Chap. 815.—An ACT to incorporate the Alleghany mutual fire insurinee company.

Approved March 3, 1808,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That John Don-
ovan, J. F. Sachs, W. F. Tinsley, J. C. Carpenter, George Kk. Anderson,
and F. B. Staley, and such other persons as are now or may hereafter
become associated with them, be, and they are hereby, created a body
politic and corporate by the name of the Alleghany mutual fire insurance
company, and by that name shall have perpetual succession and a com-
mon seal, which it may alter or renew at its pleasure, and may sue and
be sued, contract and be contracted with, and make ordinances, by-laws
and regulations for the government of all under its authority, for the

management of its business and the due and orderly conduct of its af-
fairs.

2. For the organization of said company it shall not be necessary that
any capital stock be subscribed, but the corporators named in the pre-
ceding section, and such other persons as may consent in writing, may
meet and organize at such time and place as the majority of them shail
agree upon. The officers and directors of the company shall be such as
may be provided for in the by-laws, and shall be elected or appointed as
provided thereby. The fees of membership, the ways and means of
raising money to meet the contingent expenses of the company, as well
as losses by fire or lightning, the renewals of policies, the admission of
members, the mode of proofs of losses, as well as the withdrawal, sus-

ension and expulsion of members shall also be prescribed and regulated
by the by-laws.

3. The company shall have power to insure its members against loss
or losses by fire or lightning; and in order to enable it to raise the means
of paying its liabilities for losses caused by fire or lightning, it shall be
the duty of the officers and board of directors as soon as may be after
the occurrence of any loss for which the company is found to be re-
sponsible, to make.such assessment upon each individual member of the
company as the by-laws may authorize and provide for, which said
assessment shall be paid by such member within sixty days from the
time of its being levied; and if any member or his representative, on
being notified by said association, shall fail to pay his assessment with-
in the period aforesaid, the same may be recovered in the corporate name
of the company, by motion, after ten days’ notice, in the county court
of the county where such member or his representative resides. Proof
of the mailing of the notice of assessment by the ofticer of the company
charged with that duty shall be sufficient proof of the service of notice
of said assessment upon any member so assessed.

4. The incorporators named in the first section in this act, and such
persons aS may meet with them, to organize the company, as provided
in the second section, are hereby authorized and empowered to make all
necessary by-laws, ordinances and regulations for the conduct of the
business of the company, and such by-laws, ordinances and regulations
may be amended by the officers and directors chosen at that meeting, at
any time, by a two-thirds vote of such officers and members: provided,
that the said by-laws, ordinances and regulations shall not, after the first
annual meeting of the members of the company, be amended, except at
such meeting or subsequent general annual meetings of the members of
the company; but no such amendment shall be adopted unless first ap-
proved by a majority vote of the officers and directors.

5. The principal office of the company shall be in the town of Clifton
Forge, Alleghany county, Virginia.

6. This act shall bein force from its passage.