QUASI-CORPORATIONS. A term attaro to ,those bodies or municipal societies which, though not vested with the general powers of corporations, are yet recognized, by statutes or immemorial usage, as persons or aggre gate corporations, with precise duties which may be enforced, and privileges which may be maintained by suits at law. They may be considered quasi-corporations, with limited powers, co-extensive with the duties impoged upon them by statute or usage, but restrain ed from a general use of the authority which belongs to those metaphysical persons by the common law. See Fourth School Dist. v. Wood, 13 Mass. 192; L. L. 1. EL L. 2113; Boone, Corp. § 10.' Among quasi•corporations may be ranked counties, and also towns, townabins,Varlabes, hundreds, and other political divisions of counties, which are established without an express charter of incorporation; commis sioners of a county, most of the commissions instituted for public use, supervisors of high ways, overseers, or guardians of the poor, loan officers of a county, trustees of a school fund, trustees of the poor, school districts, trustees of schools, judges of a court author! ized to take bonds to themselves in their of ficial capacity, and the like, who are invested with corporate powers sub modo and for a few specified purposes only. The governor of
a state has been held a quasi-corporation sole ; The Governor v. Allen, 8 Humph. (Tenn.) 176; so has a trustee of a friendly society in whom, by statute, property is vest ed, and by and against whom suits may be brought; see 1 B. & Ald. 157; so of a levee district organized by statute to reclaim land from overflow ; Dean v. Leary, 51 Cal. 406; and fire departments having by statute cer tain powers and duties which necessarily in vest them with a limited capacity to sue and be sued ; 1 Sweeny 224. It may be laid down as a general rule that where a body is creat ed by statute possessing powers and duties which involve incidentally a qualified capac ity to sue and be sued, such body is to be considered a quasi-corporation; id.; Dean v. Davis, 51 Cal. 406. See, generally, Ang. & A. Corp. § 24 ; 13 Am. Dec. 524, note; but nst such a body as the general assembly of NM Presbyterian church, which has not the capacity to sue and be sued ; Corn. v. Green, 4 Whart. (Pa.) 531. See CORPORATION; MU NICIPAL CORPORATION; PUBLIC SERVICE COR PORATIONS; PUBLIC UTILITIES; ASSOCIATION.