Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly2, That Dewey Whitney, Luther N. Ransom, William Thornton, Job Fletcher, Esq.[Esquire] Josiah Barrows, Cornelius Lyman, William Meeter, Esq. John G. Bergen, James L. Lamb, John Todd, Thomas Moffit, Esq. and Joseph Thayer, be, and hereby are created a body corporate, to be styled the “Trustees of the Chatham Manual Labor School, of Illinois,” with full power to acquire, hold and transfer property, real and personal, make contracts, sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, in their corporate capacity, to make, have and use a common seal, and the same to break, alter or destroy at pleasure, and said trustees shall never exceed the number of twelve. But is expressly declared, that the powers hereby given shall not be used or construed, to extend to the con-

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tracting for or acquiring, any property, real, personal, or mixed, or for dealing any otherwise, than in such things as may be necessary and proper for the purposes of an institution of learning; and the whole property and estate of said corporation, shall be applied exclusively, and solely to that purpose, and said corporation shall not deal in exchange, discount of notes, or in commercial business or pursuits.

Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That the Chatham Manual Labor School of Illinois, shall be located on Lick Creek prairie in Sangamon county, and within the bounds of township fourteen and range six west of the third principal meridian; and all the moneys, funds, and estate hereby vested, in the trustees thereof, or which may be hereafter acquired by them in their corporate capacity shall be held, used and employed for corporate purposes only.3

Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, that the before named trustees, shall have power to fill all vacancies in their own body, to appoint a chairman of their board, a president and professors, and such other officers and servants under them, as they deem necessary and proper, to hold these offices under such rules and regulations, as the said trustees may prescribe, and to make, allow and pay to the president, professors, and other officers and servants, such reasonable compensation for their services, as to the said trustees, may seem right and proper, and the said trustees shall have full power, and authority to make bye-laws, rules and regulations, for the better government of said school as they may judge expedient, and the same to annul, alter or amend at pleasure; Provided, said bye-laws, rules and regulations be not repugnant to the laws of this state or inconsistent with the principles laid down in this act as fundamental laws for the government of said school, and the said trustees shall have full power to do and perform any lawful matter or thing which they may deem conducive to the good of the institution, and consistent with the state of the funds thereof.

Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, that the following principles and rules, be the fundamental laws of said corporation viz:

First. The said trustees and other officers before they enter upon the duties of their offices; shall severally take the following oath or affirmation before some court of record or justice of the peace to wit: I, A. B. do solemnly swear, (or affirm) that I will to the best of my skill and judgment discharge the duties of in the Chatham Manual Labor School of Illinois, according to the provisions of their charter.

Second. A majority of the trustees shall constitute a board, competent to make pro tempore appointments, and

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the transaction of all business, except the permanent appointment or removal of officers, in which case a concurrence of two thirds of the whole board shall be necessary.

Third. The board of trustees shall have the entire control, of the system of manual labor, and shall determine the proportion of labour of each student, and no student shall be received as a regular member of the school, unless he submits to the performance of such an amount of labor as is enjoined by the trustees, and the trustees shall account to each student, for such labor, which shall be appropriated to the discharge of his expenses in said school.

Fourth. No religious doctrine peculiar to any one sect of christians, shall be inculcated by any professor in said school; but said institution shall at all times be conducted, upon free, liberal and enlightened principles, and no student shall be excluded, in consequence of his religious opinions, or those of his parents, guardians, or relations.

Sec. 5. Be it further enacted, that it shall and may be lawful for the trustees of said school, to receive, acquire, hold and procure, from any individual, or society, religious or otherwise, donations, gifts or bequeaths, of any sum or sums of money, books, maps, charts, philosophical apparatus, or estate of any kind, which shall be applied, wholly and exclusively to the uses and purposes that now be specially designated by the donors respectively, or to the establishment and maintenance of one or more professorships of theology, law or medicine, or other professorships, to be appointed by the donors, to be separate and distinct from the internal concerns of said school; Provided, that the fundamental law of said school which forbids doctrines, peculiar to any one sect of christians, to be taught by any professor in said school, shall remain, unchanged and inviolate, except in the theological department, of which he is professor, where he or they hold any other professorships in said school; each and every department of theology, law or medicine or other professorships, that may be established, shall remain as to the internal concerns separate and distinct from the literary department, and shall at all times, regulate their own affairs, without interfering with, or being interfered with in any way, with the bye-laws or statutes of the school, or of any department thereof; and the privilege is hereby secured to each and every denomination of christians, to establish a professorship of theology, in said school, they severally furnishing the funds necessary for its support.

Sec. 6. Be it further enacted, that the first meeting of the trustees hereby appointed, shall be held at the dwelling house of Dewey Whitney on the first Monday in April, or so soon thereafter as may be convenient and the said trus-

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tees shall have at least one stated meeting in every year, and should any trustee hereby appointed, or hereafter to be chosen, refuse to serve or fail to be qualified for the space of six months after notification of his appointment, or after qualification shall fail to attend the meeting of the board for the term of one year, the seat of such trustee or trustees shall be declared by the board to be vacant and they may proceed to fill the vacancy as heretofore provided.

Sec. 7. The lands, tenements, hereditaments to be held in perpetuity, in virtue of this act, by said corporation shall not exceed one thousand acres; Provided, however that if donations, grants or devises in land, shall from time to time, be made to said corporation, over and above said one thousand acres, which may be held in perpetuity as aforesaid, the same may be held and received by the said corporation for the period of five years, from the date of every such donation grant or devise, at the end of which time, if the said lands, over and above the said one thousand acres, shall not have been sold by said corporation, then and in that case, the lands so donated, granted or devised, shall revert to the donor, grantor, or the heirs of the devisor of the same; Provided, that if at any time, said corporation shall act contrary, to the provisions of this charter, or fail to comply with the same, it shall be the duty of the circuit attorney in and for the Sangamon circuit, to issue a scire facias to repeal this charter.

Approved, Jan. 9, 1836.