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CONSTITUTION.

ARTICLE I.—The society shall be called THE NEW-ENGLAND HISTORIC, GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY.

ARTICLE II.-The objects of the society shall be to collect, preserve, and disseminate the local and general history of New-England, and the genealogy of New-England families.

ARTICLE III-The society shall be composed of resident, corresponding, honorary and life-members.

ARTICLE IV.-Resident, corresponding, and honorary members, having been nominated by the board of directors, shall be elected by ballot, at any stated meeting, by a majority of the votes cast.

ARTICLE V.-Every person elected a member of the society shall become such by signifying his acceptance to the corresponding secretary, in writing; and any member may withdraw from it, at any time, by certifying his intention of so doing to the recording secretary, in writing, and paying all dues to the treasurer.

ARTICLE VI.-Each resident member shall pay into the treasury, on his admission, the sum of five dollars, and after the year of his admission an annual tax of three dollars. Any member neglecting or refusing to pay his assessments for two years, shall forfeit his membership, unless the board of directors shall otherwise order.

ARTICLE VII. The payment of thirty dollars, in addition to his admission fee, shall constitute any resident or corresponding member a life-member of the society; life-members shall be free from assessments, and entitled to all the rights and privileges of resident members.

ARTICLE VIII.-The officers of the society shall be a president; one vice-president for each of the New-England states; one honorary vicepresident for each of such of the other states, as the society may determine; a corresponding secretary; a treasurer; a recording secretary; a historiographer; a librarian; and a board of directors. They shall hold office one year, or until their successors are elected.

ARTICLE IX-No person shall be eligible as a corresponding member who resides in any of the New-England states; and the membership of corresponding members coming into New-England to reside, shall cease in three months after such change of residence.

ARTICLE X.-The president, the past presidents, the secretaries, the treasurer, the librarian, the historiographer, the chairmen of the several standing committees and of the boards of trustees, those who have served seven years as directors, and five persons chosen by the society for the purpose, shall constitute the board of directors.

ARTICLE XI.-The society shall meet in the city of Boston, for the transaction of business, on the first Wednesday of every month, except the months of July and August, and except when such Wednesday is a legal holiday, and at such other times as the society or the board of directors shall appoint. The meetings in January, April and October shall be considered quarterly meetings, and at all meetings of the society, resident and life-members only shall be entitled to a vote.

ARTICLE XII.-The officers of the society shall be chosen by ballot, at the January meeting, by a majority of the votes cast; and vacancies may be filled at any subsequent monthly meeting in the same manner.

ARTICLE XIII.-By-laws of the society may be made or amended by a vote of three-fourths of the members present and voting, at any regular meeting; notice of the same having been given in writing, at a previous meeting, and entered upon the records.

ARTICLE XIV.-No alteration shall be made in this constitution, except at a quarterly meeting of the society, on the written recommendation, then presented, of at least five members, and by a vote of three-fourths of the members present and voting; notice of the proposed alteration having been given in writing, at a previous monthly meeting, and entered upon the records.

BY-LAWS.

Duties of Members.

ARTICLE I.-It shall be the duty of the members of the society to obtain historical and genealogical information by collecting books, pamphlets, documents, records, journals and papers, ancient and modern, and to deposit the same in the archives of the society.

Written Communications.

ARTICLE II.-All written communications shall be deemed the property of the society, unless the right to such be specially reserved in writing by their authors or depositors.

The Library.

ARTICLE III. The library shall be open for the free use of all the members of the society; and any person, not a member, may be permitted to use the same, having first presented to the librarian satisfactory testimonials, and entered his name on the journal.

The manuscripts shall not be taken from the library except by vote of the board of directors first had and obtained in each instance; but copies thereof may be made under such restrictions, as to publication, as the board may prescribe.

The books and pamphlets shall be kept for reference, and shall not be taken from the library, except in extraordinary cases and with the consent of the librarian and one of the committee on the library, and for such time and under such rules as may be fixed by said committee, and furnished in writing to the librarian.

Assessments.

ARTICLE IV.-The assessments of each current year shall be due at the annual meeting in January.

Elections to Membership-when void. ARTICLE V.-Elections to membership that are not accepted within one year from the date thereof shall be void, unless otherwise ordered by the directors.

Quorum in Board of Directors, &c.

ARTICLE VI.-The board of directors and the standing committees shall severally determine what number of members shall constitute a quorum of their respective bodies.

Order of Proceedings at Public Meetings.

ARTICLE VII.-The order of proceedings at public meetings of the society shall be as follows:

1. The reading of the records of the preceding meeting.

2. The report of the librarian.

3. The report of the corresponding secretary.

4.

The report of the historiographer.

5. The election of members.

6. The reading of papers and essays.

7. The transaction of unfinished business.

8. The transaction of other business.

Motions to be in Writing.

ARTICLE VIII.-All motions or resolutions, offered at any meeting of the society, shall, on the request of the presiding officer, be submitted in writing.

Life-Fund.

ARTICLE IX. All moneys received for life-membership shall be invested from time to time by the treasurer, with the approval of the committee on finance, and kept invested in good securities, and shall be called the life-fund: the income thereof may be used for current expenditures, but the principal shall remain intact.

Honorary Vice-Presidents, &c.—who are eligible.

ARTICLE X.-The honorary vice-presidents shall be chosen from the members of the society residing in the states which they represent; vice-presidents shall be chosen from the resident or life-members in their respective states; all other officers, standing committees and trustees shall be chosen from the resident or life-members.

Corresponding Secretary.

ARTICLE XI.-It shall be the duty of the corresponding secretary to conduct the general correspondence of the society; to place on file all letters received; to enter the names of members systematically in books kept for the purpose, and to issue certificates of membership. Treasurer.

ARTICLE XII.-It shall be the duty of the treasurer to take charge of all moneys belonging to the society; to collect all fees and taxes; to pay all bills against the society when approved by the board of directors; to keep a full account of receipts and expenditures in a book belonging to the society; to invest the funds of the society, with the consent and approval of the board of directors; and, at the annual meeting, to make a full and detailed report in writing, and at such other times as may be required by said board,

Recording Secretary.

ARTICLE XIII.-It shall be the duty of the recording secretary to make a full and explicit record of all the proceedings of the society, at its meetings; and the minutes so made shall be read at the succeeding meeting for the correction of errors, and afterwards be entered as the permanent record in a book kept for that purpose.

Historiographer.

ARTICLE XIV.-It shall be the duty of the historiographer to collect and preserve materials for a history of the society; to prepare biographies of its deceased members for publication, and deposit the same in the archives of the society. He may read at the stated meetings such of the biographies, or such parts of them, as he may deem advisable.

Librarian.

ARTICLE XV.-It shall be the duty of the librarian to take charge of the books, pamphlets, manuscripts, and all other property belonging to or deposited in the library; to classify and arrange the books and pamphlets for the convenient use of the members; keep a correct catalogue of the same; enter all donations in a book, kept for that purpose, with a sufficient description thereof, the date of their reception, and the name of the donor, and, in behalf of the society, make acknowledgment of the same by letter; to purchase books, when authorized by the board of directors, to whom he shall be responsible for the proper discharge of his duties. He shall have the care of the rooms, and make all necessary preparations for the meetings, of the society.

Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XVI.-It shall be the duty of the board of directors to superintend and conduct the prudential and executive business of the society; to authorize all expenditures of money; to fix all salaries; to receive and act upon all resignations and forfeitures of membership; and to see that the constitution and by-laws are duly complied with. Standing Committees.

ARTICLE XVII.-The society, at the annual meeting, shall choose five standing committees, to consist of five members each, who shall hold monthly meetings for the transaction of business, viz. :—

1. On the library.
2. On finance.

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4. On heraldry.
5. On publication.

Committee on the Library.

ARTICLE XVIII.-It shall be the duty of the committee on the library to solicit donations of books, pamphlets, and manuscripts for the society, such as local, genealogical or family histories, biographies, travels, journals, histories of corporations, and of military expeditions, and all works that may illustrate the geography, topography, or the animal, vegetable, and mineral products of the country.

The committee may, with the written consent of the board of directors, make donations and exchanges of duplicate copies of books and pamphlets, and they shall make a full record of all donations and exchanges in a book kept for the purpose; and, at the annual meeting, shall submit in writing a detailed report of their proceedings.

Committee on Finance.

ARTICLE XIX. It shall be the duty of the committee on financeof which the treasurer shall be, ex-officio, a member-to examine from time to time the books and accounts of the treasurer; to audit his accounts at the close of the year, and to report upon the expediency of proposed expenditures of money.

Commillee on Papers and Essays.

ARTICLE XX. It shall be the duty of the committee on papers and essays to make arrangements for the reading of historical papers and essays at the meetings of the society.

Committee on Heraldry.

ARTICLE XXI.-It shall be the duty of the committee on heraldry to collect and preserve information in regard to heraldry in its relation to New-England families, and to make reports from time to time, and deposit them, either in print or manuscript, in the archives of the society.

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Winslow Lewis, A.M., M.D.,

Brookline.

Boston.

Woburn. John Greenleaf Whittier, A.M., Amesbury.

Hon. Fred. Walker Lincoln,Jr., A.M., Boston. Hon. Francis Bassett, A.M.

1869.

Boston.

Hugh Montgomery,

Boston.

Eliphalet W. Blatchford,

Chicago, Ill.

James Read,

Boston.

Benjamin F. Burgess,

Boston.

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Peter Butler,

Boston.

Boston.

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Boston.

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Boston.

John Foster,

Boston.

John Wright Warren, M.D.,

Boston.

Hon. Alexander H. Holly,

Salisbury, Ct.

Nehemiah Washburn,

Brookline.

Charles D. Homans, A.M., M.D.,

Boston.

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Concord, N. H.

Manning Leonard,

Hon. Marshall Pinckney Wilder, Dorchester.
Hon. Moses Thompson Willard, M.D.,

1864.

Ebenezer Alden, A.M., M.D., Randolph.
William Sumner Appleton, A.M., Boston.
Henry B. Humphrey,

Joel Munsell,

Benjamin B. Torrey,

Andrew Henshaw Ward,

Thomaston, Me.
Southbridge.
Albany, N. Y.

Boston.

Newton.

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