A Bill entitled,
“An act for the incorporation of agricultural societies”

Sec[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois represented in the General Assembly, That hereafter when any twenty or more citizens of any county in this state, shall see proper to meet at their County-seat in conformity to the provisions of this act, it shall be lawful for them to do so, & then to organize themselves, and become an agricultural society, with corporate and politic powers.2

Sec. 2. Public notice shall be given by advertisements signed by at least three free holders of the county, and put up at three of the most public places in said county, three weeks previous to said meeting, orby publication ^published^ for three weeks successively, before said meeting in said some newspaper printed in said county, of the intended meeting, setting forth that the object thereof is the formation of an agricultural society under the provisions of this act.

Sec. 3. When twenty or more citizens of any county shall have so met at the county seat, it shall be lawful for them to choose by voice, a chairman and secretary for said meeting, who shall ^be^ sworn or affirmed, by some person authorized to administer oaths, faithfully to discharge their respective duties as chairman and secretary, of such meeting, and then to proceed to take the vote of those present, whether they will or will not incorporate themselves under the provisions of this act, and if there be twenty present who so agree, they shall forthwith hold an election by ballot, for officers of said society at which election the chairman & secretary shall officiate as Judges

Sec 4. The officers of each society shall be a president and vice president, Treasurer, secretary, and seven directors, and such subordinate officers as the president, and Directors shall from time to time appoint, for the purpose of determining between competitors for prizes and awarding the same

Sec. 5. The treasurer shall give bond in such sum and with such free hold security, as the president & directors may approve, conditioned for the payment of all moneys entrusted to him to such person or persons, as may be by law entitled to the same, and for the faithful discharge of his duties as Treasurer: which bond shall be recorded in the recorder’s office of the County, & filed in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the county.

Sec 6. Before any election is held for officers at the first meeting, it shall be determined by voice, what shall be the tax for the first year on each member, and at every annual meeting the amount of the succeeding yearly tax shall be determined in like manner, provided said tax shall never be more than five ^dollars^ nor less than one dollar, on any member ^in any^ per year

Sec 7. So soon as a certificate signed by the Chairman & secretary, that a meeting and election of a president, vice-president, secretary, Treasurer, and seven directors has been had in conformity to the provisions

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of this act, is recorded in the recorder’s offices, (whose duty it shall be to record the same for a fee of twenty-five cents) they and their successors shall be in law and in fact, a body Corporate & politic, to have continuance forever by the name & style of the agricultural Society of County. And by such corporate name and style, shall be forever able and capable in law and equity, to sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, answer and be answered unto, defend and be defended, in all manner of suits, actions, plaints, plaints, pleas causes, matters, and demands, of whatever kind and nature they may be, in as full and effectual a manner, as any person or persons, bodies corporate or politic, may or can do

Sec. 8. Said president & directors shall have power to make and alter bye-laws (a majority being necessary to form a quorum) to determine on what articles, animals, mode of husbandry, or other improvements of any kind connected with agriculture or domestic mechanism, they will confer prizes, and the amount thereof, to fix the days of exhibition, to fill vacancies in their own body or in any office pertaining to the society, between the times of holding annual elections, to provide for the admission of other members, to direct the mode of holding future elections, of the time & place of holding said election, of which

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at least ten days’ notice shall ^be given^ by the secretary of said society, either by publication in some public newspaper printed in the county, or by putting up written advertisements in three of the most public places in said County. Provided no by-law of said society shall be in violation of the constitution of the United States, nor of the constitution or laws of this state.

Sec. 9. Said Corporation ^President & Directors^ may have a common seal with which all their official acts thereof shall be [sealed?] and they may alter and revoke said seal at pleasure, and institute another instead thereof

Sec. 10. Such corporations may receive donations ^or make purchase^ of land, or other property, for the use of said society: Provided, that no such corporation shall hold any greater amount of real estate than the value of Five hundred dollars, for any greater length of time than six months

Sec. 11 The president, or in his absence the vice president, shall preside at the meeting of the directors and have a casting vote in all questions; and in case of the absence of both these officers, the directors at any meeting may choose a president pro-tem. from their own body.

Sec. 12. No money shall be appropriated by said corporation, for any other purposes than the payment of prizes that relate to agricultural and Domestic manufactures, & for publication on those subjects: and the necessary contingent expenses of said society

Sec. 13. Nothing in this act shall be so construed as to prevent any member of any agricultural society, to be formed in conformity to the provisions of this act, from withdrawing therefrom, on his giving notice thereof to the Treasurer, & paying up all dues.

This act to take effect & be in force from & after its passage.