0.15 Appendixes  (Page 17/16)

Appendixes

Appendix a: the original constitution of the new-york historical society (adopted december 10, 1804)

• This Society shall be denominated "The New-York Historical Society."
• The object of the Society shall be to discover, procure, and preserve whatever may relate to the natural, civil, literary, and ecclesiastical history of the United States in general, and of this State in particular.
• The Society shall consist of resident and honorary members; the former to be persons residing in the State of New-York; the latter persons resid­ing elsewhere.
• The officers of the Society, to be elected annually and by ballot, shall be,

• A President,
• A first Vice-President,
• A second Vice-President,
• A Treasurer,
• A Recording Secretary,
• A Corresponding Secretary,
• A Librarian,
• A Standing Committee of seven Members.
• It shall be the duty of the Standing Committee to solicit and receive do­nations for the Society; to recommend plans for promoting its objects; to digest and prepare business; and to execute such other duties as may, from time to time, be committed to them by the Society. They shall meet once at least in every three months; and at each annual meeting they shall make a report to the Society of the principal acquisitions and transactions of the preceding year.
• All members (honorary members excepted, with whom it shall be op­tional) shall pay, on admission, the sum of ten dollars, and an additional sum of two dollars annually, or the sum of thirty-five dollars as a commu­tation for the annual payment.
• The Society shall meet quarterly, to wit, on the second Tuesdays in Janu­ary, April, July, and October; but the President, or, in his absence, either of the Vice Presidents, may call a special meeting, on giving eight days' no­tice thereof, to be published in at least two public newspapers printed in the city of New-York. The election of officers shall be at the meeting on the second Tuesday in January, and by a majority of ballots.
• The admission of members shall be by ballot; and there shall be a previ­ous nomination of the persons at the last preceding quarterly meeting.
• The constitution may be amended, from time to time, as the Society shall deem proper; but a motion for an amendment shall not be received unless a notice thereof shall have been given, and entered on the Journals of the Society at the last preceding quarterly meeting.

Appendix b: to the public

The address of the new-york historical society (issued february 12, 1805, and september 15, 1809)

Having formed an association, for the purpose of discovering, procuring, and preserving whatever may relate to the natural, civil, literary, and ecclesias­tical history of our country, and particularly of the State of New-York, we solicit the aid of the liberal, patriotic, and learned, to promote the objects of our institution.

The utility of societies for the advancement of science, has been so fully proved by the experience of the most enlightened nations of Europe, and by that of our own country, that there can be no need, at this time, of any formal argu­ments in support of their claim to public patronage. But it may be observed, that, in this State, if we except the Agricultural Society, there is no association for the purposes of general knowledge; and the want of a regular, minute, and authen­tic History of New-York, renders the combined efforts of individuals for that object more peculiarly necessary.