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gone into: and in such cases as above described either
party may require the personal attendance of witnesses,
and a viva voce examination as though the suit were at
common law, and the court shall direct such process at
the request of either party, or summons may issue, as in
other cases of the kind.
    4. Be it further enacted, that nothing in this act con-
 tained shall be so construed as to render the communities
 aforesaid, or either of them, liable upon contracts entered
 into by any individual or individuals not authorized by
 their laws and usages to contract for such community;
 nor shall it be so construed as to give to any person who
 having been a member of any such community, has here-
 tofore left it, or may hereafter leave it, any right in conse-
 quence of such membership, which he or she would not
 have had if this act had not passed, but such right shall
 depend upon and be determined by the laws, covenants
 and usages of such society, and the general laws of the
 land, except as to the mode of the suit.
 v  5. Be it further enacted that any community which may
 -be sued under the provisions of this act, shall have the
 same right to a change of venue as other defendants.-
 Approved, Feb. 11th, 1828.
 Having, now, presented, in full,..the substance of this
 singular prosecution; that the public may not imagine
 that our Investigation or Defence is offered by a nameless
 and irresponsible set of beings, such as the foregoing pro-
 ceedings seem to be directed against, the following names,
 of a few responsible characters, are hereunto subscribed-
in behalf of the society.
      ABRAM WILHITE,           JOHN R. BRYANT,
      FRANCIS VORIS,           JAMES M. RANKIN,
      EDMUND BRYANT,           JAMES CONGLETON,
      JACOB MONTFORT,        WILLIAM SHIELDS, Jr.
 Pleasant Hill, June 10, 1828.