Proviso as to debts, etc. Proviso. paired, and the respective corporations shall continue to exist This act is ordered to take immediate effect. Section amended. Who may incorporate. Proviso as to upper penin sula. [No. 51.] AN ACT to amend section two of "An act to provide for the incorporation of villages within the State of Michigan, and define their powers and duties," the same being section two thousand six hundred eighty-five of the Compiled Laws of eighteen hundred ninety-seven. The People of the State of Michigan enact: SECTION 1. Section two of an act, entitled "An act to provide for the incorporation of villages within the State of Michigan, and define their powers and duties," the same being section two thousand six hundred eighty-five of the Compiled Laws of eighteen hundred ninety-seven, is hereby amended so as to read as follows: SEC. 2. Any part of a township or townships not included in any incorporated village, containing an area of not less than one square mile, and a resident population of not less than three hundred persons, may be incorporated as a village as hereinafter provided: Provided, however, That in the upper peninsula of Michigan an area of less than one square mile may be incorporated as hereinafter provided. This act is ordered to take immediate effect. [No. 52.] AN ACT making appropriations for the Michigan Soldiers' Home for building and special purposes and for current expenses for the fiscal years ending June thirty, nineteen hundred four, and June thirty, nineteen hundred five, and to provide a tax therefor. The People of the State of Michigan enact: for current SECTION 1. There is hereby appropriated for the current Appropriation expenses of the Michigan Soldiers' Home for the fiscal year expense. ending June thirty, nineteen hundred four, the sum of one hundred thirty-four thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars, and for the fiscal year ending June thirty, nineteen hundred five, the sum of one hundred thirty-four thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars. priation. transfer of funds. SEC. 2. The further sum of eight thousand five hundred Further approdollars is hereby appropriated for the fiscal year ending June thirty, nineteen hundred four, for purposes and amounts as follows: For barn, three thousand dollars; for an electric How used. passenger elevator in the main building, two thousand five hundred dollars; for electric machinery for the elevator now in the hospital building, one thousand five hundred dollars; for machinery in laundry, fifteen hundred dollars: Provided, Proviso as to That if the amount designated in this section for any of the purposes stated be insufficient to complete the work or purchase, any surplus remaining after the completion of the other work or purchases specified in this section, may by obtaining the consent of the State Board of Corrections and Charities and Auditor General in writing before any expense in excess of the specific appropriation is incurred, be used in the account or accounts where such deficiency seems unavoidable, the intent of this proviso being to make the entire eight thousand five hundred dollars available for the purposes stated herein if in the judgment of the State Board of Corrections and Charities and Auditor General it is deemed advisable to make the transfers for which provision is hereby made: Provided further, That the board of control may Proviso as to obtain money under this section before July first, nineteen when may hundred three, in such amounts as they may by requisition certify to the Auditor General are necessary for immediate use, which amounts thus advanced shall be deducted from the total amount appropriated when the appropriation becomes available. obtain. SEC. 3. The several sums appropriated by the provisions How paid. of this act shall be paid out of the State Treasury to the treasurer of the Michigan Soldiers' Home at such times and in such amounts as the general accounting laws of the State prescribe and the disbursing officer shall render his accounts. to the Auditor General thereunder. SEC. 4. The Auditor General shall incorporate in the State To be incorpotax for the year nineteen hundred three, the sum of one hun rated in state tax. dred forty-three thousand three hundred seventy-five dollars, Section amended. Money not liable to attachment. [No. 53.] AN ACT to amend section fifteen of act number one hundred nineteen of the public acts of eighteen hundred ninety-three, entitled "An act to define what shall constitute fraternal beneficiary societies, orders or associations; to provide for their incorporation and the regulation of their business, and for the punishment for violation of the provisions of the act of their incorporation, and to repeal all existing acts inconsistent therewith," the same being section seven thousand seven hundred fifty-four of the Compiled Laws of eighteen hundred ninety-seven. The People of the State of Michigan enact: SECTION 1. Section fifteen of act number one hundred nineteen of the public acts of eighteen hundred ninety-three, entitled "An act to define what shall constitute fraternal beneficiary societies, orders or associations; to provide for their incorporation and the regulation of their business, and for the punishment for the violation of the provisions of the act of their incorporation, and to repeal all existing acts inconsistent therewith," the same being section seven thousand seven hundred fifty-four of the Compiled Laws of eighteen hundred ninety-seven, is hereby amended so as to read as follows: SEC. 15. The money or other benefit, charity, relief or aid to be paid, provided or rendered by any association authorized to do business under this act, shall not be liable to attachment by trustee, garnishee or other process, and shall not be seized, taken, appropriated or applied by any legal or equitable process, or by operation of law, to pay any debt or liability of at certificate holder, or of any beneficiary named in a certificate, Dues, etc., ex- or of any person who may have any right thereunder. And all empt from taxation. dues, assessments and other payments and the accumulations thereof, held and possessed by said association for the payment of death, sick or disability benefits, and the reserve, emergency and other mortuary funds of said association shall be exempt from taxation for State, county and municipal purposes. Approved April 23, 1903. [No. 54.] AN ACT to authorize any gas light company and any consolidated company formed by the union of a street railway and electric light company, being corporations organized under the laws of this State, and having their principal place of business in the same town, village or city, to unite and consolidate with any corporation organized under the laws of an adjoining state, and which, under and by virtue of the rights, powers and franchises possessed and enjoyed by it under the laws of such adjoining state, owns and operates a street railway therein and also manufactures, produces, generates, sells and furnishes gas and electricity for heating, lighting and power purposes, where the street railway lines of the two corporations last mentioned shall form a connecting and continuous line of railway between this State and such adjoining state. The People of the State of Michigan enact: consolidate. SECTION 1. Any gas light company, and any consolidated Certain comcompany formed by the union of a street railway and electric panies may light company, being corporations organized under the laws of this State, and having their principal place of business in the same town, village or city, may unite and consolidate with any corporation organized under the laws of an adjoining state, and which, under and by virtue of the rights, powers and franchises possessed and enjoyed by it under the laws of such adjoining state, owns and operates a street railway therein, and also manufactures, produces, generates, sells and furnishes gas and electricity for heating, lighting and power purposes: Provided, however, That the street railway lines Proviso. of the two corporations last mentioned shall form a connecting and continuous line of railway between this State and such adjoining state. enter into agreement. SEC. 2. The directors of such corporations so proposing to Directors may consolidate, may enter into an agreement for the consolidation of such corporations, prescribing the terms and conditions thereof; the mode of carrying the same into effect; the name of the new corporation; the location and principal place of business thereof; the number of directors thereof, which number shall not be less than three, and the names of those who shall be the first directors, and who shall hold office as such until the first election of directors; the time and place of holding the first election of directors of the consolidated company, which time shall not be less than three nor more than eight months after such consolidation; the general officers of such new company; the amount of the capital stock thereof; the number of shares into which the same shall be divided and the par value of each share; the manner of converting the shares of capital stock in each of the constituent companies, into shares in such new corporation, and such Agreement, how ratified. Agreement, records, etc., where filed. other details as may be deemed necessary to perfect such consolidation, or authorize or limit its bonded indebtedness. SEC. 3. Such agreement shall not be deemed to be the agreement of such consolidating corporations until it shall have been ratified either by the vote of at least three-fourths of the capital stock of each of such corporations at a separate meeting of the stockholders of such corporation, held pursuant to a notice of the secretary thereof, stating the objects and purposes of such meeting, and which shall have been published at least once in each week for two successive weeks prior to such meeting, in some newspaper printed in the English language and published at the county seat of the county in this or in any other state in which such corporation has its principal place of business; or by the consent in writing to such agreement signed and acknowledged by all of the stockholders of any such corporation. SEC. 4. Upon the ratification of such agreement, in either of the modes aforesaid, by the stockholders of all of the corporations, who are parties thereto, such agreement, together with every such consent annexed thereto, together also with and annexed thereto a copy of the record of the proceedings had or taken at the meeting of stockholders of any such corporation for the ratification of such agreement as aforesaid, exhibiting the vote taken thereat upon the question of such ratification, certified to be such copy by the secretary of such corporation under the seal thereof; and also having annexed thereto a statement of the secretary of each such corporation verified by his oath, setting forth the amount of the capital stock thereof, the number of shares into which the same is divided, the names of the stockholders and the number of shares held by each; and setting forth also in respect to any such consent of the stockholders of any such corporation that the same was signed and acknowledged by all of the stockholders thereof, and in respect to the meeting of stockholders of any such corporation called for the purpose of ratifying such agreement, and so ratifying the same as aforesaid, that the persons named as present or represented at such meeting are the identical persons so named in such statement as stockholders therein, shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of Copies, where State; and a copy thereof, certified by such secretary to be such copy, shall be recorded in the office of the register of deeds in each county of this State, in which any such constituent corporation has its principal place of business, and in the county wherein the location and principal place of business of such new corporation may be fixed by or designated in such agreement, if that be a county in this State other than a county in which one of said constituent companies has its principal place of business; and then and thereupon such consolidation shall be deemed complete. A copy of such agreeconsolidation. ment, so filed, and of the documents, papers and proceedings annexed thereto, and filed therewith, as required by this act, certified by the Secretary of State to be such copy under the filed. Evidence of |