104 annual meeting, may 15. 



An Amendment to the Act of Incorporation 

 granted by the Legislature of 1882, on the petition of 

 the Institute. 



An Act to authorize the Essex Institute to hold addi- 

 tional personal estate. 



Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 



Sect. 1. The Essex Institute, incorporated by chapter 

 five of the acts of the year eighteen hundred and forty- 

 eight, is hereby authorized to hold personal estate, exclu- 

 sive of the books, papers and articles in the cabinets of 

 said corporation, to an amount not exceeding one hundred 

 thousand dollars. 



Sect. 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. 

 [^Approved February 24, 1882.^ 



The Secretary closes his annual report in the following 

 words : 



" Thousands of pamphlets and newspapers have found 

 their way to our rooms during the year. Many hundred 

 volumes of books of more or less value have also been 

 given to the society, and each year comes the question 

 where shall such material be deposited? The shelving 

 capacity of the building is exhausted. Many valuable 

 historical pictures and prints are lying unseen in various 

 places about the rooms for want of proper hanging space. 

 It is known that portraits of great value and of much 

 historical interest would come to the Institute, if secure 

 and fire-proof accommodations were offered. Could the 

 means be supplied to meet the imperative need, there can 

 be no doubt that large additions would be made to the 

 various departments of the Institute, thereby largely in- 

 creasing its usefulness in our own county, and its impor- 

 tance among the historical societies of the country." 



