Allowed a missionary relation for the current year; that is, to use half funds raised in the Con

ference.

NOTE.-The term "conditional" means that the fund to which it is applied will not be called for until the full amount has been paid into the treasury for the purpose indicated. It implies that certain persons or localities are interested in this special work and are laboring to secure a fund to opera and support the same.

ACT OF INCORPORATION.

AN ACT to Amend the Charter of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Passed April 4, 1873.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. The Act entitled "An Act to Amend the Charter of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church," passed April fourteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-nine; also the Act entitled "An Act to Consolidate the several Acts relating to the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church into one Act, and to amend the same," passed April eleventh, eighteen hundred and fifty-nine; and the Act entitled "An Act to Incorporate the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church," passed April ninth, eighteen hundred and thirty-nine, and the several Acts amendatory thereof, and relating to the said Society, are respectively hereby amended and consolidated into one Act; and the several provisions thereof, as thus amended and consolidated, are comprised in the following sections:

SEC. 2. All persons associated, or who may become associated, together in the Society above named are constituted a body corporate, by the name and style of "The Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church," and are hereby declared to have been such body corporate since the passage of said Act of April ninth, eighteen hundred and thirtynine; and such Corporation is and shall be capable of purchasing, holding, and conveying such real estate as the purposes of the said corporation shall require; but the annual income of the estate held by it at any one time, within the State of New York, shall not exceed the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars.

SEC. 3. The objects of the said Corporation are charitable and religious; designed to diffuse more generally the blessings of education and Christianity, and to promote and support missionary schools and Christian missions throughout the United States and Territories, and also in for<eign countries.

SEC. 4. The management and disposition of the affairs and property of the said Corporation shall be vested in a Board of Managers, composed of thirty-two laymen of the Methodist Episcopal Church and thirty-two traveling ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, appointed by the General Conference of said Church at its quadrennial sessions, and of the Bishops of said Church, who shall be ex officio members of said

Board. Such Managers as were appointed by said General Conference at its last session shall be entitled to act as such from and after the passage of this Act, until they or others appointed by the ensuing General Conference shall assume their duties. Any such Board of Managers may fill any vacancy happening therein until the term shall commence of the Managers appointed by an ensuing General Conference; said Board of Managers shall have such power as may be necessary for the management and disposition of the affairs and property of said Corporation, in conformity with the Constitution of said Society as it now exists, or as it may be from time to time amended by the General Conference, and to elect the officers of the Society, except as herein otherwise provided; and such Board of Managers shall be subordinate to any directions or regulations made, or to be made, by said General Conference.

SEC. 5. Thirteen members of the said Board of Managers, at any meeting thereof, shall be a sufficient number for the transaction of business. The Corresponding Secretaries, the Treasurer, and the Assistant Treasurer of said Society shall be elected by the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and shall hold their office for four years, and until their successors are elected; and in case of a vacancy by resignation, death, or otherwise the Bishops of the said Methodist Episcopal Church shall fill any vacancy in the office till the ensuing General Conference. And until the next session of the General Conference said Board of Managers may appoint and remove at pleasure the Treasurer and the Assistant Treasurer of said Corporation; and the latter officer may exercise his duties, as the Board may direct, in any State.

SEC. 6. The said Corporation shall be capable of taking, receiving, or holding any real estate, by virtue of any devise contained in any last will and testament of any person whomsoever; subject, however, to the limitation expressed in the second section of this Act as to the aggregate amount of such real estate, and also to the provisions of an Act entitled "An Act Relating to Wills," passed April thirteen, eighteen hundred and sixty; and the said Corporation shall be also competent to act as a Trus tee in respect to any devise or bequest pertaining to the objects of said Corporation, and devises and bequests of real or personal property may be made directly to said Corporation, or in trust, for any of the purposes comprehended in the general objects of said Society; and such trusts. may continue for such time as may be necessary to accomplish the purposes for which they may be created.

SEC. 7. The said Corporation shall also possess the general powers specified in and by the Third Title of Chapter Eighteen of the First Part of the Revised Statutes of the State of New York.

SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect immediately.

24

CONSTITUTION

OF THE

Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church,

AS REVISED BY THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF 1888.

ARTICLE I.

NAME AND OBJECTS OF THE SOCIETY.

THE name of this association shall be “THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH." Its objects are charitable and religious; designed to diffuse more generally the blessings of education and Christianity, and to promote and support missionary schools and Christian missions throughout the United States and Territories, and also in foreign countries, under such rules and regulations as the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church may from time to time prescribe.

ARTICLE II.

MEMBERS, HONORARY MANAGERS, AND PATRONS.

The payment of twenty dollars at one time shall constitute a member for life. Any person paying one hundred and fifty dollars at one time into the treasury shall be an honorary manager for life; and the contribution of five hundred dollars shall constitute the donor an honorary patron for life any such honorary manager or patron shall be entitled to a seat, and the right of speaking, but not of voting, in the Board of Managers.

ARTICLE III.

BOARD OF MANAGERS.

The management and disposition of the affairs and property of the said Corporation shall be vested in a Board of Managers, consisting of the Bishops of said Church, who shall be ex-officio members of said Board, and thirty-two laymen, and thirty-two traveling ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected by the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, according to the requirements of the exist ing Charter of the Society: vacancies in the Board shall be filled as the

Charter provides; and the absence without excuse of any manager from six consecutive meetings of the Board shall be equivalent to a resignation. The Board shall also have authority to make By-laws not inconsistent with this Constitution or the Charter; to print books for Indian and Foreign Missions, and Missions in which a foreign language is used; to elect a President, Vice-Presidents, and a Recording Secretary; to fill vacancies that may occur among the officers elective by its own body; and shall present a statement of its transactions and funds to the Church in its Annual Report, and also shall lay before the General Conference a report of its transactions for the four preceding years, and the state of its funds.

ARTICLE IV.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARIES.

There shall be three Corresponding Secretaries appointed by the General Conference.

They shall be subject to the direction and control of the Board of Managers, by whom their salaries shall be fixed, and their salaries shall be paid out of the treasury. They shall be exclusively employed in conducting the correspondence of the Society, in furnishing the Church with missionary intelligence, and, under the direction of the Board, in supervising the missionary work of the Church, and by correspondence, traveling, and otherwise, in promoting the general interests of the Society.

Should the office of either of the Secretaries become vacant by death, resignation, or otherwise, the Board shall have power to provide for the duties of the office until the Bishops, or a majority of them, shall fill the vacancy.

ARTICLE V.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

At the regular meeting of the Board next succeeding the final adjournment of the General Conference, the officers to be elected by the Board shall be chosen and hold their office for the term of one year, or until their successors shall be elected; or, if a vacancy occur during the year by death, resignation, or otherwise, it may be filled at any regular meeting of the Board.

ARTICLE VI.

PRESIDING OFFICER.

At all meetings of the Board, the President, or, in his absence, one of the Vice-Presidents, and in the absence of the President and of all the Vice-Presidents, a member appointed by the meeting for that purpose, shall preside.

ARTICLE VII.

QUORUM.

Thirteen Managers at any meeting of the Board shall be a quorum.