Chap. 362.—An ACT to Incorporate the Friends’ Asylum for Colored
Orphans, in the City of Richmond.

Approved March 26, 1872.

Whereas, the society of Friends, of the city of Richmond, has
raised by subscription the sum of six thousand two hundred
and fifty dollars, and erected therewith, on a lot in said city,
on the corner of St. Paul and Charity streets, granted for that.
purpose by the council of the city of Richmond, a building
suitable for the care and education of orphan children of
colored parentage, and it is desirable that the said society of
Friends and their successors shall be incorporated: therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That it shall be
lawful for the society of Friends, in the city of Richmond, to
establish an asylum therein for the care and education of
orphan children of colored parentage, and the institution so
established shall be known by the name of the Friends’ Asylum
for Colored Orphans, and for that purpose John B. Crenshaw,
Jeremiah Willets, William H. Pleasants, Richard A. Ricks and
Walter A. Ricks, members of said society of Friends; and Rev.
James H. Holmes, Nelson Vandervall, members of the First
Baptist church; Joseph E. Farrar, John Adams, members of
Ebenezer Baptist church; William Boyd, member of the Fifth
Baptist church; Frederick Smith, ——- Cooper, members of
Mount Zion Baptist church; P. H. Woolfork, member of
Third-street Methodist church; Thomas M. Hewlett, member of
Manchester Baptist church, and others who may be hereafter
associated with them, shall be and are hereby constituted trus-
tees of said asylum, who, and their successors, shall be a
- board of directors for the management of the interests of the
asylum, and shall have the care and provide for the education
of children of colored parentage placed in said asylum accord-
ing to the provisions of this act; and they and their successors,
by the name aforesaid, shall be a body politic and corporate,
with perpetual succession and a common seal, may sue and be
sued, plead and be impleaded, contract and be contracted with,
and have the general powers conferred on and be subject to
the general restrictions imposed upon such corporations by
the Code of Virginia, with such additional restrictions as may
be herein specified and provided. That said board of directors
shall appoint one of their members to be president of the
board, and shall also appoint a treasurer and secretary, and
make such by-laws for the management of the affairs of the
asylum and the care of its inmates, not inconsistent with the
constitution and laws of this state or of the United States, as
they may think necessary.

2. The capital stock of said company shall be the said sum
of six thousand two hundred and fifty dollars, and may be
increased from time to time, as hereinafter provided for. The
said specified sum shall be divided into two hundred and fifty
shares of the value of twenty-five dollars each. Certificates of
stock shall be issued to the trustees named herein in the man-
ner to be prescribed by the by-laws of said company in the
proportion of fifty shares to each, to be held, controlled and
represented by them in all meetings and votes of said company.
And it shall be lawful for the monthly meeting of Cedar creek,
of said religious society of Friends, for any cause to said
meeting satisfactory, to remove any of the trustees herein
named, and to substitute others in their places; and in like
manner to fill all vacancies occasioned by death, resignation or
removal from the limits of said monthly meeting.

3. When any religious congregation of colored persons in
the city of Richmond shall have raised by subscription or
otherwise, and paid into the treasury of said company, a sum
equivalent to the value of one or more shares of the stock of
said company, they shall be and are hereby authorized to sub-
scribe for one or more of said shares of stock, and to appoint
one or more trustees in addition to those hereinbefore men-
tioned, who shall be members of said board of directors in as
full manner and power as if herein specially named, and shall
represent the stock of said congregation.

4. Each trustee under this act, in all meetings of the board,
shall have one vote for each share of stock represented by him;
and certificates for each share of stock shall be issued to the
trustee according to his appointment, and be transferred to
his successor, as the by-laws may prescribe.

5. Any religious congregation of colored persons subscribing
and appointing a trustee as aforesaid, shall have the power to
remove him or them, and to fill vacancies occasioned by death,
resignation or removal from said city, among the trustees
appointed by them. .

6. The said board shall have the right to receive in said
asylum any colored orphan minor who shall be placed under
its care by his parents or surviving parent, upon such parent
relinquishing all claim to such minor by a duly executed writ-
ing; and they may also receive any such colored minor who
cannot be suitably provided for by its parents, and who may
have been deserted by them, upon the order therefor of any
court of competent jurisdiction in the city of Richmond, or the
mayor thereof. Children thus placed m the asylum by their
parents, and deserted children, shall be held and considered as
orphans; and the board of directors, upon such agreement
entered into, or upon such order of court, shall be entitled to
the custody of such minor or orphan.

7. Any minor or orphan under such custody may be bound
by said board, or by any two members thereof authorized by the
board to do so, as an apprentice to some art, trade or business;
and the indenture by which such person may be bound shall spe-
cify his age, and the art, trade or business he is to be taught, and
the time for which he is bound, which time shall be only until
such minor or orphan attains its majority, to wit: twenty-one
years for males and eighteen years for females; and the person
to whom he is bound shall be required to cause him to be
taught reading and writing, and may be required to give bond
and security to pay the amount agreed upon. The said amount
shall be paid to the board for the benefit of said asylum and
be paid into its treasury, except the amount agreed to be paid
for the last year’s service of the apprentice, which, at the expi-
ration of his term of service, shall be paid to him for his use
and benefit. Any money to be paid under the provisions of
said indenture may be recovered from those liable therefor on
motion or by suit in the court having jurisdiction thereof.

8. The indenture, by the consent of said board, may be
transferred by the person to whom the apprentice is bound, or
within three months after his death by his personal representa-
tive; and the assignee thereof may succeed to the nights
and obligations for the future of the said person; and the
board may require the assignee to give bond for the faithful
discharge of his obligation.

9. The board shall, in every case, reserve the right to revoke
the articles of indenture, and re-assume the care of the child,
in any case where they have satisfactory evidence that the
minor or orphan is cruelly treated or not properly cared for
according to the articles of indenture.

10. This act shall be in force from its passage.