the seals of the lord mayor for the time being, and any of the aldermen who shall be present at the time the seal shall be used; and that all leases of any lands or tene ments of the said hospitals, and all deeds, presentations, and other instruments relative thereto, or to the estates thereof (after having been examined, approved, and signed by the presidents or treasurers, and such a competent number of the aldermen and other governots of such hospital, to which such leases relate, as have been used to examine, approve, and sign the same, shall be left at the chamberlain's office for the seal to be affixed thereto, with such document or writing explaining the purport of such leases, &c, as heretofore) shall thereupon be sealed in the next court of aldermen or of common council, whichever shall first happen, without any reading, addi, tion, examination, or alteration thereof, 4. That the common council shall or may at their first court after the 21st of Dec. then next, or at any subse quent court, nominate 48 persons members thereof, out of which number the names of 12 shall be sent to St. Bartholomew's hospital, 12 to the united hospitals of Bridewell and Bethelem, 12 to Christ's hospital, and 12 to St. Thomas's hospital, to be governors thereof respectively, and such names shall be entered in their books in the order sent, and every of them shall be from thence forth governors of the respective hospitals, and shall act as such in all matters for so long and for so many years successively as they shall continue to be members of the said court of common council, or shall be re-elected as such menibers, and shall enjoy the like privileges which the other governors not being aldermen enjoy, and that when any one of them shall die or cease to be a member of the common council, or shall not be re-elected into such office, the said court of common council shall and and may nominate another member, and so in like manner as often as any new governor shall die, &c. the court of common council shall fill up all future vacancies, so as that 12 members may for ever be governors in each of said hospitals, and that 12 may be governors of the united hospitals of Bridewell and Bethelem; and all persons to be chosen by the common council upon any such vacancy (after his name shall be sent to the hospital where the vacancy shall happen) may act as governors, and be entitled to all the privileges as the governors first chosen : Provided that nothing shall prejudice the rights of such members of the common council as become governors of the hospital, by election of the governors thereof in the manner heretofore used, over and besides the 12, who shall be governors by virtue of this agreement. Lastly, For removing all doubts touching the observance of this agreement, it is agreed that it should be submitted to the consideration and confirmation of the legislature, so that the same may be established and confirmed. The act also recites, that it was conceived that it would be greatly for the benefit of the said several royal hospitals, and tend to restore and establish the permanent peace and good government of the same respectively, if the agreement could be confirmed and rendered valid and effectual, It was at the prayer of the corporation, governors of the possessions, revenues, and goods of the said hospitals, and the presidents, treasurers, and acting governors of the said several royal hospitals, respectively, enacted, that the agreement, and every the covenants, clauses, provisoes, stipulations, and agreements therein contained should be, and the same were thereby ratified, coufirmed, and established according to the tenor, purport, and and true intent and meaning of the same. And that for rendering the agreement more effectual, the corporation, and all other parties thereto, should perform the several matters therein contained, not only as governors of the said hospitals of Christ, Bridewell, and St. Thomas, but also as governors of the house of the poor in West Smithfield, and as masters, keepers, and governors of Bethelem hospital, as fully to all intents as if the corporation had been described therein by the respective corporate names before-mentioned. That this should be a public act, and all judges and justices should take notice thereof, without specially pleading it, saving to the crown and to the corporation, and all other persons and bodies corporate, all rights which they had before the act, except such only as were relinquished, altered, or modified thereby. Upon the authority of this act the whole arrangement of the rights of the corporation, and the power of election of governors of each of these hospitals, has been exercised. The corporation is represented in the court at Christ's hospital by the presence of the lord mayor, aldermen, and twelve members of the court of common council, agreeably to the first clause of the agreement; the twelve civil governors continue to be appointed under the fourth clause, and the tenor of the whole agreement effectuates that which was thus designed to reconcile all the parties: and under the stipulations of the second clause the consent of the city is concluded, that for all the purposes of protecting the property, real and personal, of the several hospitals, the respective courts or committee use the name of the corporation as governors of the particular hospital in question, in prosecuting or defending any process that might be necessary; which is consistent with the tenor tenor of the first clause, which directs that the governors elected at their respective courts, together with the lord mayor, aldermen, and members of the common council, which constituted part of the corporation, should have power to elect officers, and do all acts, or be acting governors thereof; by all which it appears, that this part of the agreement is explanatory of the intention of all the parties, that the right of the corporation in the management of the hospitals should be limited to the number and quality of the persons therein specified. The legislature having received this agreement, and given it the force of a public law, no question can now arise as to its validity, or as to its binding power upon the corporation, and upon all these hospitals; and any violation of its strictest regulations will be contrary to the act, and punishable as such. Some differences of opinion between the corporation and the governors have lately arisen, affecting the meaning and extent of the privileges granted by this act, but they have not come beyond the walls of their own court, and therefore cannot, with any propriety, form a part of this work. CHAP. CHAPTER VIII. OF FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. FRIENDLY Societies were first established by mutual consent of the subscribers, and afterwards protected by par liament in 1793, by 33 Geo. III. c. 54. for the purpose of raising, by voluntary contributions of the members, separate funds, for the mutual relief and maintenance of the members in sickness, old age, and infirmity; these were the motives which actuated the parties-the legisla ture saw that they were likely to promote the happiness of individuals, and to lessen the public burthens. They were authorised, therefore, to proceed to assemble, to make rules, and to choose a committee; their regula tions being submitted to the justices at their quarter sessions, in order to attain validity. They may appoint officers to carry into effect the purposes of their institution; and their treasurer or trustees are to give security for fidelity to keep proper minutes of their proceedings, and to invest the surplus of their receipts in the public funds, for the use of the society. Unfaithfulness of the trea surer or trustees is subject to the investigation and discretionary order of courts of equity, who are to appoint a clerk of their courts to carry on any petition for that purpose, without fee. So favourable to this institution was the legislature, that by sec. 10. it is directed, that if any officer of the society entrusted or having in his hands any monies, securities, or effects belonging to the society at his death, or bankruptcy, or insolvency, his representatives or as signees |