A Bill For an Act to incorporate the “Clinton Steam Mill Company”

Sec[Section] 1 Be it Enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That Thomas Bond, James Wightman, James Thompson[,] and Benjamin Bond and their associates[,] and successors[,] and assigns be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, by the name and style of the [“]Clinton Steam Mill Company” for the more convenient owning and conducting a steam saw and Grist Mill, to be propelled by one or more steam engines, in the county of Clinton, and the transaction of all the usual business of companies engaged in the manufacture of Flour, meal[,] and Lumber, and the transportation and vending the same: and the said Corporation, by the said name, is declared, and hereby made capable in law to sue and be sued, to plead and be impleaded to have a common seal, and the same to alter and renew at pleasure; to make rules and bye Laws for the regulation and management of the said corporation, consistent with the laws of this state; and generally to do and execute whatever by law shall appertain to such bodies politic; provided, that nothing herein contained, shall be considered as conferring on the said corporation any Banking privileges, but they shall be exclusively confined to the operations necessary for carrying on the business consequent upon the running and conducting of steam Mills.

Sec. 2. The said corporation shall have the right to hold, possess[,] and enjoy, any quantity of Land, not not exceeding Six Hundred & forty acres, and the whole amount of capital stock, shall not exceed in value Thirty thousand Dollars, and shall be divided into One Hundred shares of three Hundred dollars each; which capital shall be employed in purchasing and holding the Lands aforesaid, and in procuring[,] constructing[,] employing[,] and using buildings, machinery, teams, tools[,] and utensils and all things necessary and proper for the manufacturing of Meal[,] Flour[,] and Lumber, and transportation and sale of the same, and the purchase of Corn[,] Wheat[,] Timber and other materials for the successful prosecution of the object of the Company. Every member of the Company, shall have a certificate, under the seal of the corporation, and made duly authorized ^and altered in^ such manner and form as the Bye Laws shall prescribe, certifying his property in the share or shares owned by him, and the stock of said Company shall, in the nature of personal property, be assignable and transferrable, according to such rules as the Board of Directors shall establish; and no stockholder in debted to the Company, shall be permitted to make a transfer or receive a dividend, until such debt is discharged, or security given for the same to the satisfaction of the Directors

Sec 3. For the managing of the affairs of the said corporation, there shall be chosen from among the stockholders, Four Directors, who shall hold their office for One Year, or until superseded by others. Ten days previous notice shall be given, by putting up written notices in five of the most public places in the county of Clinton (or by publishing in a public newspaper whenever there shall be one published in the County of Clinton) of the first election for directors under this act, and there shall be annually thereafter a like election for Directors, in the Town of Carlyle. In all such elections for Directors, each proprietor of a share in the capitol stock, shall be entitled to one vote for each and every share, held and owned by him, which vote shall be given either by himself in person, or by his proxy duly authorized under seal, and a majority of the shares shall be necessary to a choice of Directors, on the transaction of any business which may concern the company and come before the stockholders

Sec. 4. A majority of the Directors shall form a quoram to transact business, and they shall meet within Thirty days from the time they shall have been chosen at Carlyle, and choose by ballot, one of their number for President, who shall serve for one year, or until superseded by a new election; and there shall

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be annually thereafter, a like election in the town of Carlyle, by the said Directors for the time being of a President for the said Corporation

The said Directors shall also have power to choose and appoint a secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers and agents, to conduct and prosecute the business of the said Corporation, as they shall deem necessary and proper, and prescribe their duties from time to time in such way as said Directors may think best. The said Directors shall cause to be kept, duly recorded in Books to be provided and kept for the purpose. minutes of all their proceedings and regular accounts of all their transactions; as also minutes of the proceedings of the stock holders at each of their meetings, which Book may at any time be inspected by any of the stockholders. The said Directors shall have power for good cause, to be spread at large, together with the proof in support thereof, upon the minutes aforesaid, to remove the President from officeThey shall have power also to supply any vacancy which may occur in the office of President or in their own body; and the President or Directors thus chosen, shall hold his office until the next succeeding regular annual election for such officer

Sec 5 The Directors may from time to time at

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any meeting assess and require payment of such sum of money not exceeding twenty per cent upon each share of the capital stock, as shall be judged by them necessary for the purposes of the corporation; to be paid into the hands of the Treasurer, and if after publication of notice in a newspaper, once a week for two months, or by posting up written notices for the space of two months by the secretary of the Board, of the time of payment of any proportion or installment of said capital stock in five of the most public places in the county of Clinton if there be no newspaper published in said County, any stock holder shall fail to pay his instalment at the time specified in such notice, the amount paid by such delinquent stock holder previously, shall be forfeited to the company, and his stock may be sold to any person for such price, as may be agreed upon between said Company and the purchaser

Sec. 6. Dividends of the nett profits of the said Company, shall be made at such time as shall be determined by the stock holders in General meeting which dividend shall be paid to the person entitled to the same, on demand made, ten days after making and declaring such dividend. The declaring

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and amount of said dividend, shall be published once or more in a newspaper should there be any printed in the County of Clinton and should the[there] be no newspaper printed as aforesaid then for four weeks successively by keeping up printed notices in five of the most public places in the County.

Sec 7. The Treasurer of the Company within thirty days after his appointment shall enter into bonds for the faithful discharge of his duties, in such amount as shall be designated by the Board of Directors, and with such securities as said Board may approve; and all monies accruing to the Company, and falling into the hands of said Treasurer, shall be by him safely kept and disbursed for the uses of said Company as already provided for and in accordance with the bye Laws of said Company not conflicting with any of the provisions of this act.

Sec 8 The stock of said Company shall be deemed personal estate, and pass as such to the Legal representatives of each stockholder provided that the real estate which may be held by said corporation shall be sold and conveyed when they may think proper

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so to dispose of it, according to the forms and in the manner prescribed by Law for conveying real estate, the President of the Company making the acknowledgment on behalf of the Corporation