. 237.]

[Footnote m: _Ff._ 3. 4. 7.]

A CORPORATION may be dissolved, 1. By act of parliament, which is
boundless in it's operations; 2. By the natural death of all it's
members, in case of an aggregate corporation; 3. By surrender of it's
franchises into the hands of the king, which is a kind of suicide; 4.
By forfeiture of it's charter, through negligence or abuse of it's
franchises; in which case the law judges that the body politic has
broken the condition upon which it was incorporated, and thereupon the
incorporation is void. And the regular course is to bring a writ of
_quo warranto_, to enquire by what warrant the members now exercise
their corporate power, having forfeited it by such and such
proceedings. The exertion of this act of law, for the purposes of the
state, in the reigns of king Charles and king James the second,
particularly by seising the charter of the city of London, gave great
and just offence; though perhaps, in strictness of law, the
proceedings were sufficiently regular: but now[n] it is enacted, that
the charter of the city of London shall never more be forfeited for
any cause whatsoever. And, because by the common law corporations were
dissolved, in case the mayor or head officer was not duly elected on
the day appointed in the charter or established by prescription, it is
now provided[o], that for the future no corporation shall be dissolved
upon that account; and ample directions are given for appointing a new
officer, in case there be no election, or a void one, made upon the
charter or prescriptive day.

[Footnote n: Stat. 2 W. & M. c. 8.]

[Footnote o: Stat. 11 Geo. I. c. 4.]

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