A Bill for an Act to incorporate the Hamilton Primary School

Whereas Silas Hamilton did by his will and bequest bearing date the 20^th day of October 1834, give and bequeath Four Thousand Dollars in the words following Viz “Believing in the very good importance of Primary Schools, and desireing that my friends and relations in this neighbourhood should receive the benefit of them; I give and bequeath four thousand Dollars for the establishment of a Primary School viz” Two thousand Dollars to be appropriated to the erection of a building suitable for a school and for a place of public worship; and two thousand Dollars to constitute a fund for the support of a teacher said house is to be located not exceeding one mile south of this my residence, nor one mile west, nor one half mile north, nor one forth mile east of it, but at or near the point called the four corners, and I desire my executors to oversee the erection of said building” And whereas the executors of said Hamilton has procured a lot of land at the place called the four corners mentioned in said will it being in the [...?] centre of section

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Number fourteen in township Number seven north of range Number twelve west in the County of Jersey and have [...?] erected a stone building thereon for the use and purpose mentioned in said will and for the purpose of enabling the neithbourhood aforesaid to use and for ever enjoy the benefits of the said bequeath therefor

Sec[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the state of Illinois represented in the General Assembly that J. M. Hurd, Tarlton F. Brock, Henry Noble, James C. Perry and George D. Sidway and their successors be, and they are hereby created a body politic and corporate by the name and stile of “The Hamilton Primary school” and by that name to have perpetual succession with power to sue and be sued[,] pled and be impleaded[,] to acquire, hold and convey property real, personal and mixed, together with all donations and bequeaths made by Silas Hamilton for school purposes to have and use a common seal[,] to alter the same at pleasure, to make and alter from time to time such by-laws as they may deem necessary for the

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goverment of said school[,] its officers and servants Provided such by-laws be not inconsistant with the constitution and laws of the United states and of this state

Sec 2^d The said Primary School incorporated by this act shall remain located in Jersey County where it now is The powers and privileges hereby confered shall be exercised and imployed for the sole purpose of establishing a Primary school and promoting the cause of education. and all gifts and donations which may have been or that may here after be made for the purposes of education or establishing a seminary of learning shall be recived and held by the said Hamilton Primary school for the purpose of establishing a seminary of lerning and the proceeds thereof shall be appropriated in such a manner as shall best promote the objects of the donor and advance the prosperity of said school That all donations that have or may be given for a particular purpose expressed in the grant and accepted by said school

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shall be applied in conformity with the disign of the donors and if it is not in consistent with the objects of any such donation it shall be loaned out by the trustees of said school at such rate of interest as is now allowed to be taken by individuals and the trustees of said school are hereby authorized to obtain and receive from the executors or executor of the said Silas Hamilton or their legal representatives all notes, bonds, mortgages and other securities by them taken as security for the said donations and the said trustees shall have full power and authority to collected the same with the interest due thereon in the same way the executors [might?] or could have done

Sec 3^d The affairs of said school shall be governed by five trustees and the persons named in the first section of this act shall be the first trustees and continue in office until the first monday in June next and until their successors are elected and quallified and on the first monday in June next there shall be elected Five trustees who shall hold their office until succeeded as herein after directed

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At the first regular meeting of the trustees elected in pursuance of this act or as soon thereafter as practicable the trustees shall divide themselves into five classes and prepare five tickets and cast lot and the trustee drawing the first class shall hold his office for the term of five years and until his successor is elected and the trustee drawing the second class shall hold his office for the term of four years and until his successor is elected and the trustee drawing the third class shall hold his office for the term of three years and until his successor is elected and the trustee drawing the fourth class shall hold his office for the term of two years and until his successor is elected and the trustee drawing the fifth class shall hold his office for the term of one year and until his successor is elected so that on the first monday in June ^thereafter^ in each and every year there shall be elected on trustee who shall hold his office for the term of five years and until his successor is elected and quallified The trustees shall elect one of their own number President and shall be Judges of the quallification of its members

Sec 4. That at any election held for the election of trustees all persons residing within the four miles square to be laid off north and south and east and west calling the school house aforesaid the centre of said four square miles ^miles square^ and who are quallified to vote for members of the General Assembly shall be entitled to vote for trustees and a majority of trustees shall form a quorum for the transaction of business and any three of them may act as Judges and clerks of the election of trustees, and may make such regulations in regard to conducting the election of trustees as they may see proper from time to time.

Sec 5. The trustees of said incorporation shall have authority from time to time to prescribe and regulate the studies to be pursued in said school, to fix the rates of tuition an any other academical expences, to appoint instructors and such other officers and agents as may be necessary in manageing the affairs of said school, to define their duties, to fix their compensation and to displace and remove them at pleasure

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to erect any necessary buildings, to purchase books, apparatus and other suitable means of instruction and generaly to do such acts from time to time as they may deem necessary to promote the objects of this act

Sec. 6. It shall be the duty of said trustees to appoint a treasurer who shall also act as clerk of said incorporation and require the treasurer to give bond with good and sufficient security in such penal sum as they may deem proper conditioned that he shall faithfully perfom the duties of his office and comply with such duties as the by-laws of said corporation shall require of him from time to time

Sec 7. The said school shall be open to all ^to all classes of people and^ denominations of christians and the profession of any ^particular^ religious faith shall not be necessary of those who become students all persons however may be suspended or expeled from said school by the trustees thereof whose habits are idle or vicious.

Sec 8 The real estate owned by said corporation at any one time shall not exceed three hundred acres, nor shall this act be so construed so as to prevent said school from receiving its just proportion from the township and state fund as other schools do And said trustees shall perform the same duties in regard to said school for the purpose of obtaining their proportion of said school fund as is ^or may be^ required of trustees of schools in other townships

Sec 9 This act shall take effect and be in fource from and after its passage any law to the contrary notwithstanding.

Sec 9 The trustees of said school shall have full power and authority to call on the executors or executor of said “silas Hamilton” or their legal representatives for a settlement of their acts in regard to said donation And it shall be the duty of the trustees of said school to see that the donation of the said Silas Hamilton is faithfully applied to the objects of the donor

Sec 10 This act shall take effect from and after its passage any law to the contrary notwithstanding