MS 1.  Literal transcription – misspellings are left intact, xxx denotes illegible word, italicized items are my own comments for clarification – TG.

The Fundamental Rules of the Trenton Society for Improvement in Ufeful (Useful- As was the custom, certain words containing S’s will show F’s in their places*) Knowledge-

belonging to

Maskell Ewing jun (Junior)

1. The Society to be called The Trenton Society for Improvement in useful knowledge.
2. The Society to meet xxx (looks like ftatesly, which would be statesly??) on Thursday afternoon, in each Week at 5 OClock but may at any meeting be adjourned to any other day Funday excepted, and any other Hour of the day at the option of the Society a Majority of all the members to be a Quorum to proceed on and do Businefs
3. A Chairman to prefide at each meeting for the purpose of Conducting the businefs with Regularity and Decorum and enforcing due observation of the Rules and orders of the Society: his (When a sentence runs to another page, this writer’s custom is to repeat the word ending, so when a word is repeated in this text, it for that reason) his Authority not to be disputed while in the Chair, but he to be Accountable to the next meeting he Attends for any improper use of his power, each Member to prefide in Turn beginning and continuing in the Alphabetical Order
4. A Secretary to be Elected every three months for the purpose of keeping the Records and papers of the Society, the Proceedings to be by him fairly and correctly transcribed into a Book Appropriate to that use and the Papers properly endorsed and filed
5. A Clerk who is always to be the Member next best one, to the Chairman in Alphabetical Succefsion, to Minute the Proceedings of each Meeting, which minutes are to be carefully transcribed by him in the recefs and being read and corrected at the next meeting are to be delivered to the Secretary that he may enter them in the Records
6. Every Exercise to be fubject to the critical Remarks of the Members; but no Member Speaks more than twice in any debate or in remarking upon any exercise without the permifsion of the Society
7. Members to be Admitted only by an unanimity of Votes present at the meeting when they are Voted for and after being proposed in Nomination at a proceeding (not positive of that word) meeting
8. The Chairman to Vote only in case of an Equality of Votes when his becomes necefsary to constitute a Majority this Rule not to extend to Questions which require unanimity
9. Every Member to consider himself under the Promise and Obligation of Honor not to utter anything out of the Society which may have been there faid or done in Confidence and the making of which known may tend to the Prejudices of or be difagreeable to the Members or any of them unlefs Moral duty or the Laws of the Land require it.
10. No Member to depart from any Meeting without the leave of the Society Absentees to give their Reasons the next time they appear which which if Judged infufficient they are to be fined at discretion not to exceed a dollar and a Half lawful for one offence those who are tardy in giving their Attendance to alledge (best guess) their reasons before the Adjournment of the meeting which if Judged infufficient they are to be fined in like manner not exceeding one third of a Dollar lawful an Hour and fo ratably for a longer or Shorter time
11. Offences against the Rules or Orders in otherwise affecting the Society to which no particular Penalties are afsigned to be punished according to their nature and circumstances by fine at discretion reproof or expulsion but no fine to exceed two dollars lawful in any case nor any Expulfion to take place without the consent of all the rest of the Members convened when the Question is to be taken
12. The Secretary to be Treasurer in Virtue of his Office and all money accruing by fines or otherwise to be put in to his Hands Hands that they may be Applied towards defraying the incidental Expenses of the Meetings he to be Accountable to the Society in fuch way as they me direct.
13. The exercises to be determined upon and Orders made Altered and repealed from time to time as the Society may think proper but none of the Thirteen Fundamental Rules to be altered or repealed without the Unanimous Voice of all the members present at the meeting when the Question is to be put.

Standing Rules and Orders of the Trenton Society

                                                                        December 20, 1701

Ordered Unanimously

            That when a Member offers a Motion in writing the Question fhall be put thereon, Whether he is feconded or not

                                                February 1, 1701

Ordered, That the Difsertations Efsays and the Compofsitions produced by the Members be Marked with their respective names and the date of the Meeting when they are produced that they be numbered in order from No 1 progrefsively and put up in files of a Convenient fize that the files be marked from A progrefsively thro the Alphabet, a Fecond Series A2 B2 &c (et cetera) that each Paper with the number of it carry alfo the Mark of the file to what it belongs; that the Title or Fubject of each the Name of the Member producing it the number of the Paper and Mark of the file be entered on the Minutes of the respective meetings and that the Secretary neither lend the Journals nor any paper from the files longer than two days at any one time nor without taking a Receipt for the fame in a Paper Memorandum Book kept for that purpose

Ordered Unanimously

                                    That the name of the Member making and feconding a motion be entered on the Minutes in every case.

That when a Question pafses unanimously notice be taken of this circumstance in the entry of it,

That the Ayes and Noes be entered on every Question taken by open Voice when the Society is not Unanimous and that the Opinion of the Chairman be entered feparately unlefs when an Equality of Votes may render it necefsary to enter his name with the rest

                                                                        February February 15, 1701

Ordered Unanimously That when a motion is made and feconded without being xxx xxx it be recorded to writing if any Member require it and then read by the mover in his place delivered in at the Table and again read by the Chairman before it be debated or the Question put on it

That any Member may on application to the Chair have the Question divided into as many parts as it contains distinct Questions.

That when two or more Members rise nearly at the fame time the Chairman decide who rose first and when at the fame time the Chairman name the Member who is to proceed.

Ordered That the Chairman be empowered to decide uncontrolably (best guess, but doesn’t really make sense) on Points of order but fo neverthelefs that his discifsions (best guess) may be Questioned and altered at any other Meeting when another member is in the Chair

Ordered Unanimously

            That when a Motion is made in Writing or made and feconded without being reduced to writing the Matter thereof receive a determination by the Question, be withdrawn poftponed generally or to a particular time or put off by the previous Question before any other Motion be received

That the Mode of taking the previous Question be as follows-Those who are for the Previous Question, that is against the present putting of the main Question to anfwer in the Affirmative; those who are against the previous Question, that is for the present putting of the main Question to Answer in the Negative

                        February 22. 1701

Resolved That it is the fenfe of the Society that when the businefs of any Member fhall necefsarily prevent his attendance at the time of Meeting of the Society it is neverthelefs his duty to attend as foon as his Bufinefs will Admit

                        March 8. 1701

Ordered That the fum of one Dollar be paid into the Hands of the Treasurer by each Member for contingent expenses to be accounted for agreeably to rule

                        May 24. 1701

Ordered Unanimously

            That the Chairman have the Priviledge of keeping his feat in all the exercises of the Society

                        June 14. 1701

Ordered Unanimously

That the names of the Members who do attend at any time to which the Society fhall be adjourned whether there be a Quorum or not be entered on the Journals

Ordered That the fines of Members for non Attendance be entered on the Journals

                        March 7. 1702

Ordered That fome one of the Members make a Declaration from the Rostrum at each Meeting of the Society and that he who ftands next in Alphabetical order to the one who fpoke at the preceeding meeting fhall speak at the next preceeding Meeting Provided always that of the Member be not present at the meeting when he ought to declaim he take his turn when he next attends

Ordered That when any of the Members of the Society does not produce an Efsay or does not declaim as above mentioned in the preceeding order he be obliged to Read a Portion from fome book or perform fome other exercise which may be useful the performance to be fubject to the Critical remarks of the members Provided That of the other other businefs of the Society fhall not have time, these lefs exercises be omitted for that evening-

                        December 24. 1703

Refolved Unanimously

                        That any member of the Members of the Society lefs than a Majority may proceed to the ftated exercises of the Evening in the fame manner as if a Majority were Attending under the xxxtraction of not pafsing any Vote or order affecting the Institution of the Society or any ftanding Rule

                        January 10. 1704

Ordered Unanimously

            That the Rule of the 7^th of March No 2 which requires each Member of the Society to declaim from the Rostrum in his turn be fo far attend as to allow any Member whose turn it may be to declaim either to declaim or produce an Efsay or read a portion from fome Author at his option

Ordered Unanimously That the order of the 7^th March 1701 be made a ftanding Rule of the Society and that each Member Admitted or his fubscribing the Rules and taking his feat pay a Dollar into the Hand of the Treasurer for the time being to the purpose mentioned in faid order and to be Accounted for as therein is exprefsed-