How secre may be 1648. No portion of the funds belonging to any such tary-treasurer society shall be expended in paying any salary or allowance; remunerated. but the secretary-treasurer thereof may be awarded any sum not exceeding seven per cent. upon all the moneys expended by such society under this section, for and in lieu of all salary, and allowance for stationery and other contingent expenses. 32 V., c. 15, s. 64. When meet § 5.-Meetings of County Societies and Election of Directors. 1649. A general meeting of the members of every county ing of county agricultural society shall be held on the third Wednesday in shall be held. December in each year, and, in the counties where there is no society, a meeting for the formation of a society may be held on the same date. 32 V., c. 15, s. 65; 41 V., c. 5, s. 8. societies How such meetings shall be convened. Election of directors. Election of director by parish, &c., for county society. Election ecla valid. Officers of the board of directors. 1650. Such meeting shall be convened by notices posted up or read at the church doors, or at any other public place in each parish or township in the county, by order of the president of the society, at least fifteen days before such meeting; and, in counties wherein agricultural societies have not yet been organized, the same shall be done by order of the warden of the county, and the person who shall have called the said meeting shall be entitled to preside at the said meeting until a president is elected. 32 V., c. 15, s. 66; 36 V., c. 7, s. 30. 1651. At such meeting, the society may elect a director for each of the parishes or rural municipalities comprised within the limits of the society, and, should the number of such parishes or rural municipalities be less than nine, the meeting may elect directors to complete such number; and all these directors shall form the board of directors of the society. 2. Ten or more subscribers in any parish or rural municipality, who have paid the required subscription of one dollar for the following year, may, at a meeting convened by public notice, given at least eight days previous thereto, by the mayor or, in his default, by a justice of the peace, and held in the week preceding the general meeting of the society, elect a director to represent the parish or rural municipality on the board of directors of the society. 3. On payment of the amount representing the subscriptions of the voters at such parochial or municipal meeting, to the secretary-treasurer of the society, and, on presentation, by at least two of such voters to the general meeting, of a certificate from the chairman of such parochial or municipal meeting establishing that such director has been elected thereat, the election of such director shall be confirmed, and no other director shall be named for such parish or rural municipality. 4. At its first meeting, the board of directors shall elect a president, a vice-president, as well as a secretary; but the latter shall not be selected from amongst the directors nor shall he have a vote at any board meeting. 41 V., c. 5, s. 9; 47 V., c. 6, s. 7. directors to exercise the 1652. The officers and directors of each society shall, Officers and during the year immediately following the annual meeting, and, until the election of their successors, exercise all the powers conferred on the society by this section. powers of the society. In case of vacancies during the year, among the officers or Vacancies in directors, such vacancies may be filled up at a special meeting board. of the board of directors to be called for that purpose. 32 V., c. 15, s. 69; 33 V., c. 6, s. 8. shall be 1653. They shall hold their meetings according to the When and terms of the adjournment, or to a notification in writing, for- how meetings warded to each of them by order of the president, or in his called. absence, by order of the vice-president, or of the president pro tempore, one week at least before the day fixed for the holding of such meeting. 32 V., c. 15, s. 70. 1654. At such meeting five shall form a quorum. 32 V., Quorum. c. 15, s. 71. laws. 1655. The officers and directors shall have full power, Power to at every such meeting, to make regulations and by-laws for make bythe government of the society, and to modify and repeal the same, provided always that such regulations and by-laws be consistent with those published by the Council of Agriculture. 32 V., c. 15, s. 72. submitted to 1656. The officers and directors of the society shall draw Detailed up and submit, at the annual meeting, a detailed report of report to be their operations during the year that is about to end, declar- annual ing and shewing the names of all the members of the society, meeting. the amount subscribed and paid by each of them, the names of all persons to whom prizes shall have been awarded, the amount of each of such prizes, and the name of the object or head of cattle for which the prize was awarded, together with such other remarks on the agriculture of the county and the improvements which either have been or may be introduced into the same, as the board of directors is in a position to offer. 32 V., c. 15, s. 73. ment of 1657. They shall further submit, at the said meeting, a Also, a statedetailed statement of the receipts and expenditure of the society accounts. during the year. 32 V., c. 15, s. 74. statement to 1658. The said report and statement, when approved by Copy of rethe meeting, shall be entered in the journal of the society kept port and for such purpose, which entry shall be signed by the president, be sent to or vice-president, as faithful and correct, and a copy thereof Commisattested by the president, vice-president or secretary, for the sioner. Scheme of be furnished time being, shall be transmitted to the Commissioner, on or before the first day of January following. 32 V., c. 15, s. 75; 34 V., c. 3, s. 4. § 6.-Miscellaneous. 1659. To render the control to be exercised by the Counoperations to cil of Agriculture and the Commissioner over agricultural to Commis- societies more efficient, the board of directors of each of them shall be bound, on or before the first of February of each year, to adopt a scheme of operations for the year, and to transmit the same to the Commissioner. 32 V., c. 15, s. 76; 34 V., c. 3, s. 5. sioner. Societies to be subject to rules laid missioner. 1660. The societies shall be bound, under pain of the suspension, and even of the withdrawal, of the provincial grant, down by Com- established in favor thereof, to act in conformity with all rules which the Commissioner shall lay down respecting their report, statement of accounts, and scheme of operations, so far as they are not incompatible with the by-laws adopted by the Council of Agriculture. How special be called. The scheme of operations of each society, when once adopted, with or without alteration, by the Commissioner, shall not be changed without his authorization. 32 V., c. 15, s. 77. 1661. Whenever the president of a county agricultural meetings may society shall be required so to do by at least ten members, he may convene a general meeting of the members of the society, by specifying in the notice of such meeting the end and object thereof; and, at the said meeting, no other subjects shall be entertained but those for which the same was convened. V., c. 15, s. 78. Societies to information 32 1662. The officers and directors of agricultural societies furnish such shall reply to the inquiries of, and furnish such information as, as Council or the Council of Agriculture or the Commissioner may, from Commission- time to time, require, by letter, circular or otherwise, regarding er may re- the condition of agricultural interests in their county or district, and shall comply in general with the by-laws of the said Council and the recommendations of the Commissioner. 32 V., c. 15, s. 79. quire. Security to be given by secretarytreasurer of 1663. The secretary-treasurer of every agricultural society shall be responsible to such society for all moneys by him in such capacity collected, and shall be bound to furnish to the every society. Society security to the extent of eight hundred dollars, to the satisfaction of the president and vice-president of the society; and he shall not draw any moneys from the Commissioner, until he shall have previously transmitted to him a copy of the surety-bond. Renewal and The security of the secretary-treasurer shall be renewed form: cf Lond. annually, and shall be in the form indicated in schedule B of this section. 32 V., c. 15, s. 80; 41 V., c. 5, s. 11. 1664. Contestations of the elections of the officers of county Commissionor district agricultural societies shall be referred to the Com- er to decide missioner, and be by him decided, without appeal. contestations of eletions. tions. The Commissioner shall have the right to order new elec- New elections, whenever he deems it advisable to annul contested elections, to determine the date, the manner and place of holding the general meeting of the members, and to regulate all details in connection with such new election. 32 V., c. 15, s. 81; 42-43 V., c. 8, s. 1; 46 V., c. 16, s. 62; 47 V., c. 11, s. 7. disputes be 1665. All disputes between societies, or between the mem- Commissionbers and officers of any society, which cannot be settled by the er to decide said society, shall be likewise submitted to the decision of the tween Commissioner, which shall be final. 32 V., c. 15, s. 82. societies. to summon 1666. Whenever contestations or disputes arise as referred Power of to in the two preceding articles, the Commissioner shall have Commisioner the right to summon witnesses for either or both parties, to witnesses and fine them in case of default to appear, to condemn the party in fine them for default to the payment of costs and to certify the amount thereof, which shall be recoverable by action before any competent court. non-attend ance. The said fine is recoverable before any justice of the peace, Recovery of and payable to the agricultural society, party to the said con- fine. testation. The party petitioner, complainant or plaintiff shall together Security to be with the petition, plaint, or declaration deposit with the secre- deposited tary of the Department of Agriculture and Colonization, a sum of fifty dollars, which sum, if the action, plaint or proceedings be maintained, shall be returned, to him, and if the action, plaint or proceeding fail, then the said sum shall be emp oyed in whole or in part in the payment and satisfaction of the costs, in default of such deposit being made the petition, plaint or declaration shall not be received. 33 V., c. 6, s. 9. 1667. Every county agricultural society shall be entitled Amount of to an annual grant from the Provincial Treasury equal to Government twice the amount subscribed and paid in by the members grant to each society. thereof. tion for grant. An annual sum of fifty thousand dollars shall be appro- Appropriapriated out of the consolidated revenue fund for the payment of such grant. 47 V., c. 6, s. 5; 48 V., c. 7, s. 4. 1668. No grant shall be made to any society, unless Subscription eighty dollars have been subscribed and paid into the hands required. of the treasurer thereof, by at least forty members, and the whole amount of the grant to each county society, or to all Maximum the societies of a county, if there be more than one society county therein organized, shall not, in any one year, exceed the sum societies. of eight hundred dollars. grant to To those in cities and towns. On what con For cities and towns the grant to each society shall not exceed four hundred dollars a year. 32 V., c. 15, s. 84; 33 V., c. 6, s. 10. 1669. The grant shall be due and payable to each soditions grant ciety, so soon as the report, statement of accounts and scheme shall be paid. of operations thereof, shall have received the approval of the Commissioner, and so soon as the president aud secretary-treasurer or any other officer of the society shall have transmitted to the Commissioner an affidavit, in the form of schedule C, hereto annexed, sworn to before a justice of the peace, setting forth the members then forming part of the society, whose subscriptions for the current year have been paid into and are in the hands of the treasurer. When affi transmitted. The said affidavit shall be transmitted not later than the davit shall be fifteenth of September of every year, in default of which the grant for that year shall not be allowed; but it shall be the duty of the secretary of the Council of Agriculture, to give notice, on the first day of July in each year, to all agricultural societies, by a registered letter addressed to the secretarytreasurer of such society that its grant for the year will not be allowed, if the affidavit required by this article have not been transmitted before the fifteenth of September, as by law required. 32 V., c. 15, s. 85; 33 V., c. 6, s. 11; 41 V., c. 5, s. 12; 47 V., c. 6, s. 8. Division of grant between two societies in 1670. If two societies organized in one and the same county raise together a sum exceeding eighty dollars, the grant shall be divided between them in proportion to the amount one county. subscribed and paid by each, and, if on the fifteenth day of September of any year, only one of the said societies have acted in conformity with the preceding article, it shall have the exclusive right to the entire grant in proportion to the sum subscribed by the members; provided always, that when any one of the societies shall have raised a sum sufficient to entitle it to half the grant, the said half shall be paid to it, without any deduction being made, even when the other society shall have raised a larger amount of subscriptions. 32 V., c. 15, s. 86 ; 33 V., c. 6, s. 12; 46 V., c. 12, s. 1. Proviso: Payment of grant in cer tain cases. Application grant to establishment tal stations. 1671. Any balance of the fifty thousand dollars, appropriof balance of ated for the payment of the grants in favor of the societies, which shall remain after the fifteenth of September, shall be of experimen- wholly or in part applied towards the establishment of an experimental station, with a laboratory of agricultural chemistry attached; which institution, before being recognized and subsidized, must have established, to the satisfaction of the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, that it is in a position to advantageously carry out the object of its foundation. Application of surplus of balance. The surplus, if any, of the said balance shall be expended in encouraging such societies or undertakings, whose operations are of a nature to encourage the advancement of agricultural |