An act to incorporate the “Quincy House Company”

Sec[Section] 1 Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General assembly that John Tillson jo., Lucius Kingsman, Robert Tillson, Charles Howland[,] William Munroe and C F Chamberlain and their associates & Successors be and are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate by the name, style and description of “The Quincy House Company” to be located in the town of Quincy County of adams and by that name shall have power to contract and be contracted with and may sue and be sued[,] plead and be impleaded[,] answer and be answered unto in all Courts, ^and places^ where justice is judicially administered, and continue for twenty five years, to have a common seal, which they may alter and renew at pleasure, and to have and exercise all other incidental powers of a corporate body.

Sec 2 The said Company shall have power and be capable of holding[,] possessing, purchasing[,] improving, selling and conveying any estate real or personal for the use of said Corporation, Second to improve or erect such Buildings as the said company may think proper; third: to convert the “Quincy House already erected in the town of Quincy aforesaid, [?]

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lots on which the same is erected, the out houses and the appurtenances there unto belonging into the stock of said Company at Cost, fourth to rent[,] lease or occupy any or all such lands belonging to said Company for such a term of years at any one time as may be agreed upon

Sec 3. The Capital Stock of said Company shall be one Hundred thousand Dollars and shall be made up by adding to the north of the Quincy House aforesaid, the town lots on which stands the out houses and appurtenances at Cost so as to make that amount, and which shall constitute the Capital Stock of said Company including also the furniture and implements of every Kind and description already purchased or to be hereafter purchased for the use and accommodation of said Quincy House aforesaid and the useful and profitable occupancy thereof; said stock of one Hundred thousand Dollars is to be divided into shares of one Hundred Dollars each share to be paid in the said Quincy House lots, out houses appurtenances[,] implements and furniture, to the amount thereof and the residue of the shares in Cash one half at the time of subscribing and the other half in three months thereofafter

Sec 4

The better to enable said Corporation to transact and and carry on the purposes of their said Corporation, they are hereby authorised and empowered to make[,] endorse[,] issue[,] receive and transfer promisory notes, bills of exchange, conveyances of land

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to receive the hypothecation and pledges of the stock of ^other^ Companies or Incorporations, and other instruments in writing necessary to the transaction and safety of their said business: Provided: that said Company shall have no power to make or emit bills of credit, promissory notes or other instruments to be used as a circulating medium

Sec 5. All Contracts or other evidence of indebtedness which may be made or entered into by the said Corporation shall be subscribed by the president and attested by the Secretary and being so signed and attested shall be binding on said Corporation, and all Conveyances ^made^ and entered into by the said Corporation conveying real estate belonging to said Company when signed and attested as aforesaid shall in like manner be binding on said Corporation according to the tenor effect and true intent and meaning of the same

Sec 6. The concerns of said Corporation shall be managed by nine Directors at least five of whom shall be citizens of the State of Illinois, and who shall be elected annually by the Stockholders or their proxies which election shall be by ballot and each share holder or his proxie shall be entitled to give as many ^votes^ as he has shares, in the stock of said Company and the Directors receiving the greatest number of votes shall receive the Certificates of the Inspectors declaring them duty elected, the Directors so chosen or a majority thereof shall constitute a Board and be competant for the transaction of all business and shall and may from time ^to time^ make and prescribe such bye laws[,] rules and regulations

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relative to the concerns of said Corporation as to them may seem expedient[,] regulate the duties of the president and Secretary each of whom shall be chosen by a majority of the Directors so chosen and shall also regulate the duties of three Inspectors of elections to be appointed by said Directors, and also the duties their agents[,] Clerks and all others by them employed and the said directors or a majority of them shall annually elect a Secretary and Treasurer to said Board and appoint such other officers[,] clerks and agents as they may deem necessary for the the Carrying on the business of said Corporation with such salaries and allowances as to the said Directors shall seem proper: Provided: that such bye laws and regulations shall not be repugnant to the Constition of the united States or of this State

Sec 7 The said Board of Directors as aforesaid shall have power if they should deem it necessary to require the Treasurer to the Board to enter into Bond with Surities [...?] for the due and faithful performance of the duties of his Office as required by law and agreeably to the bye laws, rules, and regulations of such Board

Sec 8. John Wood[,] Charles Morton and Seth C Sherman shall be Commissioners and inspectors of the first election to be held under this act, the duties of whom or a majority of them shall be to open Books of Subscription

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to the Capital Stock of said Corporation at any time after the passage of this act at the “Quincy House” in Quincy giving however ten days ^public^ notice in the public papers printed in the town of Quincy of the day and hour such books will be opened for subscription which said books may be kept open from day to day and until the time that such stock Shall be subscribed, and taken: Provided: that if such stock should not all be taken within a reasonable time but an amount equal to two thirds thereof, the said Company may in that Case proceed to the election of Directors and may organize the same in all respects as if the said Stock had all been taken and may at any subsequent period receive subscription to the Stock until the same is all taken

Sec^x^ 9 The Stock of the Said Incorporation shall be assignable and Transferable according to such rules as shall be adopted in that behalf by the Bye-laws and ordinances thereof, and shall be deemed personal property; but no stock holder indebted to the corporation shall be permit^t^ed to make a transfer, until such debt be paid or secured to the satisfaction of the directors

Sec 10 The Company shall at all times Keep proper books of accounts in which shall be registered all the transactions of the Corporation and the same shall at ^all^ times be subject to an investigation of the stock holders and it shall be the duty of the Directors to make annual

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dividends or at such other ^times ^ as a mjority of the dir[ectors] may direct of so much of the profits of Said Company as to them or a majority of them may Seem advisable

Sec 11 The mode of Commencing a suit against Said Corporation Shall be by Summons an attested Copoy of which shall be left with the Secretary of the Board by the Sheriff or officer serving the Same for Twenty days previous to the return day or day set for trial which Copy left as aforesaid Shall be deemed legal and Sufficient Servise

Sec 12 For the present the persons named in the first Section of this act Shall be the Trustees of Said incorporation and they and their Successors in office Shall have power to fill all vancancies which may occur in their own Body, or any of the offices of Said Corporation by death, resignation, or otherwise, and persons appointed to fill any of said vacancies Shall hold their office until their Successors are duly elected and qualified

sec 13 The Board of Directors shall be elected annually at Such times, and under Such rules and regulations as Shall be prescribed by the bye-laws and ordinaces of Said Corporation

Sec 14. The Said Corporation are hereby authorised and empowered to add to the Capital Stock of said Quincy House Company at any time before the first day of January in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and Forty all the lands which have heretofore been conveyed to Charles. F. Moulton, Daniel Low, David H Nevins, John N Gossler, John W Leavitt[,] Joseph L Joseph[,] Samuel I Lewis[,] Amos Binney[,] James. C Dunn, Lemuel Lamb, Joseph Swift, Charles Atwater and James B Danforth and also to Lemuel Lamb and Thomas Dunlap purchased of Sundry Individuals all which lands are situate in the State of Illinois and constitute the joint interest of the Illinois Land Company of which Company John Tillson junior is the General agent: by issuing additional stock therefor to the number of fifteen thousand Shares of one hundred Dollars each Share: Provided, that all the lands conveyed to Said individuals as aforesaid shall be disposed of at public sale by the Company in the Town of Quincy, adams County and State of Illinois aforesaid on or before the first day of October, one thousand eight hundred and forty six: and that there shall be a public sale of a portion ^not less than one sixth [...?] one seventh^ of Said land in each and every year after the present year, at said Town of Quincy aforesaid of which sale in each year sixty days public and previous notice shall be given containing a list of the particular tracts of land to be sold, the kind of title and the name or names of such individual or individuals through whom the title has passed until the same became the property of said Company as shall appear by their papers at their office in the Town of Quincy, not less than [five]

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copies of which shall be deposited with the Cl[erk] of the County Commissioners Court of each County or such County wherein the lands are situated, fifty day previous to the day of sale, describing each tract of land so to be offered for sale lying in each County

and in case of defalt on the part of said Corporation to dispose of all the lands now belonging to said ^land^ company at their office in the Town of Quincy and state aforesaid, conveyed to the aforesaid persons and for which the number of fifteen thousand shares of Stock at one hundred dollars each shall have been issued on or before the first day of October one thousand eight hundred and forty six: all of said lands remaining unsold at the time Shall become forfeited in the hands of the Share holders and shall become the property of the State of Illinois and shall be divided among the several Counties thereof according to the population of each County and be under the control of the county Commissioners Courts of said Counties and appropriated and applied exclusively to the purposes of Education in

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such Counties

sec 151 If the lands aforesaid or any part there of shall remain unsold after having been offered at public sale conformable to the provisions of this act it shall be lawful for said Corporation to sell and dispose of such remaining lands, or any part thereof, by private sale at their office in Quincy

Sec 16. If the ^said^ Illinois land Company shall accept the provisions of this Charter2, and consent to add their lands to the Stock of the “Quincy House Company,” they shall signify there acceptance by an instrument of writing under the hands and seals ^of John Tillson Jr the Gen^l[General] agent of said Ill Land compy^ which said acceptance shall be filed with the Secretary of the board of Directors of the Quincy House Company, and by him entered upon the records of Said Board of Directors ^of said company^ ^company^, Said Secretary shall make out and certify a copy of said acceptance, and transmit the same to the Auditor of Public accounts, to be by him filed, and preserved in his Office.

sec 17 So soon as the said Illinois land Company shall have signified thier acceptance of this Charter, ^as provided for in the 16^th section of this act,^ they shall make, execute and deliver to the Quincy House Company a deed, conveying to said Quincy, House Company in fee Simple, all lands which said Illinois land Company shall, at the date of

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such deed, own in the State of Illinois, which said deed when duly authenticated shall be recorded in the recorders office of3 the County of Adams and it shall not be necessary to record said deed in each one of the Counties whre any part of said land may lie; nor in any other County, except the aforesaid County of adams. A list of all the lands contained in said deed of conveyance shall be made out and certified by the recorders of the County of Adams aforesaid, and transmitted to the auditor of Public accounts, and by him filed and preserved in his Office after which the said corporation may issue the fifteen thousand shares of additional stock named in the fourteenth section of this act, to the persons entitled to the same.

sec 18 It shall be the duty of the said board of Directors to make or cause to be made annually on or before the first day of January in each year ^after the present^ to the auditor of Public accounts a complete report of all sales of lands; to whom sold, and at what price: (also a statement of the aggregate amount of an account of the incidental expenses relating to such sales and the necessary business connected there with:) which report shall be signed and certified by the President and Secretary of the aforesaid Board of Directors which report shall be filed by the auditor and preseved in this Office

sec 19 After the first day of October one thousand eight hundred and forty six: the said Corporation shall cease to exist so far as relates to fifteen sixteenths of its capital Stock and the said Corporation are hereby authorised to make thir capital only one Hundred thousand Dollars it bieng

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the original Capital of the “Quincy House Company” and to issue stock accordingly to the owners thereof And after the said first day of October one thousand eight Hundred and forty six the real estate to be held in fee simple by said “Quincy House Company” shall not exceed one Hundred and sixty acres of land in quantity, and said Company shall after that time confine its operations exclusively to the managements of the said Quincy House, and the business necessarily connected therewith

sec 20. This act is hereby declared a public act and Shall be favorably and benignly construed in all courts and places whre justice is administered for every beneficial purpose mentioned therein and shall take effect and be in fo[rce] from and after its passage