OF THE American Baptist Home Mission Society, PRESENTED BY THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AT THE ANNIVERSARY HELD IN TROY, N. MAY 13th, 14th, and 15th, 1853, WITH THE TREASURER'S REPORT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS. STOR LIBRARY NEW-YORK NEW-YORK: PUBLISHED AT THE AMERICAN BAPTIST HOME MISSION ROOMS, NO. 354 BROOME STREET. 1853. ACT OF INCORPORATION. AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE AMERICAN BAPTIST HOME MISSION SOCIETY, PASSED The People of the State of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: § 1. All such persons as now are, or may hereafter become members of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, formed in the City of New-York, in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two, shall be, and hereby are constituted a body corporate, by the name of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, for the purpose of promoting the preaching of the Gospel in North America. § 2. This Corporation shall be capable of taking, holding, or receiving any property, real or personal, by virtue of any devise or bequest contained in any last will or testament of any person whomsoever, the clear annual income of which devise or bequest shall not exceed the sum of ten thousand dollars; provided, no person leaving a wife, or child, or parent, shall devise or bequeath said Corporation more than one-fourth of his or her estate, after the payment of his or her debts, and such device or bequest shall be valid to the extent of such one-fourth, and no such devise or bequest shall be valid in any will which shall not have been made and executed at least two months before the death of the testator; and provided that no verbal mistake in the name of the said Corporation shall invalidate any gift, grant, devise or legacy intended for it. The net income of said Society, arising from their real estate, shall not exceed the sum of ten thousand dollars annually. 3. This Corporation shall possess the general powers, and be subject to the provisions contained in title third of chapter eighteenth of the first part of the Revised Statutes, so far as the same are applicable, and have not been repealed. $ 4. This Act shall take effect immediately. § 5. The Legislature may at any time modify or repeal this Act. NAME. I. THIS Society shall be called the AMERICAN BAPTIST HOME MISSION SOCIETY. OBJECT. II. The object of this Society shall be to promote the preaching of the gospel in North America. MEMBERSHIP. III. The Society shall be composed of Annual Delegates, Life Members and Life Directors. Any Baptist church, in union with the denomination, may appoint a delegate for an annual contribution of ten dollars, and an additional delegate for each additional thirty dollars. Thirty dollars shall be requisite to constitute a member for life; and one hundred dollars paid at one time, or a sum which, in addition to any previous contribution, shall amount to one hundred dollars, shall be requisite to constitute a director for life. OFFICERS. IV. The Officers of the Society shall be a President, two Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, an Auditor, a Corresponding Secretary, and a Recording Secretary, whom the Society shall annually elect by ballot. MANAGERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD. V. The Officers and Life Directors shall meet immediately after the Annual Meeting of the Society, and elect fifteen Managers, residing in the city of New-York, or its vicinity, who, together with the Treasurer, Auditor, and Corresponding and Recording Secretaries, shall constitute an Executive Board to conduct the business of the Society; and shall respectively continue.tc discharge their official duties until superseded by a new election. Five members of the Board shall be & coram for the transaction of business. POWERS And dutieS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD. 4 VI. The Executive Board shall have power to appoint its own meetings; elect its own hair,an and Recording Secretary; enact its own By-Laws and Rules of Order, provided always, that they be not inconsistent with this Constitution; fill any vacancies which may occur in their own body, or in the offices of the Society during the year; and, if deemed necessary by two-thirds of the members present at a regular meeting, convene special meetings of the Society. They shall establish such Agencies as the interests of the Society may require; appoint Agents and Missionaries; fix their compensation; direct and instruct them concerning their particular fields and labors; make all appropriations to be paid out of the treasury; and present to the Society at each annual meeting a full report of their proceedings during the current year. DESIGNATED FUNDS. VII. All moneys or other property contributed and designated for any particular missionary field, shall be so appropriated, or returned to the donors, or their lawful agents. TREASURER. VIII. The Treasurer shall give bonds to such amount as the Executive Board shall think proper. ELIGIBILITY TO APPOINTMENT. IX. All the Officers, Managers, Missionaries and Agents of the Society, shall be members in good standing in regular Baptist churches. ANNUAL MEETING. X. The Society shall meet annually, at such time and place as the Executive Board shall appoint. ALTERATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION. XI. No alteration of this Constitution shall be made without an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members present at an annual meeting; nor unless the same shall have been proposed in writing, and the proposition sustained by a majority vote, at a previous annual meeting, or recommended by the Executive Board. OF the EXECUTIVE BOARD-Thursday before the first Wednesday in each month. 66 Committee on AGENCIES and FINANCE- The day previous to that of the B 1. All meetings shall be opened with prayer. 2. All Committees shall be nominated by the presiding officer, and approved b Board, unless otherwise specially ordered. 3. No moneys shall be paid out of the Treasury but by order of the Executive Bos 4. All resolutions, if required, shall be presented in writing. Those who seek aid from the American Baptist Home Mission Society will please to the published directions. MINUTES OF THE TWENTY-FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE American Baptist Bome Mission Society, HELD IN THE MEETING-HOUSE OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, TROY, NEW-YORK, MAY 13th, 14th and 15th, 1853. THE meeting was called to order by Rev. B. M. HILL, Corresponding Secretary, as neither of the presiding officers was present; when, upon motion, Rev. LELAND HOWARD was elected President pro tem., and, in the absence of Rev. EDWARD LATHROP, Rev. J. R. STONE, of New-York, was chosen Recording Secretary, pro tem. Prayer was offered by Rev. E. L. MAGOON, of New-York. Ministering and other brethren present, not members of the Society, were invited to participate in our deliberations. By resolution, the business sessions of the body were fixed for 9 o'clock, A. M., 3 o'clock, P. M., and 7 o'clock, in the evening. The hours of adjournment were made 12 o'clock, M., and 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Committees were appointed, as follows: On Credentials of Delegates.-Rev. brn. A. D. GILLETTE, of New-York; N. A. REED, Massachusetts; E. ANDREWS, Pennsylvania; L. HAYDEN, Vermont; A. H. GRANGER, Maine. On Nomination of Officers.-Rev. brn. E. L. MAGOON, of New-York; WM. REID, Connecticut; G. P. NICE, New-Jersey; J. E. CHESSHIRE, Rhode Island; W. P. PATTISON, New York. |