Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois represented in the General assembly That Jonathan S. Colton, Cyrus Bryant, Degrass Salisbury, Justin H. Olds, John H. Bryant[,] Amos N. Bacon, Austin Bryant, Arthur Bryant, David Robinson, Asha Doolittle, Joel Doolittle, Elisha Woods, Roland Moseley, Joseph Houton, George R. Hitchcock, James S. Everett, and Rufus Carey, together with their associates and all others, who may hereafter become associated with them, be, and they hereby are constituted a body politic, and corporate to be known by the name of “The first Independent Congregational Society of Princeton” and by that name to have perpetual Succession, and a common seal, which may be altered at the pleasure of the Society.

Sec. 2. The members of the Society shall annually at such time as they may appoint, elect by ballot an executive committee consisting of not less than three, nor more than Seven members, also, a Secretary and a Treasurer all of whom shall continue in office one year and until their successors shall have been elected in their stead.

Sec. 3. The executive committee shall be capable in any Court of Law, or of equity of suing and being sued, pleading and being impleaded, answering and being answered unto, defending and being defended; They shall also under the special direction and subjects to the will of

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the society be capable of purchasing, holding and conveying any estate, real or personal, and in all lawful ways to use and manage the same in the behalf and for the common benefit of the corporation; provided that the real estate aforesaid shall not exceed one hundred and sixty acres; They shall have power to appoint their own chairman, and regulate their own meetings, and the Secretary of the Society shall act as secretary of said committee and all process against said corporation shall be by summons, and shall be said by leaving and attested copy, thereof with the secretary, or either one of the executive committee, at least thirty days previous to the return day of the Same.

Sec. 4. In no case under the provisions of this act shall any house of public worship, belonging to the society be sold, except by a vote of two thirds of the members present, at any special meeting for that purpose notified in such manner as may be required by the rules of the society; and in all cases in which such sale shall be made the proceeds thereof shall be applied to the holding or purchasing of another house for the like uses, better fitted for the accomodation of the society; and the individuals who may own slips in the house so sold; shall have their proportion of the proceeds of such sale applied on the purchase of a slip or slips in the house which may be built or purchased as aforesaid, titles of which may be given as hereinafter provided.

Sec. 5. The executive committee are hereby authorized under the restrictions of the Third

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article of this act, to make a deed or deeds of conveyance of the slips in any house of public worship which has been, or may hereafter be erected or purchased by the society; and they may adopt any form which may to them seem fit, to embrace any number of slips sold to any number of individuals seperately, in one deed, which shall be duly acknowledged before any person authorized by Law, and put upon record by the county recorder and also be spread upon the records of the Society by the Secretary, and the Same shall be considered good and valid in Law as any title whatsoever.

Sec. 6. The lands and tenements to be held in perpetuity by virtue of this act shall not exceed one hundred and sixty acres exclusive of the groun grounds which may be occupied by a house of public religious worship and other, buildings for the special use and convenience of the society, which last mentioned grounds, not exceeding five acres, together with the buildings and improvements thereon designed especially for the convenience of the Society in attending public religious worship, Shall be exempted from all taxation so long as they may be so occupied; Provided however, that if donations in Land shall at any time or in any manner be made to the corporation over and above the amount allowed be held in perpetuity, they may be held for the Term of five years from the Time when they may be given, and if not disposed of at the ends of that time, they shall revert back to the original donor, or to their Heirs, and in all cases in which donations may be made to the Society if they be not applied

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agreeable to the interest for which they Shall be given, they shall likewise revert back to the donors or their heirs.

Sec 7 The society shall be established on the most liberal place on which congregational societies in the United States are formed. They may adopt such Constitution and bye Laws, as shall be deemed necessary to define the duties of their officers to prescribe the mode of electing their religious Teacher, and for their better regulating the affairs of the corporation; They may pass any vote or order at any meeting, in conformity with their prescribed rules, Provided in no case they infringe on the constitution and laws of this State or of the United States,

Sec 8. This act to be in force from and after its passage.