Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the General Assembly, That Walter S Akin, John Ewing, John P Maddox, Zechariah Sullens, Thomas Thompson, John Edgerly, Benjamin Smith, Danial D Thomas, and Abraham Rea ⋄amend by adding at the end of the fifth line William Browning, Abel Ward, Silas M Williams, John R Williams, Elijah Taylor, Moses Neal, John Dillon, Robert T Townes, ^and^ Lemuel R. Harrison,⋄ be and they are hereby constituted a body Politic and Corporate, to be known by the name and style of the Trustees of Benton Academy, and by that name shall have perpetual succession, and have a common Seal with power to change at pleasure, and as such shall be authorized to exercise all powers and privilages that are enjoyed by the Trustees of any Academy, College or University in this State, not herein in limited or otherwise directed.

Sec. 2. That the said Trustees or a majority of them shall hold their first Stated meetings at the Town of Benton in the County of Franklin, on the first Monday of September next or as soon thereafter as may be convenient, and they or a majority of them, shall as soon as they think proper, fix upon a permanent location for said Academy, within one mile of the said Town of Benton, and proceed to erect a building or buildings thereon as soon as convenient, and the interest of said institution may require.

Sec. 3 The said Trustees or their successors by the name aforesaid shall be capable in law to purchase[,] receive and hold to themselves and successors for the use and benefit of said institution any lands and tenement not exceeding six hundred and forty acres at any one time

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or rents[,] goods and chattles of what kind soever which shall be given or devised to or purchased by them for the use of said Academy.

Sec. 4. The said Trustees by the name aforesaid, may sue and be sued[,] plead and be impleaded, in any Court of Law or Equity in this State.

Sec. 5. In case a sufficient number of members do not attend to constitute a meeting a board at any meeting those who do attend may adjourn to any day thereafter or to the next stated meeting, and shall give ten days previous notice thereof.

Sec. 6. Five ⋄Amend section 6, by striking out the word “five” and inserting “a majority of the”⋄ members shall be a sufficient number to constitute a Board for the transaction of all business for said Academy, except those cases particularly excepted

Sec. 7. The assent of the majority of the whole member of Trustees shall be necessary to perform the following business, towit, to fix the Salary of the President, to fix upon the permanent seat of the Academy, to alienate[,] sell or convey any lands[,] tenaments or rents belonging to said Academy.

Sec. 8. The Trustees shall have power from time to time to establish such by Laws, rules and ordinances not contrary to the Constitution or Laws of this State as they shall deem necessary, for the government of said institution.

Sec. 9. The Trustees shall elect a President, Treasurer and Clerk to their own body, and so many inferior Trustees tutors or masters as may be necessary.

Sec. 10. Upon the death[,] resignation or legal disabilities of any of the Trustees, President or other Officers of the

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said institution, the board of Trustees shall supply the vacancy by ballot.

Sec. 11. The Treasurer of said institution always and all other agents when required by the Trustees, before entering upon the duties of their appointments, shall give bond for the security of the Corporation in such penal sum and with such securities as the board of Trustees shall approve, and all process against the said corporation shall be by summons, and service of the same shall be by leaving an attested copy with the Treasurer of the institution at least twenty days before the return day thereof.

Sec. 12. The said institution and their preparatory department shall be open to all denominations of christians, and professions of any religious faith shall not be required of those who become Students; all persons however may be suspended or expelled from said institution whose habits are idle, or vicious, or whose moral character is bad.

Sec. 13. The President and other officers of said institution shall be subject to the direction of the board of Trustees and shall continue in office during good behaviour.

Sec. 14 The President of the board of Trustees, shall have power to call special meetings of the said Trustees, and it shall be his duty upon the request of three of them to do the same, but upon any called meeting ten days notice shall be given by the President previous to the meeting.

Sec. 15. The trustees of the Corporation shall have authority from time to time to prescribe and regulate the course of studies to be pursued in said institution, and in the preparatory department attached thereto, to fix the rate of tuition, room rent, and other College expenses, to appoint

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Instructors and such other officers and Agents as shall or may be kneeded in managing the concerns of the institution to define their powers, duties and employments, to fix their compensations, to displace and remove either of the Instructors, officers and Agents, to erect the necessary buildings, to purchase books[,] and chemical and philosophical aparatuses, and other suitable means for instruction, to put in operation a system of manual labour, for the purpose of lessening the expense of education, and promoting the health of the Students, to make rules for the general management of the affairs of the institution, and the regulation of the conduct of the Students, and to add as the ability of the said Corporation shall increase, and the interest of the community shall require, additional departments for the study of any, or all the liberal professions, Provided however, that nothing herein contained shall authorize the establishment of a Theological department in said institution.

Sec. 16. If at any time a member of the board of Trustees shall absent himself for three stated meetings successively, or for some disorderly conduct for good cause shown, or approved of by the said Trustees, in such case his seat shall be considered to be vacant, and the board shall proceed to fill his seat with a member, Provided the Trustees of said establishment shall at all times be accountable for their conduct in the management of the business aforesaid, in such manner as the Legislature shall by law direct.