126 Franchises. — Corporations, [Ch.VIII. proceeded on a mistake, by supposing that a charter may be accepted in part, and rejected as to the rest. The only in- stance in which I have ever heard it contended that a charter could be accepted in part only is, *where the King has granted two distinct things, both for the benefit of the grantees : there I know that some have thought that the grantees may take one and reject the other. However that may be, it cannot extend to this case. This corporation must either have accepted in toto, or not at all ; if they could have accepted a part only of the charter, they would have been a corporation created by themselves, and not by the King. If a charter directed that the corporation should consist of a mayor, aldermen, an4 twenty-four common councilmen, they could not accept the charter for the mayor and aldermen only, omitting the com- mon councilmen." The charter should give the corporation a corporate name {a): but it may have a name by implication ; as if the King should incorporate the inhabitants of Dale with power to chuse a mayor annually, though no name be given, yet it is a good corporation by the name of mayor and commonalty (b). And corporations may change their names, as they frequently do in new charters, and they still retain their former rights and pri- vileges (c). As it is the King's charter that creates corpora- tions, so his Majesty may by his charter mould and frame them in the first instance as he thinks fit; and may by the consent of the corporation afterwards remove or grant additional rules for their governance, consistently with principles of law [d). In ecclesiastical and eleemosynary foundations, the King or the founder may give them rules, laws, statutes, and ordi- nances, which they are bound to observe : but corporations merely lay, constituted for civil purposes, are subject to no particular statutes ; but to the common law, and to their own by-laws, not contrary to the laws of the realm {e). And in such case, without express words the various incidents to corporations apply (y). The constitution of a corporation as settled by Act of Parliament cannot be varied by the acceptance of any charter inconsistent with it {g). And when it is intended (a) 1 Bla. Com. 474, 5. 10 Rep. 28. (e) Ld. Raym. 8. (h) 1 Salk. 191. (/) See 1 Bla. Com. 475. See Bac. (c) 4 Co. 87. Ld. Raym. 1239. Abr. Corporations, D. (d) 3. Mod. 13. (g) 6T.R. 268. 6 that
