Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That Tristram P. Hoxey, David A. Smith, Winthrop S. Gillman, John Tillson jr., James Lamb, and Joseph Duncan, and their successors, are hereby created a body politic and corporate, by the name of “The trustees of the Central Seminary of Illinois,” and by that name to have perpetual succession. The seminary shall remain permanently located near Carlinville, Illinois. The number of trustees shall never exceed twelve. For the present the aforesaid persons shall constitute the board of trustees, who shall fill the remaining vacancies at their discretion.

Sec. 2. The object of the corporation shall be to promote the general interest of education, and to qualify young men for the various duties of life; and its powers shall be such only as are essential or useful in the attainments of said object; to have perpetual succession; to make contracts, to sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded; to grant and receive by its corporate name, and to do all other acts as natural persons may; to have a common seal, and to change the same at pleasure; to accept, acquire, purchase, lease, sell, or exchange property, real, personal, or mixed, in all lawful ways, and to use and to appropriate property or money belonging to the corporation, in such manner as the trustees may deem best calculated to promote the objects aforesaid; to make by-laws and to confer degrees, academical or honorary, such as are usually conferred by similar institutions: Provided, That the by-laws, inconsistent with the constitution of the United States or of this State, shall be void.

Sec. 3. The trustees for the time being shall have power to prescribe and regulate the course of studies to be pursued in the institution and in the preparatory departments; to fix the rate of tuition and other necessary charges; to appoint professors, teachers, and other officers, and agents; to fill the vacancies among the professors, teachers, officers, and agents, define their powers and duties, fix their compensation, and the term of employment; to displace or remove the said professors, teachers, officers, or agents; to erect the necessary buildings, purchase books, maps, charts, and other suitable means of instruction; and to make rules for the general management of the affairs of the institution, and for regulating the conduct of students.

Sec. 4. The trustees for the time being, in order to have perpetual succession, shall have power to fill vacancies which may occur in the board by removal, death, resignation or otherwise; and a majority of the trustees shall constitution a quorum for the transaction of business.

Sec. 5. The trustees shall faithfully apply all property and money by them received in erecting suitable buildings, supporting the necessary professors, teachers, officers, and agents, procuring a library and other necessary apparatus to aid in the promotion of the objects of the institution: Provided, That, if any donation, devise, or bequest shall be made for particular purposes accordant with the objects of the institution, and the trustees shall accept the same, the property or money thus obtained shall be applied according to the expressed wishes of the donor or devisor.

Sec. 6. The institution shall be open to all classes and denominations of persons, and no preference shall ever be given to students of any particular religious faith; but, for any criminal or gross immoral conduct, students may be suspended or expelled.

Sec. 7. Suits shall be commenced against the corporation by summons, and the service thereof shall be by delivering a copy to a trustee.

Sec. 8. The real estate held in perpetuity by the said corporation shall not exceed six hundred and forty acres of land; but, if donations, grants, or devises shall from time to time be made to said corporation, over and above the said six hundred and forty acres which may be held in perpetuity as aforesaid, the same may be received and held for the period of ten years from the date of such donation, grant, or devise; at the end of which time the excess of land so received over and above the six hundred and forty acres remaining undisposed of by the corporation shall revert to the donor, grantor, or the heirs of devisor.

Sec. 9. The president or principal professor in the institution shall, ex officio, be a member of the board of trustees; and, upon the appointment of a trustee to this office, his place as a trustee shall be deemed vacant, and filled as other vacancies. The trustees for the time being shall have power to remove any trustee from his office of trustee, for any dishonorable or criminal conduct; but removal shall not take place without giving such trustee notice of the charges against him, and the opportunity of defence, nor unless tw0-thirds of the whole number of the trustees for the time being shall concur in such removal.

Sec. 10. The trustees shall have power to require bond and security from any officer or agent of the institution, conditioned for the faithful discharge of the duties required by the by-laws.

Approved, February 15, 1839.