall be recorded in a large bound book, of good paper, which shall be safely kept in the library for the perufal of the company; and that every law fo recorded, fhall be certified and fubfcribed in the faid book by the Secretary for the time being. And it is hereby further enacted by the faid company, That every mitted mem- perfon who now is, or that hereafter fhall be admitted, and ber to be become a member of the faid company (other than those whose names are inferted in the charter) shall have his name, and the time of his becoming a member as aforefaid, recorded in the faid book of records, and certified by the Secretary, as aforesaid. And that all other matters and things, which by the laws of the company are or shall be directed to be put upon record, shall also be recorded in the faid book. A Law for preventing any advantage by furvivorship, among members of the Library Company. the T IS ENACTED, That the members of the Library Company of Philadelphia, fhall hold their eftate and intereft in the faid company, as tenants in common, and not as joint tenants. The foregoing laws were all enacted and publifhed May the 3d, 1742. Signed by order, JOSEPH BREINTNALL, Secretary. A Law for reducing and fixing the price at which a fhare in the library may be purchased, and to enable the Directors to dispose of duplicates of books, &c. OR the increafing the funds of the Library Company of Fo Fixing the share. Philadelphia, for the enlarging the collection of books, and facilitating the advancement of knowledge and literature, IT IS ENACTED by the faid Library Company, That any person or perfons (who fhall be approved of by the Directors for the time price of a being) fhall be admitted a member or members of the faid company, and be entitled to a fhare in the books, effects and estate of the faid company, as fully, to all intents and purposes, as any member now is, or may or can be, upon paying into the hands of the faid company's Treasurer, the fum of TEN POUNDS, lawful money of Pennsylvania, and receiving a certificate, &c. agreeably to the di rections of a law directing the manner of admitting new members. Directors to sell du And it is further enacted, That the Directors of the faid company for the time being, shall and may, from time to time, as to authorized them fhall feem meet, fell and difpofe of fuch duplicates and bro- plicates, &c. ken fets of books as fhall be found in the faid library, and the monies arifing from fuch fale to pay to the company's Treasurer, for the use of the said library. The above law was enacted and published February 20, 1768. FRANCIS HOPKINSON, Secretary. A Law for afcertaining the fines for neglecting the yearly pay W ments. HEREAS by a law of the Library Company of Philadelphia, entitled, "A Law for ascertaining the fines for neglecting the yearly payments," it is, amongst other things, enacted, "That if any member or members of the faid compamy shall neglect to pay his or their yearly payments, for any time not exceeding three months, from and after the first Monday in May, that he or they shall pay the fum of Five Shillings as a fine, together with the faid Ten Shillings" which faid law has been found inconvenient and too strict: Fines settled. It is therefore hereby enacted, by the Library Company of Philadelphia aforefaid, That if any member make his yearly payment within ten days after the said first Monday in May, the fame shall be accepted without a fine; but if any member neglect to pay the yearly fum aforefaid, on the faid firft Monday in May, and for ten days afterwards, and for any time longer, not exceeding three months from and after the faid first Monday in May, fuch member shall pay to the Treasurer, for the time being, the fine of Five Shillings, together with his faid yearly payment. And for neglecting as aforefaid for any time above three months, and not exceeding fix months, the fine of Ten Shillings. And for neglecting as aforefaid for any time above fix months, and not exceeding nine months, the fine of Fifteen Shillings. And for neglecting as aforefaid for any time above nine months, and not exceeding twelve months, the fine of Twenty Shillings. Any thing in the faid recited law to the contrary in any wife notwithstanding. Enacted and published the thirteenth of March, 1769. FRANCIS HOPKINSON, Secretary.. to admit the the Union Company. A Law to enable the Directors of the Library Company of Philadelphia, to admit the members of the Union Library Company of Philadelphia. W HEREAS it is conceived that great advantages may arife to the public, as well as to the individual mem bers, by a union of the Library Companies aforefaid: Be it enDirectors acted by the Library Company of Philadelphia, that their Dihave power rectors for the time being, fhall have full power and authority members of to admit the members of the Union Library Company; and Library that each member fo admitted, fhall, by virtue thereof, be entitled to an equal share of all the estate both real and personal, belonging to the said Library Company of Philadelphia, in common with their other members; and shall receive accordingly certificates thereof. Provided always, That, previous thereto, the faid Union Library Company do affign over and convey all their eftate, both real and perfonal, to the faid Library Company of Philadelphia, and deliver poffeffion thereof to the Directors for the time being; fubject nevertheless to all fuch contracts heretofore made and now fubfifting between the faid Union Library Company and any of their members, as the faid Directors. fhall deem proper and expedient. Enacted and published the 13th of March, 1769. FRANCIS HOPKINSON, Secretary. A Law to enable the Directors of the Library Company of Philadel· phia, to purchase a lot of ground in the City of Philadelphia, to erect a building thereon for the ufe of the inftitution, and for other purposes therein mentioned. IN Directors to purchase N order to accommodate the company with a lot of ground, and a convenient building for the uses of the library, IT IS ENACTED by the Library Company of Philadelphia, That empowered the Directors fhall have power and authority to purchase a a lot, lot in the city of Philadelphia, on ground rent, on the best terms they can procure, and to cause to be executed, on behalf of the company, a proper counterpart of the deed to be received for the faid ground. And erect a THAT the Directors fhall have power to contract for materials and workmanship, and to cause to be erected a fuitable building. building, with cellars, the faid building to be two stories high, and of a fize fufficient to accommodate and serve the purposes of the library, having regard therein to a gradual increase of books, and other articles there to be depofited. shares to bę disposed of. THAT in order to defray the expence of the faid building, One hundred the Directors shall endeavour to make an addition to the num- previously ber of the members, by difpofing of fhares, and having procured one hundred new members, they may proceed on the work, and may appropriate the monies now due, and becoming due, and belonging to the company, as well as the cash in the hands of the Treasurer, referving enough for the current expenses of the library. And the Directors are hereby empowered to grant, bargain and fell for the highest price they can obtain, and by deed or deeds, under the common feal of the company, convey the company Director's empowered to sell the real estate belonging to |